Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-17
AIM OF DEMOCRACY

- relation OF government to labor
to work--to the opportunity of work
which in the United States Is the rea.
sonable expectation OF every either
who has responsibilities to discharge t.
society and realizes that in order t.
discharge them he must have a revenue
producing employment or business
Some recent Republican utterances or
the subject of work, wages and oppor-
tunity are distinctly Egyptian in tone
They were first said by Pharaoh. after
the bosses" of the Hebrew laborers
came to him to complain that the men
had been asked to perform an almost
impossible task. 'It isn't my business
to teach them how to obey my orders"
cried Pharaoh. "They must find out
how to make bricks without straw or
suffer the consequences"
In vivid contrast to Republicans. who
are admitting that they are socially
and economically "at the end of the
tether," and giving Socialist leaders an
opportunity for "butting in" of which
they have not been slow to take ad-
vantage, Mr.. Bryan, following the poll
Icy which The Herald for a long time
has been insisting Is the obvious and
timely policy of the Democratic party
is reasserting the first principles of
Americanism. Bearing in mind that >,
citizen of the United States is entitled
to certain rights. It becomes obvious
that methods of obtaining and enioyine
these rights will be suggested in the
natural course of human events. There
is always way out of the woods. The
Republican party says: 1--WE are lost.
Heaven help u.s." The Socialist party
says: 1--WE are lost. Let's build an
airship and take a short cut out" The
Democratic party says: 1--WE are not
lost. We are headed in the wrong d.
rection. If we alter our course we will
soon be out of the woods"
Here are some of the words of Mr..
Bryan, leader and chief spokesman for
the party of Americanism:
According to the Declaration of In
dependence, governments are instituted
among men to secure to them the en-
1oyment of their inalienable rights
Among these inalienable rights three
are specifically enumerated-life, liber-
ty and the pursuit Of happiness. And
what constitutes the pursuit of han
p1ness? Man must have home and
friends family and society He must
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 ambition; he
may have willingness to work and an
environment that spurs him on; but
the government may encourage or IT
may discourage his efforts; GOVERN
MENT MAY BID HIM HOPE OR
LEAVE HIM TO DESPAIR.
"One of the great problems of the
day is to secure an equitable distribu-
ton of the proceeds of toll. The ma
terial wealth of this country is largely
a joint product; in factories few peo-
pie work alone .and on the farm a GER
tain amount of cooperation is neces-
sary. Where men work together, the
army organization applies to some de-
gree: that is, some direct, others are
THE difficulty has been to divide the
results fairly between the captains of
industry and the privates in the ranks.
A iS
captains, 1T is not unnatural that they
should magnify their part and appro- |
pirate too large a share; neither Is If |
that there should be COM |
plant on the part of the toilers who
think their recompense is insufficient. |
The labor question, as it presents
Itself at this time, is chiefly a question
Of distribution, and the LEGISLATION |
FOR is LEGISLATION |
WILL SECURE TO EACH
THAT TO WHICH HIS SERVICES
ENTITLE HIM. AS legislation is OBJ
tanned through the ballot, everyone
should use the ballot to obtain the leg
station necessary. The Democratic
platform presents the ideal toward
which the Democratic party is striv- |
ing, namely, JUSTICE IN THE DIS
OF REWARDS. The
Democratic party proclaims that each
Individual should receive from society
4 reward for his toll commensurate
with his contribution to the welfare of
society, and unless some other party
'an do the work better the Democratic
party ought to have the support of all, |
whether they belong to the wage-ear |
ng class or occupy positions in which
they direct the efforts of Others"