The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-08

from the brute that the latter merely i eats and sleeps and dies. while man is endowed by the Creator with infinite possibilities Liberty Is necessary for the realization of mans possibilities | His conscience must be left free that he may fix for himself the relation between himself and his God. His mind must be left free that he may devise and plan for himself, for his family and for his fellows His speech must be free that he may give to the world the results of his investigations and present to others the ideal which he is trying to realize in his work. His pen must be free that he many scatter seed thoughts to the uttermost parts of the earth and leave to posterity a record of his work. He finds in government the cheapest, as well as the surest, protec- tion of this lib erty, to be, to think, to speak, to act
 And what constitutes the pursuit of happiness? Man must have home and friends-family and society. He mus have food or he will starve. He must have clothing and shelter: he must have books, he must have instruments with which to work. He must provide during the period of strength for the years when age dulls his energies and benumbs his hands. He may have ann bition, he may have willingness to work and an environment that spurs him on but the government may encourage or 1t may discourage his efforts Govern ment may bid him hope or leave him to despair.
 Untitled Soil.
 When l visited the valley of Jordan I learned that it is fertile and productive. and yet instead of being cultivated like the valley of the Nile, vast stretches of territory lie untitled. Why? I was told that under the reign of the Sultan the toiler is not protected in the endowment. of the fruits of his toll. If the farmer plants and tends his crop, rowing Bedouins will speed down from the hills at harvest time and carry away the fruits of his industry.
 If the government does not assure to the individual the enjoyment of the re- suit oH his effort, there is no stimulus to industry.
 We have the best government on earth. It gives the largest liberty, the greatest hope and the most encouragement to the citizens, and vet, even in this country, 1t is always necessary to be on the watch to keep the instrumentalities of government from being turned to private gain.
 One of the great problems of today is 10 secure an equitable distribution of the proceeds of iol. The material wealth of this country is largely a joint product; in factories few people work alone, and on the farm a certain amount of co-opera- ton Is necessary. Where men work to- gether, the army organization applies to some degree; that is, some direct, others arc directed. The difficulty has been to divide the results fairly between the captains of industry and the privates in the ranks. As the dividing is done largely by the captains. it is not un- natural that they should magnify their part and appropriate too large a share; neither Is 1t unnatural that there should be conlulain on the part of the toilers who think that their recompense Is in- sufficient.
 Quection of Distribution.
 The labor question. therefore, as 1t presents itself at this time, is chiefly a question of distribution and the leg islation asked for is legislation which will secure to each that to which his services entitle him. As legislation Is secured through the ballot every one should use the ballot to obtain the legis- lation necessary. The democratic plat i form presents the ideal toward which the democratic party is striving, namely. justice in the distribution of rewards The democratic party proclaims that each individual should receive from society a reward for his toll commensurate with his contribution to the welfare of society, and unless some other party do the work better, the democratic party ought to have the support of all. whether they belong to the wage earning class or oc- cupy positions in which they direct the efforts of others. If an officer in the in dustrial army were sure that his children and his childrens children would inherit his position, he might feel possibly in- different as to those under his command, but the children of those who. today, work for wages may employ the chill dren of those who in this generation, are employers. This uncertainty as to future generations as well as our sense of jus tice should lead us to make the govern ment as nearly perfect as possible, for good government is the best legacy that a parent can leave to his child. Riches may take the wings of the morning and fly away. but government is permanent, and we cannot serve posterity better than by contributing to the perfection of the government, that each child born into the world may feel that it has here an op- portunfty for the most complete develop raent and a chance to secure, through service, the largest possible happiness and honor.