American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-06-10
BARBER & JONES, Publishers

BARBER 4 JONES', Publishers !
BORAH ON THE NEXT CAMPAIGN.
Senator Borah has written to the San Francisco Argo- I
naut a letter in which he lays down in remarkably forclDle
terms the principles upon which he believes the Republican,
party should enter upon the next campaign. his letter
was prompted by reading a letter in the Argonaut, from t
which he quotes with approval the following passage:
Revived Republicanism, if it is to win and retain its
advantages, must not be precisely the Repubhcanlsm OF
four, much less of ten years ago There has come a new
era. There has arisen a new conscience in relation to
things both governmental and social. New ideas and new
standards possesses the mind and stand fixed in universal
Judgment. Repubicanism in the form and shape OF a few
years back is no longer a workable scheme. Old ways OF
looking at things and doing things are no longer feasible.
Expressing his gratitude for this statement, Mr. Borah
says: "That we have moved on, that we have left behlnd
some of the practices which a long exercise of power, mix
ed with the arrogance of success, gave us, ought to be ap-
parent to all. That we do not propose to return to those
practices nor own again some of the political precepts of
the past ought to be equally apparent" He then states
the basic principle Of that conservative progressivismI
which should guide the Republican party:
The vital principle of liberalism, or of progressivism, is
that the people are entitled to a better, cleaner government
and to a more wholesome system of politics today than yes
terday, and this is brought about and assured to the peo-
pie by that open-minded leadership which carefully pre-
serves the principles wrought out of past experiences and
with equal care and Open-mindedness undertakes to weld
them onto the present with its multitude OF new and unset
tied questions"
Danger from change, he says, comes from a lack of due
regard for the experiences of the past, a desire to tear
down, to destroy absolutely and build anew, rather than TO
push old wisdom into the new and build for the future up
on the sure foundations of the past" We should seek only
to make the wisdom Of experience mortise into alnng .prnn
and strengthen the obligations q = fn sne great fundamental
principles of Anglo-Saxon government to new problems
and obligations" The constitution should be our guide
and our institutions should be our faith, but we cannot
preserve the one and maintain the other except we meet
with open-mlndedness, with candor and courage, the prob
lem of this hour" "And we are going to do it" says Mr..
borah and whether we do it i'll calmness and in harmony
or In turmoil and strife, we are going to do it."
Mr.. Borah deprecates a business mems campaign as be-
ing on too narrow a basis and proposes "a campaign for
or in behalf of or by any class as "an effront to the intel
will be upon broad lines" and will involve our foreign pol
icy. the question of an efficient national defense, the Just
and proper protection of the rights and lives of American
citizens, as well as the REIMBURSEMENT of the tariff and other
questions OF domestic concern" He hopes the campaign
may afford the American people an opportunity to re-
examine some Fundamental questions, to drive from their
minds and hearts that spirit of DISTRICT in their institu-
IONS, lately so prevalent, that tendency to suppose that
there is something in our system Of government which pre-
vents our accomplishing what as a people we should ac-
complish."
MI. Borah writes in the true spirit of progress. There
can be no doubt that, if the Republican party enters upon
the campaign in that way, it will call forth response from
the people which will place in power an administration i'm
bued with the purpose of CARRYING forward those ideas
and Undertaking. those ideals. He laws down principles
upon which all true Republicans can unite and which will
leave no ground clear for a third party to stand on. He
flgnIy places foreign policy first, for passing events are
fast dragging this republic from its isolation into the front
rank IN world controversies. National defense comes next!
as a necessary adjunct to maintenance of our positionI
among nations, for a defenseless nation will not command
respect protection OF American citizens abroad is a first
essential in foreign affairs REIMBURSEMENT of the tariff isl
but the first among several measures of domestic concernl
wnlcn VIII command attention. Others are revival of our
merchant marine and of foreign trade; a system of rural
credits and opening of our national domain to develop
ment under conditions which respect the rights of the
states.
The next administration will be called upon to work for
the h0n0r OF the United States and the safety of our citi-
zens abroad and for prosperity, justice and freedom of all