The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-28

Inc IOllOWlHg address was ueiINSESu
by T. Twichell, the we'll known Maple
ton farmer, during the Tri-State con-
yention.
The aim and object of living is to live
in some comfort Cloth we n ours),
pay our just dues, give the world a
little more than good measure, and
provide for u children an easier lad-
der to climb than we have climbed, Ct
we have climbed at alb, or provide
them with some means, method or MT
ness for discovering the ladders OF OPP
portunity, that we may have overlook"
ed. or better, longer, stronger hooks 10
hang on with. 1t is to the considera-
ton of these things that ina
sane and sensible men and women cen
ter their energy and efforts.
That the world owes any one a living
is the most vicious rot. That it owes
every person an opportunity is certain.
Amy artificial barrier. whether 1t be
business practice. legal, religious, ethi-
cal, political of economical, that stands
or is erected as a hindranCe or obstacle,
between any person and a clear field
for fair opportunity, is an offence
against that person. If such obstruC-
ton is created by government, either
local, state or national, such govern
ment of, for and by the people, but a
government of fa~VOratism. II such OBJ
ELaClH Is CTedIeu DS DuSlIleSS, as pld1-
ticed, or laws enacted, the blame lies
with the public. that tOlerates either
bad laws or bad business. ObstruC-
tons or expressions of this nature
must naturally rest against classes
not individuals. in a nation Of 100 ,OOO,-
900 people. If the hand of OPP
preston or the hurdle of obstruction
be in the way of a small class, we can
give them little hope but much pity.
If placed between, say $4,000, 900 Of our
people and fair opportunity, NJ they
continue to tolerate it, we should give
no pity, out cry shame on you. ina
our form of government "a, OOO,OOO peo-
pie can remove and destroy any par
rier created by practice, precedent or
statute, Failure of correction must
come either from ignorance, indiffer-
ence or impotency or possibly all three.
Cur system Of government is, ana
always has been the greatest polltlcal
experiment of all time. Our country
is like none other. We have greater
and more varied interests and pursuits.
We are made up Of people of all sorts
of beliefs and temperaments: people OF
all na]tiOnalities, used to all sorts or
governments. People of all trades and
VocatiOns. Our people n from the
most high minded to the lowest Grim
inal; from, those OVer-burdened with
riches to those shrunk in abject power
ty; from the tory to the socialist; from
the philanthropist to the destruCtioniSt.
Such a people must be governed loose
ly, but ought to governed firmly, n
we must govern ourselves.
Our government, in governing
through laws created, always has, and
probably always will, listened respect
fully to location and vocation. This
means that under a democratic form
of government, that those locations and
AI-4 - edo
send the most able p~leaderS for SUCH
places. and such lines of business have
the greatest protection against Oppres-
sion or obstruction, and the greatest
opportunity to help in having the scales
of justice and opportunity tip-always
either little or much in their favor. 10
me it seems plain that it b~ehOoVes TINS
"a, 900 900 people to get busy, and see
that at the time and at the place when
opportunities are made, that their spe-
cial leaders of location or vocation are
present at the balancing of the scales.
Thirty-four per cen of our people, II
not ignorant, Indifferent, or impotent,
can see that this great. n in the
main good government, does not tip the
scales against them. If they fail to at
tend to this, who but themselves are
to blame?
Shakespeare says "are we not all
honorable men" Possibly tIue, but in
light of both the past and the present
would it not have been the part of
wisdom. to have thought a little along
the lines are we not all selfish men"
Do we not know that the same strug-
gle for adVantage-in government n
in personal ~endeaVor, is, and must
continue? The spirit Of war, and the
genious of generalship permeate n
adjust our differences between loca-
ton and vocation. Few, If any of the
trophies of war are given to those
that do not participate in the battles.
Those that stay at home are allowed
to pay the money cost, the pensions
the front. Who, you ask, is this class
of 81 per cent. of DUR population who
through ignorance, indifference or
impotency, has allowed this govern
ment Intentionally or Internationally,
to place an obstruction to their well
doing, (either of practice precedent
or statute) in the way Of their ad-
Vancement? Who is this great share
of our people who have neglected to
have their share of special repre-
sensations present when the scales Of
equal opportunity have been tested
and balanced? At the time (when
congress and state legislatures meet)
at the place washington or state cap
itols) where and when fair Opportun-
ity is measured, or when certain lines
of business are made too profitable
too improbable, or equal opportunity
given.
You don't need me to answer the
question; you all know it-you and
!, the American farmer, his wife and
little ones.
Who is it tina has few or none
Of the trophies of war? The farmer,
Why? He had few if any of the fight
ers engaged in the battles and none OF
the officers. So the other fellows
divided the loot, the cannon, the
hand pieces, the color standards. Each
taking according to his strength or
his quickness. True, we pay more
than one half the expense, but WE
made the mistake of not sending more
soldiers who would have known which
would have pleased us most, and
. served us best, a cannon, a hand piece
or a color standard.
We found out (many, many times)
that those we sent were not farmer