Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-10-04

year am happy to say that we! shall
begin course which I hope will be
steadily followed hereafter, that
namely, of keeping the battleship
fleet alternately in the Pacific and in
the Atlantic. Early in December the
fleet will begin its voyage to the Pa
| cific, and it will number, friends,
among it's formidable lighting craft
three great battleships, named, re-
spectively, the Illinois, the Missouri
and the Kentucky, It is a national
| feet in every sense of the term, and
| its welfare should be, and I firm
ly believe, is as much a matter Of
pride and concern for every man in
the farthest corner of our country as
for every man on the seacoast A
long ocean voyage is mighty good
training; and not the least good it
will do will be to show Just the points
where our naval program needs
Strengthening. incidentally think
the voyage will have one good effect,
for, to judge by their comments on
the movement, some excellent peo-
pie in my own section of the country
need to be reminded that the Pacific
coast is exactly as much part Of
this nation as the Atlantic coast. s.
Our Domestic Policy @#
So much for foreign affairs. Now
for matter of domestic policy. Here
in this country we have founded a
great federal democratic republic. 1t
is government by and for the peo-
| pie and therefore genuine Sdemoc-
racy; and the theory of our constitu-
| ton is that each neighborhood shall
be left to deal with the things that
concern only itself and which it can
most readily deal with; so that town,
county, city and state have their re-
spectiye spheres of duty, while the
nation deals with those matters which
concern all of us, all of the people,
no matter where we dwell. Our de-.
mocracy is based upon the belief that
each individual ought to have the
largest measure of liberty compati-
BILE with securing the rights OF other
| individuals, that the average citizen,
the plain man whom we meet in daily
life, is normally capable Of taking
care of his own affairs, and has no
desire to wrong any one else; and
yet that in the interest OF ali there
shall be sufficient power lodged some
where to prevent wicked people from
trampling the weak under foot for
their own gain. Our constant en-
deavor is to make good working
compromise whereby we shall secure
the full benefit of individual initia-
tive and responsibility, while at the
same time recognizing that It is the
function Of a wise government un
der modern conditions not merely to
protect life and property, but to fos-
/ ter the social development Of the
people SO far as this may be- done
by maintaining and promoting JUS
4 tice, honesty and equal rights. We
believe in democracy as regards poll
| tical rights, as regards education,
and, finally, as regards Industrial
conditions. By democracy we under
stand securing, as far as it is human
ly possible to secure it, equality Of
opportunity, equality of the condi-
lions under whic each man is to show
the stuff that is in him and to
achieve the measure of success to
which his own force. of mind and
character entitle him. Religiously
this means that each man is to have
the right, unhindered by the state, to
worsip his Creator as his conscience
dictates, granting freely to others the
same freedom which he asks for him.
self. Politically we can be said sub
stantially to have worked out our
democratic ideals, and the same lis
true, thanks to the common schools.
in educational matters. But In in
dustry there has not as yet been the
governmental growth necessary in or
der to meet the tremendous changes
brought about In industrial condi-
tons by steam and electricity. 1t is
not in accordance with our principles
that literally despotic power should
be put into the hands Of few men in
the affairs of the Industrial world.
Our eort must be for just ana eff
fective plan of action, with, while
scrupulously safeguarding the rights
OF the men of wealth, shall yet %
far as is humanity possible, secure
under the law to all men equality Of
opportunity to make a living. 1t is
to the interest Of all of us that the
man Of exceptional business capacity
should be amply rewarded; and there
is nothing inconsistent with this In
our insistence that he shall not be
guilty Of bribery or extortion, and
that the rights of the wageearner and
of the man of small means MI, II 5 "a