The state herald., 1909-01-29

|
| The unchecked existence of monop-
| oily is Incompatible with equality of
| opportunity. The reason for the ex-
| ercise OF government control over great
monopolies is to equalize opportunity.
| We are ighting 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 an attempt to Sc
| cure an equality of opportunity for all
| men affected by rail transportatio ion:
| and that means all of us. The great
anthracite coal strike was settled. and
the pressing danger OF a coal famine
averted because we recognized that
| the control of a public necessity in
wolves 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-
mitted as a privilege by the corpora
tons but on the contrary to be ac-
| cepted as duty and exercised as q
| right by the government in the in
| terest of all the people. The eff
| 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 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 policies now
being pursued by the Government, mt
| In as parts of n consistent whole.
The enactment of n pure food law
was n 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-
nized the controlling fact that while
ha ar, nj ,.II hu. L.
more than his profit the stake OF the
employe is living for himself and
| his family.
I'VE are building the Panama canal:
and this means that we are cnga ged
| In the giant engineering feat of all
| time. We are striving to add in all
| ways to the habitabllity and beauty Of
| our country. We are striving to hold
| in the public lands the remaining
supply of unapproprated 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 betterment of coun-
| try life, and the Improvement of our
' waterways. We stand for the right
4 OF every child to a childhood free from
| grinding toll, and to an education: for
the civic responsibility and decency
| OF every citizen. for prudent fore
sight In public mrtters, and for fair
| play In every relation of our national
and economic life. In international
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-men. Within our ows border we
stand for truth and honesty in public
and In private life; and we war stern
ly against wrongdoers af every grade.
n
of the same attempt. the attempt to
enthronc justice and Righteousness. to
secure freedom Of opportunity to all
OF our citizens. now and hereafter and
to set the ultimate interest OF all of
us above 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 he be rich
or poor, educated or ignorant pro-
vidcd only that he is a good citizen
recognizing his obligations to the ma
tion for the rights and oppor Antilles
which he owes to the nation.
| The obligations. and not thd lights
of citizenship Increase In prop,t In TO
4 the increase OF a mans weaTn or
| power. The time is coming when q
| man VIII he judged not by what he
has succeeded In getting for himself
from the common store but by how
well he has done his duty ~ a citizen.
ana 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
HHa.
done at all by our citizens acting to-
gother. and they can be done best OF
all by the direct ana simple appiiea-
| tion OF homely common sense. The
| application OF common sense 20 common
/ problems for the common good. under
the guidance OF the principles upon
which this republic was based. and by
virtue OF which II exists. spells per-
petuity for the nation. civil ana indus
| trial liberty for It's citizens and
| freedom OF opportunity Ia the pursuit
| Of happiness for the plain American
| for whom this nation was founded, by
whom IL was preserved and Through
whom alone II can be pcrpetuated
| Upon this platform-larger than any
party differences. higher than class
| prejudice. broader than any question
| OF pront and loss-thcre iH room for
every American who realizes that the
common good stands nrat"
Accompanying the message are ex-
plantations and recommendations of
work TO be done for the future good of
IN" country. The president says. 1T ls
especially important that the develop
ment 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 upgrowth OF monopoly and to In
sure to them n 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,
~ urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid dev.l.
opmont Of the national forests. other
wise. either the Increasing use OF these
forests by the people must be checked
or their protection against trr must
be dangerously weakened II We
compare the actual fro damage on sim.
liar areas on private aud national for
est lands during tho past year. tho
government fre patrol saved CONNER.
cini timber worth ms much as the
total cost OF caring for all national
forests Mt the present rate for about
ten years.