The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-01-23
great requirements OF national fife:

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some things. 1t has sought, but has
not been able, to achieve others. It
has doubtless made mistakes, but all
1t has done or attempted has been in
the single, consistent effort to secure
and enlarge the rights and opportuni-
ties of the men and women of the
United States. We are trying to con-
serve what is good in our social sys-
tenn, 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. The rewards of
common industry and thrift may be
too small if the rewards for other and
on the whole less valuable qualities
are made too large, and especially If
the rewards for qualities which are
really, from the public standpoint, un-
desirable are permitted to become too
large. -. -.
The unchecked existence Of monop-
oily is incompatible with equality of
opportunity. The reason for the exer-
else Of government control over great
monopolies is to equalize opportunity.
We are fighting against privilege. It
was made unlawf< for corporations to
contribute money for election expenses
in order to abridge the power Of spe-
cial privilege at the polls. Railroad
rate control is an attempt to secure an
equality Of opportunity for all men af-
fected by rail transportation, and that
means all of us. The great anthracite
coal strike was settled and the press
Ing danger Of coal famine averted
because we recognized that the con-
troll of public necessity involves a
duty to the people and that public
Intervention in the affairs Of public
service corporation is neither to be
resented as usurpation nor permitted
as privilege by the corporations, but,
on the contrary. to. be accepted as a
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 fit in as parts Of consistent
whole.
y Measures For country's Good.
Our public land, policy has for its
aim the use Of the public land so that
it will 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, illegitimately and under cover, to
the private benefit 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
era1 benefit, was passed SO 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 to 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 a 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
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 his 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 all
ways to the Availability 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 our 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 in
public matters and for fair play in
every relation of our national and eco
nomic life. In international matters
we apply 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 his fellow men.
Within our own border we stand for
truth and honesty In public and in
private life, and we war sternly against
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