The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-07-15

maj success, snail never under any
} circumstances give my consent to TAX
ing 1t off the statute books or deny
the people this power
Some have said to me also that we
had no such condition of affairs before
the primary How short are their
memories. l am not going into past
history unless 1t becomes necessary.
But l have seen both systems work
In the state and bad as conditions now
are they were infinitely worse under
the old system. II anyone should ever
submit to the people of this state the
proposition of repeating the primary /
should feel constrained to represent
some OF the facts relative to conditions
under the old system in this state
There was time in this state when
the price of a member of the legislature
in senatorial contest ranged from
$3.50 to a pair Of hand me down pants,
a cheap walking cane and five dollars,
the latter of which was won back in
a poker game the same night They
have no primary in Indiana but when
| | was there last October both Demo-
Gratis and Republicans told me Of the
fearful conditions and how powerless
they were to help themselves. They
had apparently become thoroughly
aroused to the stupendous debauchery
| that was going on but they were
powerless. They made a fight for a
primary but having to depend upon the
satellites of the machine they were
defeated in the legislature. They had
no primary In Ohio at the time of
the dreadful exposure there. They
had none in New York for years. At
last that far seeing statesman, Justice
Hughes, made a fight for a primary
but even under his leadership they
were able to secure only a most inef-
ficient law. / agree that If the pri-
mary sleeps upon the statute books
unused IL the people do not avail
themselves of its advantages, 1t will,
Of course, be utterly without avail
But / know that If they will but use
1t. It is one of the effective instru-
ments of clean and efficient government.
/ beg you not to give it up. You will
live to regret It, When the time comes
and you are fully determined to act
you will find yourselves powerless to
act.
At least before 1t Is repealed LETT
have the issue presented openly and
before the people, let some party or
some aspiring candidate to high Of
flee declare 1t to be his platform
and let's present 1t fairly and square
~. that is fair, that is the right way
to dispose of a great question. For
myself, / want to be heard upon the
question and If I live and hold my
health I shall be heard. 1 want TO be
frank with my party and with all con-
cerned l would support no man for
responsible office who was pledged |
either to its repeal or to it's emascu-
lation and would unhesitatingly de-
nounce any platform in which such a |
doctrine was written. have given |
long years to It's consideration and to |
its advocacy, and though the people |
themselves should want to be rid OF it |
l am so convinced of its ultimate |
benefit that l will utilize all the |
power / have to keep II on the statute |
books and II II is taken off I will |
utilize all the power have to put it |
back. l am not willing to have a great
measure, a measure which enters vital
ly into the moral fibre and intellectual
stature of a whole people judged by
Its workings for a day or weeks or
for months-a great policy affecting
the morals and education and the ply
steal welfare of the whole people can
only be rightly judged as you watch its
workings through the long sweep of the
years.
But l am told that the pendulum is
swinging back. Some people think so
and some pray 1t is so and therefore
say So They say that the people
are firing of these matters Well
let the pendulum swing-others will do
as they think best but so far as
am concerned 1 will wait until 1t comes
back. have not, as you all know,
moved as rapidly as some that were
on the move INF these matters. 1 have
by no means gone as swiftly as some
because I believe in examining before
accepting and examining with caution
and elaboration. 1 want no fads or
fancies II Snow 1t. But l do want
the real substantial things which are
essential for clean, efficient and eff
fective democratic government In so
far as have gone, however, do not
propose to retrace my steps one inch |
| want the people Of my state to know
because they are entitled to know, and
the people elsewhere II they are at all
that l am no part of the
backward movement and do not intend ,
10 become so. 1 do not change my .
direction until change my mind and I !,
II Il
hat / had been wrong in any of these /,
matters feel sure I would change ,
but l do not feel so and therefore I /,
AXE no backward step. believe. !,
that II we do take back !
ward step upon such matters as this :
We will travel all that weary road :
'ver again, travel It at great cost in :
very way to the people Of the land. !
No, my friends, let's go forward t
lfter due elaboration and the best h
nvsstigation we can bring TO the sub
ect, but nevertheless let's move for
Tasd. There is a vast work before us z
o be done. It can only be done by '
md through the activity upon the part Il
u the average citizen. Leaders, men f
y special gift and power, have their c
lace in this republic but the great "
oundation upon which all things sub a
tantial, all things of permanent worth 6
the cause of humanity and better n
government, must rest at last is the h