The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-02-27
available force for wise and effective

those voters who have stood eager
and relentless in the forefront of
progress for fifty years-from the
of a race to the joining
in permanent wedlock the CONNER
cial and economic forces Of two
oceans. 1t means that republicanism
in its true concept, among and with
those who constitute its real strength
and the bulwark of its power. Is
progress, is liberalism, is growth. I'LL
means that no man or class of men
can turn the republican party from
its true course and drag 1t down
from it's exalted station among the
great political factors of modern
times, and it means, moreover, that
no man or class of men can wreck
or destroy it. The soldiers Of NaLol-
con drew their Inspiration from the
presence of their great commander,
their endurance. and their daring
seemed but the spell Of that incom-
prehensible genius. But the men
who followed Sheridan, Sherman and
Grant, imbued with a great cause,
dominated by a great purpose, could
have changed commanders a score of
times and still fought on to victory.
If every assumed leader and every
committeeman of the party from
ocean shore to ocean shore should
resign tonight and announce that the
hour of dissolution was at hand, be-
fore the sun had set upon another
day the rank and file would seize
the banner where it fell and straight
way entrust it to loyal hands.
"Mr. President, the divisions at
Chicago arose by reason and on &C.
count of an ancient and discredited
method of holding party conventions
"a method in vogue with all parties,
but out of date and moribund never
the less. No one was there seeking
honor and place at the hands of that
convention who would not have been
glad to utilize the party as party
had the results been satisfactory.
Those who afterwards left the party
had expressed no doubt of the wis
dpm of its established policies. or
the integrity and purpose and prog.
ressive bent of it's membership, or
as to the efficiency of the party as
an instrument for progressive legis-
lation and administration. The fact
that they were there seeking honors
at it's disposal proved conclusively
that they were in accord with its
principle, had faith in its policies,
and relied upon it as an in
strumentality of progressive ad-
vancement. To suppose otherwise
would be to charge them with dup
licity and insincerity, charge which
I would be last to make. In fact, it
was charged them, and it is charged
now, that the majority of the party,
that it, the voters, we're one way and
the organization another-upon no
other theory could the action which
followed be justified. l entertained,
and / entertain, that opinion myself.
For these reasons some of us thought
that the essential thing to be done
was to change the system, the pa-
chinery of the party, in order that
there might never again be any ques-
tion as to the free play of opinion
and the free expression of view of
the members, and to make certain
beyond adventure the carrying
out of the conviction and the pur-
poses of that splendid body of citizen
ship which from the beginning has
constituted the real strength of the
party. 1t seemed to some that it was
wiser to get out and fight from the
outside. 1t seemed to others who
were equally sincere that 1t was lack.
ing in strategy and effectiveness, II
not in courage, to give up the want.
age of name and prestige, of honor
and achievement, when the sole fault
was one of organization and not in
the membership or policies. do not
criticize those who chose the former
method. For whatever charge may
be made as to the ambitions of indi'
viduals, no honest man would doubt
the high purposes and patriotism Of
the four million voters. But I dc
say that every obstacle which stood
in the way of success of the cause as
we viewed it has been completely re-
moved. There has never been time
when the machinery of the party was
SO completely subject to the direction
of the voters. OF course this will be
denied by those who would destroy
the party, whether it does right OF
whether it does wrong, but it will
not be denied by those who investi
gate and sincerely want to see the
party reorganized and re-established