Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-08


ship of mines and forests. The labor
legislation hereinafter referred to
should concurrently be enacted into
law.
To accomplish this means, OF course,
n certain increase IN the use OF, not
the creation of, power by the central
government. The power already ex-
lists. 1t does not have to be created.
The only question is whether 1t SHAH
be used or left idle, and meanwhile
the corporations over which the pow
er ought to be exercised will not re-
main idle. Let those who object to
this increase in the use of the only
power available, the national power,
be frank and admit openly that they
propose to abandon any effort to CON
troll the great business corporations
and to exercise supervision over the
accumulation and distribution OF
wealth, for such supervision and con-
troll can only come through this par
ticular kind of increase of power. We
no more believe in that empiricism
which demands absolutely unrcstrain-
ed individualism than VIC do in that
empiricism which clamors for q dead
enlng socialism. which would destroy
all individual initiative and would ruin
the country with a completeness that
not even an unrestrained Individual
ism itself could achieve. The danger
to American democracy lies not in the
least in the concentration of admins
trative power in responsible and ac-
countable hands. 1t lies in having the
power insuificiently concentrated, so
that no one can be held responsible TO
the people for its use. Concentrated
power is palpable, visible, responsible,
easily reached, quickly held to account.
Power scattered through many admin.
istrators, many legislators, many men
who work behind and through legis-
lators and administrators, is impalpa-
bic, is unseen, is irresponsible, cannot
be reached, cannot be held to account.
Democracy is in peril wherever the
administration Of political power is
scattered among variety of men who
work in secret, whose very names are
unknown to the common people. 1t is
not in peril from any man who derives
authority from the people, who eNer-
cises it in sight OF the people and who
is from time to time compelled to give
an account OF its exercise to the peo-
pie.
Labor.
There are many matters affecting Ia
Dor and the status Of the wagcworker
to which 1 should like to draw your
attention, but an exhaustive discussion
OF the problem III all its aspects is not
now necessary. This administration is
nearing its end, and, moreover, under
our form of government the solution of
the problem depends upon the action
of the states as much as upon the ac-
ton Of the nation. Nevertheless there
are certain considerations Which wish
to set before you, because l hope that
our people will more and more keep
them in mind. a blind and ignorant
resistance to every effort for the re-
ment Of society to modern industrial
conditions represents not true conserv-
atism, but an Indictment to the wild
est radicalism, for wise radicalism
and wise conservatism go hand in
hand, one bent on progress, the other
bent on seeing that no change is made
unless in the right direction. ISbelieve
in steady effort, or perhaps il would
be more accurate to say i'll steady eff
forts in many different directions, to
bring about a condition of affairs I'M
der which the men who work with
hand or with brain, the laborers, the
superintendent, the men who produce
market for the articles produced.
shall own far greater share than ut
present Of the wealth they produce
and be enabled to invest it in the tools
and instruments by which all work is
carried on. AS far as possible I hope
to see a frank recognition Of the adj
vantages conferred by machinery, or
ganization and division of labor, ac-
companied by an effort to bring about
a larger share in the ownership by
wageworker of railway, mill and fac
tory. In farming this simply means
that we wish to see the farmer own
his own land. We do not wish to see
the farms SO large that they become
the property of absentee landlords
who farm them by tenants nor yet so
small that the farmer becomes like a
European peasant.
Again, the depositors in our savings
banks now number over one-tenth Of
our entire population. These are all
capitalists, who, through the savings
banks, loan their money o.the workers
- that is, in many cases to themselves
to carry on their various industries.
The more we increase their number
the more we Introduce the principles
Of cooperation into our industry Ev-
cry increase in the number of small
stockholders i'll corporations is Il good
thing for the same reasons and where
the employees are the stockholders the
result is particularly good. Very much
of this movement must be outside OF
anything that can he accomplished by
legislation, but legislation can do a
good deal. Postal savings banks will
make it easy for the poorest to keep
their savings in absolute safety. The
regulation OF the national highways
must be such that they shall serve all
people with equal justice. Corporate
finances must be supervised so as to
make 1t far safer than at present for