The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-05-03
LOYALTY IS OUR FIRST DUTY
An Address Before optImlst Dsnvss
BY HON. G. w. WATERMAN
BY HON. 9. w. WATERMAN.

oy HON. @ W
The following ars excerpts from an
address delivered before tho Optimist
Club Of Denver. the other day By Hon.
G. W. Waterman. members of the q. A.
r. being honorsd guests at the dinner.
The loyalty expressed by the speaker.
tho applause which greeted his patri-
otis utterances. and the way he struck
home on matters Of 20 much interest
to every true American. makes this
abbreviated address OF interest to
every man. woman and child in Colo
rAdo.
In part Mr.. Waterman said:
The President Of the United States.
am glad to say. has finally set out
upon the open sea Of defiance with
all sails set. and by the Eternal, the
American people are going to stand by
him. The American people are begin
ming to climb to the crest where glor.
ious France and mighty England
stand. American soldiers are mount
ing to heights never before trod BY
tree man. America has finally started
upon the way to Belgium's tomb. and
the way to Belgium's resurrection lies
straight through Berlin, and well 90
the route II It takes every American
dollar and every American life.
Il want to say to you. gentlemen.
that wise transcendsnt statesmanship
10 the nesd Of this hour, and will be
the crying necessity Of the future.
Prophetic vision must clearly see, and
reason open up the way to reconstruct
the nations Of the earth upon the Sc
cure foundation Of . lasting peace. and
when peace comes the read5ustment Of
our internal affairs will demand the
vissst and the mightiest men Of the
republic to fashion and to direct the
course oe our governments activities.
All Ar United.
Questions which have heretofore
divided N have either been settled or
been obscured by the clouds Of war.
New questions viii be rapidly thrust
upon ~. imperatively demanding
quick solution. questions involving all
the functions and policies Of govern
msnt. aye. perhaps the very integrity
of the government itself. These ques-
tinns must be fsarlessly met, not in .
1Earit Of compromise. but with . reso-
lutte determination to know the truth.
The course Of action must b. tested
BY the compass OF reason. and whore
reason and truth point there lies the
way to the peoples security.
All Must es Heard.
Every American citizen with mes
sage must be heard: every citizen
must shake the mud Of politics off his
fest and climb to the sanctuary Of
statssmanship: every official Of the
government must serve his master. the
people: he cannot serve them and do
the bidding OF caste or class or avarice
or selfish ambition. He must move
within the sphere of honest, altruistic
effort; he must drink of the clear wa
tsrs Of love and Of sympathy and Of
Justice.
Universal Training Beneficial.
Universal military training will
provide a physical training and an in
tellectual training 1t will bring about
an adaptation OF the individual to some
particular department OF work SO that
he will be Of service to his government
and to himself; 1t will provide an edu-
cation that will fit young men to meet
and cope with their fellow-men and
fit them to take up the trials Of life
and Of the world and to meet them
fearlessly and we'll.
You have seen pictures. I presume,
Of young men who have been taken
into the service in the last year. men
bent over, doubled up. chests unex-
panded, uncouth, unkempt, and after
three months only Of training what do
We find? We find a man as straight
a. an arrow. man who knows what
discipline II, . man who has been
taught to know and to obey: man
who has come to know that he owes
allegiance to his government which
gives him life and protection. That
is what you get.
Must Be Other Training.
Coupled with universal military
training there should be manual and
educational training for the several
months in each year during which
they are in service, thus fitting these
young men by selection for the work
for which they are best adapted. You
know that the great majority Of young
men twenty-one years of age in this
country today are utterly incapable
NJ entering upon any business career