, 1907-10-03
PRESIDENT APPROVES
LAKES PLAN

lily deal with; so that town, county
city and state have their respective
spheres of duty, while the nation deals
with those matters which oncer all
of us, all of the people, no matter
where we dwell.
Basis Of Our Plan.
Our democracy is based upon the
belief hat each individual ought to
have the largest measure of liberty
compatible 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 anyone else;
and yet that in the interest of all
there shall be sufficient power lodged
somewhere to prevent wicked people
from trampling the weak under foot
for their own gain.
To Foster Social Development.
Our constant endeavor is to make a
good working compromise whereby we
shall secure the full benefit of indi-
vidual initiative and responsibility,
while at the same time recognizing
that it is the function of a wise gov
eminent under modern conditions not
merely to protect life and property,
but to foster the social development
OF the people SO far as this may be
done by maintaining and promoting
Justice, honesty and equal rights. We
believe in a real, not a sham, democ-
racy.
Equality of Opportunity.
We believe in democracy as regards
political rights, as regards education,
and, finally, as regards Industrial con-
ditions. By democracy we understand
securing. as far as it is humanity pos
sible to secure it, equality of oppor-
tunity, equality of the conditions UNI
der which 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 en-.
title him.
Freedom of Conscience.
Religiously this means that each
man is to have the right, unhindered
by the state, to worship his Creator
as his conscience dictates, granting
freely to others the same freedom
which he asks for himself. Politically
we can be said substantially to have
worked out our democratic ideals, and
the same is true, thanks to the COM
mon schools. in educational matters.
But in industry there has not as yet
been the governmental growth neces-
sary in order to meet the tremendous
changes brought about in Industrial
conditions by steam and electricity.
Just Plan Of Action.
1t is not in accordance with our
principles that literally despotil pow
er should be put into the hands of a
few men in the affairs of the indus
trial world. Our effort must be for a
just and effective plan of action which,
while scrupulously safeguarding the
rights of the men of wealth, shall vet.
SO far as is humanity possible, secure
under the law to all men equality of
opportunity to make a living.
Reward for Business Capacity.
1t Is to the interest of all of us that
the man of exceptional business ca.
pacity 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
ina the rights of the wageworker
and OF the man of small means, who
are themselves honest and hard work
Ing, shall be s%crupulously s%afeguarded.
M instruments for the exercise of
modern industrial power are the great
corporations which, though created by
the individual states, have grown far
beyond the control of those states and
transact their business throughout
large sections of the Union.
Changes With Advancing Years.
These corporations, like the indus.
trial conditions which have called
them into being, did not exist when
the constitution was founded; but the
wise %forethought of the founders pro-
vided, under the interstate commerce
clause of the constitution, for the very
emergency which has arisen, if only
our people as a whole will realize what
this emergency is; for if the people
thoroughly realize it, their yer
mental representatives will soon real.
ize 1t also.
Will Benefit Corporations.
The national government alone has
sufficiently extensive power and juris.
diction to exercise adequate control
over the great interstate corporations.
While this thorough supervision and
control by the national government is
desirable primarily in the interest of
the people, it will also, l firmly be-
lieve, be to the benefit of those corpo-
rations themselves which desire to be
honest and lawabiding. Only thus can
we put over these corporations one
competent and efficient sovereign-the
nation-able both to exact Justice
from them and to secure justice for
them, SO that they may not be alter.
nately pampered and oppressed.
The Unlawful Motive.
The proposal need be dreaded onl,
by those corporations which do moi
wish to obey The law or to be control
led In just fashion, but prefer to take
their chance under the present lacl
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