The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-02-02
FLENNER TELLS
THE TRUTH

FlENN Els IEliLS
THE TRUTH
The following is a portion of ar
address delivered by Guy Flennel
before recent joint meeting Of
farmers and merchants:
"There are some words and eX
pressions that, by continuous use
may have been rendered more or less
meaningless in this country. One
of them is efficiency Another is
'normalcy,' and a third is 'co-opera
ton
1--WE hear many people talk very
earnestly of cooperation and write
learnedly about it, who are partici'
pants in activities that tend to de.
stroy any benefits that might flow
from their preachments. That is not
a new condition, but it seems to be
given emphasis in such times as
these.
Having gotten thru a great war,
during which this country enjoyed
a wonderful era of activity and pros
perity, the time came for settle
ment, for readjustment. 1t is neces-
sary for us to re-arrange for the new
norder of things, and all too many
have rebelled, secretly, if not openly,
against the program and consciously
or unconsciously they lay barriers in
the pathway of it's execution. Let
me illustrate:
IAN important public enterprise is
launched; its desirability is univer-
sally recognized, but it cannot be
carried to a successful issue because
SO many people are lacking in spirit,
discouraged; full of fear that moth
ing new can be accomplished because
it cannot be measured by the year.
stick formerly used. They do not
take the common sense view that it
is necessary to meet changed con-
ditions by changed methods and that
any substantial reconstruction is not
possible without reliable and en-
during foundation.
Their idea seems to be that, un-
less we can 60 on from the top OF
the skyscraper and build still higher,
no construction is worth while.
"A bank fails, and thousands OF
people hurry their funds into secret
hiding places, taking them away
from the channels of trade and fur
Their confounding confusion. Many
of our bank failures have been
caused by senseless withdrawal OF
deposits, and others by mismanage-
ment.
But even if mismanagement
would any man, interested in the fu-
ture of his community, knowingly
participate in bringing about col
lapse of our fundamental financial
institutions?
"Such one would condemn re-
ligion and close our churches be-
cause of the delinquency of min
lister or stop agricultural production
because some group of farmers had
made serious mistakes.
"The operations of public utilities
are not wholly satisfactory? Then
wreck the public utilities. Don't try
to get grasp of their problems, but
either stand al0Of or center activity
upon policies that would bring about
general chaos. and infiict the coun-
try with impoverished industrial or
CARNATIONS.
without pursuing illustration
further, l think l have said enough
to visualize condition in this coun-
try that is widespread and most men,
acing. There is a demoralizing lack
of faith in ourselves, in our COM
munities, our state, our nation and
sometimes, think, in our God.
ut is not my desire to harshly
criticise, for we all realize the public
mind has had much lately to create
misrepresentation and fearfulness,
but the public has caused much
trouble for itself by withdrawal from
circulation of billion and a half
dollars, by attacks and elimination,
by community divisions and sectional
selfishness. However, they are the
effects from certain causes. 1t is our
duty to get back to the causes and
apply proper remedies.
There is something for each to
do, possibly an unpleasant and, tenn
porarily, Improbable task, but if
every man and woman who is
leader in his community, persistently
breaches the gospel of commonality
of interest, of confidence, of upbuild-
ing, beneficial results will not be I'M
duly delayed.
There are monumental problems
to be solved in this nation and the
problems of the big men are the
problems of the most humble citizen.
Let us go away from this gather
ing filled with new hope and
greater faith. determined to stimu-
late more healthful public spirit
in our respective communities.
This hope, this confidence, this
faith are certainly justified on the
part of citizens of the greatest and
the richest nation of the world
people who have conquered the
wilderness, who have fought and
won great wars, who have saved the
liberties of the world.
"Can such people justify a course
of weakness, of vaccilation, of fear
fulness at a time when duty at home
calls for their most energetic, in
telligent and optimistic energies in
as startling tones as it ever sum-
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