The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-15

what they can do and what they can.
not do.
we are. believe. unless all signs
fail. on the eve of another great bus
Indeed, II Is already here In many
branches of business. The hum Of
prosperity and the ecstacy of great
profits are likely to dull our interest
in these reforms and to lead US back
again to the old abuses unless we In
sist upon legislation which shall clinch
and enforce those standards by pos
tive law.
Nothing revolutionary, nothing dis
turbing TO legitimate business Is anti
cipated; but we must set the marks
clear In the statutes by which the lines
con be drawn and the proper leglti-
mate paths be laid down upon which
all business shall proceed and must
have 1t understood by means OF prompt
prosecution and punishment that the
law Is for all and is to be enforced
even against the most powerful.
Then. too, the needs In respect to
the conservation of our national re-
sources, the amendment to the public
land system. the execution of the pure
food law: and all the rest of the I'M
portant matters that should demand
attention, makes the legislative and
executive labors for the next three
carried out, to exhaust the energy OF
the most enthusiastic and hopeful.
"Still the world IL making progress
Our country IL making progress. Oc-
casionally one hears a note like that
Of Governor johnson, denouncing the
East and calling upon the West to or
ganize In a sectional way against the
East. because the East Is deriving
more dement's from the governmental
IA the
pense of the West. 1t is difficult for
one to treat such an appeal serious
ly.
"There Il Free Trade"
Throughout the country there ts
free trade of the freest character and
due to this the prosperity Of the West.
especially the agricultural West Is
even more pronounced than that or
the East. Moreover. the East is too
close to the Pacific Coast, too close
to the Middle West. too close to the
Rocky Mountains. because all the peo-
pie of these Western stretches have
Eastern ancestry and Eastern associ-
yations and Eastern connections and
because they have Eastern capftai
with which their sections have largely
been built UP and because they are
too much assisted by Eastern markets
In enhancing the prices which their
products bring, to make such an at
tempt at sectionaiism successful. 1t
Ia true that at times public questions
which given local color by what is
thought to be a local benefit as dis
tinRuished from the general and the
natural benefit. But such attitude is
generally temporary and II takes but
a few years Of business experience, II
takes but q panic or two to present
the most convincing evidence that in
this country, we are all In the same
business boat and that the prosperity
OF one section adds to the prosperity
OF the other and that business disas-
ter in one section is only the fore
runner of business depressions and
disaster In another.
IT was born and brought up In the
Middle West. ! had a New England
ancestry and New England associa-
ton. Fortunes threw me out into the
Pacific. so I know something as to the
feeling Of the West Coast. Jurisdic-
ton as Judge gave me somewhat
intimate knowledge Of Southern as
pirations. feel, therefore. as IL
could speak with confidence In respect
to the whole nation and as. President
OF the United States may we'll lift up
my voice to protest against any effort
by whomsoever made to arouse Sec
ton against section and Americans
against Americans. Not In the history
OF the country. since the war has the
feeling between the North and the
South been more cordial and friendly
than II 10 today and political at
tempt to make a cleavage between
New England and the East on the one
side and the West on the other, will
be found to be 81 utterly hopeless as
to confound those who propose It.
"And now, my friends, and fellow
the West. feel that I carry from you
TO every citizen and inhabitant of the
United States whom ! shall meet the
cordial greetings OF New England and
the East. your congratulations on the
prospective prosperity IN the whole
country and an earnest wish that the
national government shall be conduct
ed IN such a way as to Insure peace
with all the nations OF the world and
tranquility and prosperity at home.
growing out Of the conduct OF BUSH
ness on lines Of commercial integrity
and which the law which forbids the
organization and maintenance OF mo-
nopolies and the systematic SUPPRESSION
OF competition. Things are not per-
feet. but We have made progress. We
have a right to be optimistic and be-
lieve that further progress is likely.
that conditions are improving and
that we may continue to maintain for
Nil citizens OF the country, that equal
ity of opportunity which It is the
highest object OF well conducted
government to preserve"