The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-10

the simple things are the things to
work for. More than that. we are
coming to see that the plain American
citizen Is the man to work for The
imagination is staggered by the mag
nitude of the prize for which we work.
If we succeed. there will exist upon
this continent sane, strong people,
living through the centuries in land
subdued and controlled for the service
of the people. its rightful masters,
owned by the many and not by the
few. If we fail, the great interests,
increasing their control of our natural
resources. will thereby control the
country more and more, and the rights
Of the people will fade into the privi-
leges of concentrated wealth.
UnwearIed Absorption.
There could be no better illustration
of the eager, rapid, unwearied absorb
ton by capital of the rights which be-
long to all the people than the water
power trust, not yet formed but in
rapid process of formation. This
statement is true. but not unchalleng-
ed. We are met at every turn by the
indignant denial of the water power
interests. They tell us that there is
no community of interest among
them, and yet they appear year after
year at these congresses by their paid
attorneys, asking for your influence
to help them remove the few remain
ing obstacles to their perpetual and
complete absorption OF the remaining
water powers. They tell us it has no
significance that the general electric
interests are acquiring great groups
of water powers in various parts of
the United States, and dominating the
power market in the region of each
group. And whoever dominates pow
err, dominates all industry. Have you
ever seen a few drops of Oil scattered
ION the water spreading until they
formed a continuous film, which put
an end at once to all agitation of the
surface. The time for us to agitate
this question is now. before the sep
arate circles of centralized control
l
Nationwide covering Of single 81
gantic trust. There will be little
chance for mere agitation after that
No man at all familiar with the situa
ton can doubt that the time for effec
tive protest is very short. If we dc
not use it to protect ourselves now
we may be very sure that the trust
will give hereafter small consideration
to the welfare of the average citizen
when in conflict with it's own.
Man Who Counts.
| The man who really counts is the
plain American citizen. This is the
man for whom the Roosevelt policies
were created. and his welfare is the
end to which the Roosevelt policies
lead. As Nation we are fortunate
at this time in this fact above all 9th
ers, that the great man who gave hi:
name to these policies has for his sue
cessor another great president whose
administration is most solemnly pledg
ed to the support of them.
| / stand for the Roosevelt policie.
because they set the common good o
= "
some of us: because they recogniz,
the livelihood of the small man al
more important to the Nation thar
the profit of the big man; becaus,
they oppose all useless waste at pres
ent at the cost of robbing the future
because they demand the complete
sane, and orderly development of al
our natural resources. not fcSgettin,
our rivers: because they insist upol
equality OF opportunity and denounc'
monopoly and special privilege: be
cause discarding false issues. the,
deal directly with the vital question:
that really make difference with tn,
welfare OF us all-and most of all. be
cause in them the plain American al
ways and everywhere holds the frs
place. And propose to stand for then
while have the strength to stand TO
anything.