Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-01-28


coal strike was settled and the press
lnC danger Of coal famine averted
because we recognized that the CON
troll Of n public necessity involves n
duty to the people and that public
Intervention IN the affairs of public
service corporation IL neither to be
resented as usurpation nor permitted
as q privilege by the corporations. but
on the contrary, to he accepted as
duty and exercised MS n right by the
government in the interest of all the
people The efficiency OF the army
and the navy has been Increased so
TINT our people may follow In peace
the great work Of making this country
n better plnce 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 rs parts OF n consistent
whole
Measures For Country's Good.
Our public land policy has for it's
aim the use Of the public land so that
1t Will promote local development by
the settlement OF homemakers. The pol
ley we champion is to serve all the
people lcgltimately and openly, instead
OF permitting the lands to be convert
ed illegitirnstely and under cover, to
tho 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 recla nation act, under which the
desert parts of the public domain are
converted to higher uses for the gen
cral benefit, was passed 80 that more
Americans might have homes on the
lard
These policies were enacted into law
and have justified their enactment.
Others have failed so far to reach 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
grcnt cattle and sheep owners.
The enactment Of a 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 bnl
recognized the controlling fact that,
while the employer usually has at
stake no more than his profit. the stake
OF the employee is n living for himself
and his family.
For the Benefit Of the 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 habitabillty 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
tho conservation OF our natural re-
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
tlelnan in dealing with his fellow men.
Within our own border we stand for
truth ana honesty in public and IL
private life, and we war sternly against
wrongioes Of every grade.
The obligations and not the rights Of
citizenship increase In proportion to
the increase of a mans wealth or pow
or. The time is coming when man
will be judged not by what he has sue
ceeded 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 free
dom OF opportunity because of his
service for the common good The
highest value we know is that Of the
Individual citizen, and the highest JUS
tice Is to give him fair play IN the ef
Port to realize the best there Is In him.
Common Sense Needed.
The tasks this nation has 10 do are
great tasks. They can only be done al
oil by our citizens acting together. and
they can be done best Of all by the dl
rect and simple application Of homely
common sense.
The national conservation commits
sion wisely confined its report to tho
statement Of facts and principles leav
specific steps to which these facts ant
principles inevitably lead. According
~ call your attention 10 some OF tn,
larger features Of the situation dis
closed by the report and to the actor
thereby clearly demanded for the gen
eral good.
Waters.
The report says:
Within recent months II has been rec
0sni2ed and demanded by the people
through many thousand delegates from
all states assembled In convention in diff
ferent sections of the country. that tn
waterways should and must be improve,
. promptly and effectively as means o
= maintaining national prosperity.
| The first requisite for waterway I'm
\ provement is the control OF the waters Il
, SUCH manner az to reduce foods and reg
ulats the regimen Of the navigable riv
ors. Tho second requisite IL developInen