Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-10-05

could mention, from the standpoint
of the nation the policy is everything,
while 1t is Of little Importance who
carries it out SO long as 1t actually
is carried out. Therefore, hope you
will see to 1t, according to your best
endeayor, that the policy is accepted
as permanent, as something to be per-
severed Id because of the interest
of the whole people, and without res
gard to any possible political chan
ges.
Regulation Of Railroads.
Before closing let me say word
upon the subject Of the regulation
of the railways by congress under
the interstate commerce clause Of
the constitution. N In my jud cement
I the old days Of happy go-lucky In
difference on the part of the public
/ to the conduct OF the corporations
| have passed. The American people.
has made up its mind that the con-
ditions of modern industrialism are
such as imperatively to demand sup
ervision in the interest Of the peo-
pie as a whole over these great cor
porations. Most emphatfcaIIy We
should do full Justice to them but
in return we should exact Justice
from them to the public. Some Of
them have become habituated to
disregarding everything but their
own wishes and interests that the eff
fort to establish a proper supervi
sion over them has aroused on their
part curiously unreasonable antag-
onism. Their spokesman do not seem
to be aware that in what we have
been trying to do we have not been
improperly radical; using the word
in its right sense, we have been con-
servatiye. We have merely taken the
first steps in a policy which must be
permanent If our democratic institu-
tions are to endure; while as as mat
ter of course, we must also keep ever
in mind that it is exactly as injur-
ious TO true democracy to infiict, as
tameIy to suffer wrong. We can no
more tolerate injustice to the rail-
roads than injustice by them! one
course is as immoral and as funda-5
mentally mischevious and injjurios
to the people as the other.
This is a governmentgof law, a law
which applies to great and small
alike. I am sorry indeed when Il
happens that big men who do wrong
have involved smaller men with no.
bad intentions to such an extent that
they suffer when we force the undoing
lof the wrong. But we cannot hold
our hands for such a. consideration
The resp bIIity for the suffering Of
those innocent outsiders lies, not with
us who put a stop to the wrong and
punish the wroHgdoers but with
these Wrongdoers who mislead their
\ victims. 81
/ In conclusion, friends, let me Inn
press upon you one thing. Good
i laws can do much good; indeed they
4 are often indispensab1 BILE. There issur-
gent need that We should have hon.
est and efficient legislation and hon-
j est and efficient action BY those
i whose province It is to put the leg
IsTatfon into effect But thereSis in
4 fnTteIy more need Of a high individ-
IuaT average of character. The only
permanent way to help any man is
4 to help him help himself TO teach
him permanently to depend on any
thing save his own powers is to do
him harm and not good. II Let no man
4 persuade you that laws by them
i 9seIYes, NO matter how necessary and
Il beneficial, will make any community
Il happy and prosperous, or be even the
chief factors in securing such hap
q pfness and prosperity ID the last an
i aIysis the vital factor in each mans
II effort to achieve success in life must
Il be his own Character, his own cour.
q age and uprightness and intelligence
q In this audience are many men whs
wore the gray IN the great civil war
70 every audience 4 have spoken t
on this trip there have been mer
who fought in either the Union 3.
COME derate army, and often repre-
sentatiyes form both armies Now
yon men know that while In time q
war there is need Of good general
ship needs Of good organization. We
! the determination factor IN the req
! l,ment, the brigade, the army is. am
: must ever be, the individual sold
Ter; his proves, his hardihood, Iii
& unyeilding resolution. his stern 4
deity to duty, his capacity to art d
3 his own individual responsibilit
II when II, erassa ~ ,T n vet n, sorvs. fyro