The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-11-28

ual and partisan responsibilities
without trying to blame the Other
fellow unduly.
Criticise My Party
/ am a Republican, but | have crit
icised the Republicans more, perhaps
than any other man in the state.
have some Democratic friends, and
sometimes | feel my temper rising
when | listen to their comments on
the way conditions are developing
politically and industrially. | just
met one of them with his tax notices
in his hands and he was full of a
deep resolve. He said his taxes had
gone up more than half just when
there was a Republican. governor
and Republican county commission
ers. l retorted that was surprised
that they had not doubled since we
had had so many Democrats in
power the past few years, and all of
them busy passing the buck.
Acting the Bolshevic
Now there we are, good friends,
but doing just what Germany wants
us to do-foolishly fuss about petty
things that we are all responsible
for. That Was bolshevism in it's
early stages. We could easily go on
adding fuel to the flame till neither
of us would have the clear vision
to recognize even the grosser errors
in our own acts. What we Ameri-
cans need to do is to honestly ana
lyze conditions nearest to our own
wickyups, and proceed to put our
house in order. If we spend much
time recounting the calamities that
confront us without planning some
remedies and applying them it would
be SO gloomy prospect it would
discourage us. A few months ago
my wife read so much in the con-
gressional record about the harsh
sentences imposed upon doughboys
! who had been court marshaled, she
was suffering for them without doing
them any good, and | finally re-
lieved her distress by asking her to
| Just lay the records away in the den
and not read them till | broke the
wrappers She did as | asked her
to, and after while we began to get
| reports that some of those same fell
| lows had been pardoned as soon as
sufficient impression had been made
| on them to secure willing obedience
and to develop a great spirit backed
| by pep and ambition to make good.
| rne number of redemptions changed
the outlook from gloom to hope.
Correct Mental Attitude
/ am firm believer in the value
of keeping up our own spirits. When
things look depressing l get real help
| by reviewing that old couplet:
'Twixt optimist and pessimist
The difference is quite droll;
The former sees the doughnut
And the latter sees the hole.
# Should recite the calamitOus
things that l see confronting us in
state and local affairs, reviewing the
big public debts, the rising tide of
bolshevism, the manner in which the
bolshevics will make use of the we'll
meaning but thoughtless element of
citizens to stop production and ham
Her the men and women who are
true blue in politics and business,
the way part of the public funds are
being manipulated to hand sussist-
ence to the enemies of society, and
% do it so adroitly that we help it
along rather than take a disagree
able stand, if should point out the
tremendous expenditures that think
are necessary for some of our state
institutions, thereby further increas-
ing our taxes for a generation, it
would cast gloom over each one
who took my statements seriously.
But that is only the hole in the
doughnut. The doughnut itself
reads like this:
The Big American Doughnut
We in America are on the eve of
great period of progress and pros
perity. The blending of races and
the wide-open field of opportunity
to develop new methods, new mater
ials, new machines and new ideas Of
everything, have made America the
melting pot to create the best there
is in the world. We are just now
passing thru the purifying fire by
which the dross will be skinned off
and deported, leaving us alone for
great achievement.
Acting the Big Brother
When our fighters, our nurses, our
engineers and our servers went to
Europe to defend the good things
of the world, to bind up the wounds
of the world, to hand new plans to
the world and to restore and main
tain the spirits of the world, Europe
took all they could get for them
selves, rose temporarily from their
low level of selfisnness and narrow
vision, and then figuratively drew
their mantle about themselves and
kept their hands on their pocket
books for fear we would take it
away from them. We have retired
to our own shores strong in the
exercise we have taken, and are now
| I'm thu 1roco Of hama NM