The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-01-28

years of the present century: The fune,,
tion Of our government is TO insure to all
it,. citizens. now and hereafter. their
fh' shnins IS NE Il ' Ms 8 y t fns s sss Rsasslt 81 g
stroy the resources from which our chill
dren would otherwise derive their liyeli,
degrade the standard Of living or deprive
ths coming Q fh, :en 's%antinent' OF Il 1fe'r we s's allo sS
great Industrial organizations to exercise
~0nreguiated control Of the means of pro-
| ductiOn and the necessaries OF life, we de-
prive the Americans OF today and of the
| future of Industrial liberty, q right no less
precious and vital than political freedom.
Industrial liberty was q fr haeo OF po or Z af
its chief supports. and exactly as we
| stand for political democracy so we must
! stand for Industrial democracy.
Real Rights.
The rights to life and liberty are funda-
mental. and like other fundamental neces-
stiles. when once acquired, they are little
dwelt upon. The right to the pursuit of
happiness is the right whose presence or
life. In whatever 1t has accomplished. or
failed to accomplish. the administration
which is Just drawing to a close has at
least seen clearly the Fundamental need
OF freedom of opportunity for every citi-
zen. We nave realized that the right of
every man to live his own life. provide
lOI Ills IdIlllIy. dIlu eIluedNoE. 1CCOl0ib6 W
his abilities. to secure for himself and for
them a fair share OF the good things OF
existence, should be subject to one limita.
the Individual should be limited only by
the present and future rights, interests
and needs of the other individuals who
make up the community. We should do
all in our power to develop and protect
individual liberty. individual initiative, but
subject always to the need of preserving
and promoting the general good. When
wv tim ~tSyofn riOht me Jrin1H
under due process OF law and with proper
compensation, to the welfare of the COM
monwealth. The man who serves the
warded by the community; as there is
great inequality of service so there must
be great inequality of reward; but no
man and no set of men should be allowed
to play the game OF competition with
loaded dice.
All this IS simply good common sense.
The underlying principle of conservation
common sense to common problems for
the common good. II the description Is
correct, then conservation is the great
In this stage Of the worlds history to be
fearless. to be just, and to be efficient
are the three great requirements OF ma
tional life: National efficiency is the re-
freedom of opportunity for every man.
ability, knowledge and will. collectively
0bAA u "a W uo0 SlAaA OPloA L
Some Mistakes, Perhaps.
The administration has achieved some
things; 1t has sought, but has not been
able, to achieve others; it has doubtless
made mistakes; but all it has done or at
tempted has been in the single, consistent
effort to secure and enlarge the rights
and opportunities of the men and women
of the United States. We are trying to
TEN. and we are striving toward this end
when we endeavor to do away with what
is bad. Success may be made too hard for
some If it is made too easy for others;
thrift may be too small If the rewards for
other. n on the whole less valuable,
qualities, are made too large. and espe-
clally If the rewards for qualities which
are really, from the public standpoint un-
desirable, are permitted to become too
large, Our aim Is so far as possible to
provide such conditions as there shall be
a quality Of opportunity. where there is
equality of energy, fidelity II intelli-
gence; when there Is reasonable equality
will take care of itself.
The unchecked existence of monopoly is
incompatible with equality of opportunity.
ment control over great monopolies is to
equalize opportunity. We are fighting
against privilege.
Our PUBLIC land policy has for is aim
promote local development by the settle
ment Of home Makers: the policy we
champion is to serve all the people legi-
the lands to be converted, illegitimately
and under cover. to the private benefit OF
a few. Our forest policy was established
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 general benefit, wa
passed so that more Americans might
have homes on the and.
These policies We're 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
Of the small man, who is the home maker,
instead of allowing it to be controlled by
a few great cattle and sheep owners.
re mhe enactn ne tb Of q fd pure tf food t law was a
welfare outweighs the right to private
gain, and tina no man may poison the
trolling fact that while the employer
usually has at stake no more than his
profit, the stake of the employee is a living
for himself and family.
Tho Canal.
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 hab-
are striving to hold In the public hands
the remaining supply Of u~nappropriated
coal, for the protection and benefit of all
the people. We have taken the first steps
toward the conservation of our natural re-
sources and the betterrnent of country
life. and the Improvement OF our water
ways. We stand for the right Of every
child to a childhood free from grinding
toll, and to an education; for the civic re-
sponsibility and decency Of every citizen;
for prudent foresight in public matters.
and for fair play in every relation Of our
l national n economic life.
The tasks this nation has to do are
great tasks. They can only be done at
all by our citizens acting together. n
they can be done best of all BY the direct
and simple application of homely common
to common problems for the common
upon, which this republic was based, and
by. virtue Of which 1t exists. spells per-
petuity for h nation. civil and Industrial
liberty for Its citizens. and freedom Of
for the plain American. for whom this
nation was founded by whom Il was pre-
be perpetuated: Upon this platform
1 class prejudice. broader than any orea-