The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1909-01-28


oily is Incompatible with equality OF
opportunity The reason for the ex-
erclse of government control over great
monopolieS is to equalize opportunity.
We are fighting against privilege. 1t
was made unlawful for corporations
to contribute money for election ex-
penses in order to abrdge the power
of special privilege at the polls. Rail-
road rate control is attempt to Sc
cure an equality of opportunity for all
men affected by rail transportation
and that means all of us. The great
anthracite coal strike was settled, and
tn" pressing danger of a coal famine
aNorted, because we recognized that
the control of a public necessity in
wolves a duty to the people and that
public intervention in the affairs of a
public service corporation is neither
to be resented as usurpation nor per-
mittod as a privilege by the corpora
uons. but on the contrary to be ac-
cepttd as duty and exercised as
right by the government in the in
ttrrSt Of all the people The ef1i-
cheney of the army and the navy has
been increased so that our people may
follow in peace the great work of
making this country a better piece for
Americans to live in, and our navy
was sent round the world for the same
| ultimate purpose. All the acts taken
| by tGe government during the last
| seven years. and all the policies now
/ being pursued by the Government tit
! in rs parts of a consistent whole.
The enactment Of pure food law
was 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 recog-
, nizcd the controlling fact that while
! the employer usually has at stake no
/ fol f.f IVA
/ emploEe is a living for himself and
| his family.
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 all
| ways to the habitability and beauty OF
our country. We are striving to hold
in the public lands the remaining
| supply OF unappropriated coal. for the
| protection and benefit of all the people
| We haEe taken the first steps toward
| the conservation of our natural re-
| sources. and the betterment of coun-
| try life. and the Improvement of our
| WATERWAYS. We stand for the right
| of every child to a childhood free from
! grinding toll. and To an eduCatfon; for
! the civic responsibility and decency
| of every citizen; for prudent fore
! sight in public meters. and for fair
! play III every relation of our national
matters We apply system of diplo-
| macy Which puts the obligations of
! international morality on a level with
| those That govern the actions of an
| honest gentleman in dealing with his
| fellow-me a. Within our own border we
| stand for truth and honesty in public
and Ia private life and we war stern
| ~ against wrongdoers OF every grade
| All these efforts are integral parts
Of the same attempt. the attempt TO
| enthrone justice and righteousness. to
| secure freedom OF opportunity to all
! Of our citizens now and hereafter, and
! to set tie ultimate interest of all Of
us aboVa the temporary interest of
any individual class, or group.
The nation, its government. and its
! resources exist, first of all for the
| American citizen. whatever his creed
| race. or birthplace whether lie be rich
| or poor, educated or ignorant pro-
vided only that he is a good citizen,
| recognizing his obligations to the ma
| ton for thu rights and opportunities
which he owes to the nation.
The obligations. and not the rights,
| OF citizenship increase in proportion to
| the increase of a mans wealth or
! power. The time Is coming when a
! man will be judged. not by what he
! has succeeded in getting for himself
! from the common store. but by how
well he has done his duty as citizen.
| and by what the ordinary citizen has
! gained in freedom of opportunity be-
| cause of his service for the common
good. The highest value we know is
that of the individual citizen. and the
| highest Justice is to give him fair
! play in the effort to realize the best
there is in him
The tasks this nation has to do
| are great tasks. They can only be
done at all by our citizens acting to-
| gether. and they can be done best of
all by the direct and simple applica-
tiou Of homely common sense. The
! application of common sense to common
| problems for the common good. under
! the guidance OF the principles upon
which this republic was based. and by
! virtue of which 1t exists. spells per-
petuity for the nation. civil and indus
| trial liberty for it's citizens, and
| freedom of opportunity in the pursuit
| of happiness for the plain American.
for whom this nation was founded, by
! whom it was preserved and through
| whom alone ii can be perpetuated.
| Upon this platform-larger than any
| party differences higher than class
prejudice. broader than any question
| Of profit and loss-there is room for
every American who realizes that the
common good stands first"
Accompanying the message are ex-
| plantations and lamentations OF
| work to be done for the future good OF
| the country. The president says: TT is
especially important that the develop
mcnt OF water power should be guard
| ed with the utmost care both by the
| national government and by the states
| in order to protect the people against
| the upErnWth of monopoly and to in
sure To them fair share in the bene-
! fits which will follow the development
| of this great asset which belongs to
! the people and should be controlled by
! them.
Il urge that provision be made for
| both protection and more rapid devel-
opment or the national forests. other
| wise, either the increasing use of these
| forests by the people must De check ID
or their protection against are must
| no dappprOuslV weakened If wa