American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-07-22

ment- l beg of you not to give II up.
You Will live to regret 1t. When the
time comes and you are fully deter
mined to act you will find yourselves
powerless to act.
At least before 1t is repealed. let's
have h issue presented openly and
before the people; let some party or
some aspiring candidate to high office
declare 1t to be his platform and let's
present 1t fairly and ~squarely. That
is fair; that is Me right way to
dispose of a great question. For
myself, l want to be heard upon
the question, and IL l live and
hold my health, / shall be heard.
1 want to be frank with my party and
all concerned. / would support no
man for a responsible office who was
pledged either to its repeal or to its
e~masculaton and l would unhesitat-
ingly denounce any platform In which
such a doctrine was written. l have
given long years to its consideration
and to its advocacy, and though the
people themselves should want to be
rid OF II, l am SO convcinced of It's
ultimate benefit, that l will utilize all
the power l have to keep It on the
statute books and il 1t is taken off
l will utilize all the power have to
put 1t back l am not willing to
have a great measure. q measure
which enters vitality into the moral
fibre and intellectual stature of a
whole people judged by its workings
Tor a day or weeks or for Months
a great policy affecting the morals
and education and the physical well
fare OF the whole people can only he
rightly judged as you watch its work
fngs through the long sweep of the
years.
But / am told hat the pendulum
is swinging back. Some people think
so and some pray II so and therefore
say SO. They say that the people are
firing Of these matters. Well, let
te pendulum swing. Others will do
as they think best, but SO far as l
am concerned, l will wait until Il
comes back. l have not, as you all
know, moved as rapidly as some that
were on the move In these matters.
/ have by no means gone as swiftly as
some because l believe I'm examining
before accepting and examining with
caution and elaboration. want no
ads or fancies II / know 1t. But l
do van the real substantial things
which are essential for clean, efficient
n effective democratic government.
In so far as l have gone, however,
do not propose to retrace my steps
one inch. | want the people of my
state to know because they are en-
titled to know, and the people else
where, IL they are mt all concerned.
that ! am no part of the backward
movement and do not intend to become
80. ! do not change my direction
until / change my mind and | have
not changed my mind. II | felt that
] had been wrong IN any of these
matters ] feel sure / would change
but ! do not feel so and therefore ]
lake no backward step. ! believe
furthermore. hat II we do take a
backward step upon such matters as
this. we will travel all the weary
road over again. travel It al great
cost In every way to the people of the
land.
No, my friends. let's go forward
after due elaboration and the besl
investigation we can bring to the sub.
ject, but nevertheless. let's move for
ward. There is a vast work before
us to be done. II can only be don,
by and through the activity upon tn.
part of the average citizen. LEADER
men OF special gift and power, hay,
their place in this republic, but tn,
great foundation upon which al
things substantial, all things OF per
manent worth, In the cause OF human
ity and better government, must RES
at last is the sustained and individ
ual efforts. the ~sleepless vigilance O
The people. without moral stature
without intellectual height, without
civic righteousness and civic con
science among the people, whatever
else we have In this country, we can
not nave the blessed old republi,
which the fathers gave us.
IL Is a great thing, my friends, Il
achieve success I'm any line of life
III IL a great thing to write n grea
poem and hold the admiration for al
m OF the thinking world. II is
great thing like Webster or Burke
to speak through all time to the heart,
and minds Of the uncounted millions
IL Is a marvellous thing like Edison [,
draw forth with wizard power tn,
secret agencies and hidden recesses O
nature and compel them to administer
10 the needs and comforts OF tired
and weary men and women, Il IL {
great thing, In a way, to gather
through ability and Industry great
wealth-but greater than these an,
all OF these is the building OF a grea
commonwealth-the adjusting Of hel
laws and the shaping OF her institu
tons TO the end and purpose tina
justice may be death out alike 10 Oh.
rich and TO the poor and that IN,
humblest may share IN her %prosperit,
and glory. II is a worS IN which al
OF us may have a part. II IL a worl
which ought 10 inspire the most In
different mind and r. is a work whIcl
ought TO shame into silence and eter
nal seclusion. the miserable. slim,
~'9tches, who, for a few dollars I'm m,
way OF petty pecuiatioD would ma
the work Of those engaged I'm sucl
an enterprise. Let us work for Idah,
let MS resolve 10 give her the beg
there is In US TO establish her perma
nRUflV In tho bfgh uIaDo a,.,,u -.