Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-07
THE HERALD's POLICIES

M ANY correspondents have written
N letters in which they have ex-
1I1 pressed satisfaction with the
editorial policies of Los Angeles Her
aid and the Views expressed in our
columns. We thank our readers for
their appreciation, but must disclaim
all credit for originality in the doc
trines in which we believe and the sem
timents we utter. 1t is undoubtedly
true that they are not as familiar to
modern citizens as they should be and
1t is sad to reflect that some months
ago an orator in a western city who
quoted from the declaration of inde-
pendence was arrested for incendiary
speaking. 1t is also sad that many
Americans are not conscious of their
rights. that they have lived so long
under conditions produced by the OBJ
scuration of the light that made
America great that they have mis-
taken our temporary cleaning for
MONDAY
The views expressed in The Herald
from time to time on social and ma
tional conditions were held by George
washington, Thomas Jefferson and
Abraham Lincoln. They are the views
of William Jennings Bryan and Of
many thinking men who are not rad
icals," but conservative Americans.
We hope no one will think that it is
in the slightest spirit of irreverence
that we make use of scriptural quo
tation to illustrate our point, but it
expresses conditions so exactly that 1t
cannot be improved upon. American
reformers have come not to destroy
the law, but to fulfill 1t. They are
conservative, not destructive. The first
principles of Americanism are radical
when contrasted with modern Amer
lean conditions because they invariably
put the MAN first and material pos
sessions second in order of consider
alton. This fact cannot be over
preached. We may have grown away
from first principles, but we can never
outgrow them. No matter how great
the population of the United States
may be, Americanism will always be
the greatest thing in the country, and
it is altruistic, not selfish, social, not
individual, progressive and not obstruc-
tive, and old enough to disarm any
prejudice against 1t on the ground of
novelty. 1t is unrestrained and over
rated materialism in American affairs
that is the new thing. The nation was
not founded to make men wealthy,
but to make men free, to establish
and maintain conditions which would
enable them to enjoy life, with lib
erty to pursue happiness. If wealth
adds to the happiness of some indi-
viduals then let them have wealth,
all that they want of 1t, if they can
have 1t without hurting other Amer
leans. The minute the enjoyment of
wealth by a half dozen men causes
deprivation and its train of attendant
evils among a multitude of Americans
then the fundamental American doc
trine of the greatest good for the
greatest number is being grossly neg
lected, and people who say LET well
enough alone" and "Everything's all
right and For goodness sake don't
make trouble" are traitors to their
country and are splitting on the ma
tional creed.
One of our esteemed correspondents
writes
"To take up The Herald is like sit
ting down to a wholesome, home
cooked dinner of roast beef. At first
1 did not understand what had made
a great improvement in my health.
Now I know it has been the revival
in your columns of tie good old
American spirit, the sincere demand,
fearlessly and intelligently stated, for
DECENT CONDITIONS OF LIFE
FOR ALL THE PEOPLE. This spirit
has been so long dead in our news
papers that we had almost forgotten
that it ever lived. But your paper
rings with the robust voice of true
Democracy, which will yet triumph
over the brutal laugh of greed and
the ignorant snarl of prejudice, indif-
ferent to all in life but dollars. There
are serious problems confronting the
American people. There is mems work
to be done. You see these problems
and set about their solution in a level
headed and strong-muscled manner"