Fergus County Democrat., 1916-05-18

attention first in that way, and then
get the moral lesson conveyed to him
in milder ways that, if he were grown
up' would be the only way you would
use.
so | say that | have been aware
that lii order to do the very thing that
we are proudest Of the ability to do,
there might come time when we
would have to do it in a way that we
would prefer not 10 do it; ana the
great burden on my spirits, gentle
men, has been that it has leen up to
me to choose when that time came.
Can you imagine thing more cal
culated to keep a man awake at
nights than that? Because, just be-
cause | did not feel that | WAS tn"
whole thing and was aware that my
duty was duty Of Interpretation now
could | be sure that | had the r ght
elements of informa ion by which to
interpret truly?
what we are now talking about Is
! largely spiritual. You say al the
people out my way think so and so.
Now, | know perfectly we'll tina YOU
! have not talked with all the people
4 out your way. find that ont a"ain
Q =
surprise. The people Of the United
States are not asking anyhodv'.' leave
to do their own thinking and are no,
asking anybody to tip them off what
they ought to think. They are tla nix
ing for themselves, every man for
himself; and you do not know, ard the
worst of it is, since the responsibility
is mine, do not know what they are
:, ,;,,ly oh l,n inn
perfect means of finding out, and yet.
! have got to act as if ! knew. That
is the burden of it, and | tell you gen
tlemen, it is pretty serious burden.
particularly if you look upon the Of
flee as ! do-that | am not put here
to do what please If were it would
be very much more interesting than
it has been. | am put here to in
terpret, to register to suggest and.
more than that, and much greater than
that. to be suggested to.
THAT is also true, gentlemen, OF the
world of affairs. You have got to run
fast merely to stay where you are, and,
in order to get anywhere you have got
to run twice as fast as that That is
what people do not realize. That is
the mischief of these hopeless dams
against the stream known as Reaction
aries and Standpatters, and other
words of oboloquN. That is what is the
matter with them. they are not even
staying where they were They are
sinking further back in what will in
time comfortably close over their
heads as the black waters of oblivion.
| sometimes imagine that | see their
dc Ri I i,p1ipa a6 tf
even throw them life preserver. The
sooner they disappear the better. We
need their places for men who are
awake and we particularly need now,
gentlemen, men who will divest them
selves of party passion and of personal
preference and will try to think in the
terms of America. If man describes
himself to me now in any other terms
than those terms. | am not sure of
him; and love the fellows that come
into my office sometimes and say, "Mr.
President, | am an American Their
hearts are right, their instinct true,
they are going in the right direction.
and will take the right leadership if
they believe that the leader is also
man who thinks first Of America
not premeditate these remarks or they
would have had some connection with
each other They would have had
some plan. | have merely given my
self the pleasure of telling you what
really has been in my heart. and not
only has been in my heart, but is in
my heart every day of the week If
did not go off at week-ends occasion
ally and throw off, as much as it is
possible to throw off, this burden,
could not stand it. This week | went
down the Potomac and there was an
infinite sweet calm in some of those
old places that reminded me of the
records that We're made in the days
that are past; and comfGrted myself
with the recollection that the men we
remember are he disinterested men
who gave us the deeds that have Gov
cred the name Of America all over with
the luStre of imDeriShable glory