The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-22


else OF government control over great
monopoIIes is to cqualize opportunity
we are fighting against privilege. IL
was made unlawful for corporations to
contribute money for election expenses
IN order TO abrldge the power Of spe-
clal privilege at the polls, Railroad
rate control is an attempt 70 secure an
equality OF opportunity for all men af-
fected by rail transportation, and that
means all OF as. The great anthracite
coal strike was settled and the press
ing danger Of coal famine averted
because we recognized that the con-
troll OF A public necessity involves a
duty TO the people and that public
Intervention In the affairs Of q public
service corporation Is neither 20 be
resented as usurpation nor permitted
as privilege by the corporations, but,
on the contrary. to be accepted as
duty and exercised as right by the
government In the interest Of all the
people. The efficiency Of the army
and the navy has been increased so
that our people may follow In peace
the great work Of making this country
better place for Americans to live In,
and our navy was sent round the world
for the same ultimate purpose. All the
acts taken by the government during
the last seven years and all the poll
cies now being pursued by the govern
ment at in as parts Of a consistent
whole.
Measures For country's Good.
Our public land policy has for its
aim the use Of the public land so that
Il viii promote local development by
the settlement of homemakers, The pol
Icy we champion Is to serve all the
people legitImately and openly, instead
OF permitting the lands TO be convert
ed. illegitimateIy and under cover, to
the privatebenent Of few. Our for
est policy was established so that we
might use the public forests for the
permanent public good, instead Of
merely for temporary private gain.
The reclamation act. under which the
desert parts of the public domain are
converted to higher uses for the gen
eral benefit, was passed 80 that more
Americans might have homes on the
land.
These policies were enacted into law
and have justified their enactment
Others have failed so far to reach the
point Of action Among such is the
attempt to secure public control Of the
open range and thus "a convert its
benefits to the use Of the small man.
who Is the homemaker. instead Of al
lowing It to be controlled by a few
great cattle and sheep owners.
The enactment Of pure food law
was a recognition OF the fact that the
public welfare outweighs the right to
private gain and that no man may
poison the people for his private
profit. The employers liability bill
recognized the controlling fact that,
while the employer usually has at
stake no more than his profit, the stake
OF the employee Is living for himself
and bis family.
FOR the Benefit Of tho People.
we are building the Panama canal.
and this means that we are engaged
in the giant engineering feat OF all
time. We are striving to add in al
ways to the habitability and beauty OF
our country. We are striving to hold
IN the public hands the remaining sup
ply Of unappropriated coal for the pro-
lection and benefit Of all the people.
We have taken the first steps toward
the conservation OF our natural re-
sources and the betterment OF country
life and the Improvement Of eur wa
terways. We stand for the right OF
every child to childhood free from
grinding toll and to an education, for |
the civic responsibility and decency Of |
every citizen, for prudent foresight La
public matters and for fair play In |
every relation of our national and eco
nomie life. In international matters |
we apply q system OF diplomacy which
puts the obligations Of international /
morality on level with those that
govern the actions of an honest gen /
tleman In dealing with bis fellow men
Within our own border we stand for |
truth and honesty In public and In
private life, and we war sternly against
wrongdoes OF every grade.
The obligations and not the rights of
citizenship increase In proportion to
the Increase OF mans wealth or pow
or The time is coming when a man
win be Judged not by what be has sue
ceeded in getting for himself from the
common store. but By how well be has
done hts duty as citizen and by what
the ordinary citizen has gained in free
dom Of opportunity because Of bis
service for the common good. The
highest value we know is that Of the
Individual citizen. and the highest jus
lice is TO give him fair play IN the ef-
Fort to realize the best there Is IN him.
Common Sense Needed.
The tasks this nation has to do are
great tasks They can only be done at
all by our citizens acting together. and
they can be done best OF all by the di-
rect and Simple application of homely
Common sense.
The national conservation commits
zion wisely confined it's report to the
statement OF facts and principles, Ieav-
ng the executive to recommend the
pecifc steps to which these facts and
.r.tr~fnIou 4unwtfehfv 1aaN Aaears7fnv |
, cali your attention TO some of the
anger features Of the situation dis
losed by the report and 70 the action