The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-11

ton of our natural resources, not
for the trusts. but for the people;
these are real issues and real prob
lens. Upon such things as these
the perpetuity of this country as
nation of homes really depends. We
are coming to see that the simple
things are the things to, work for.
More than that, we are coming to
see that the plain American citizen
is the man to work for. The mag
ination is staggered by the magni-
tude of the prize for which we
work. If we succeed, there Will ex-
list upon this continent sane,
strong people, living through the
centuries in a land subdued and
controlled for the service OF the
people, it's rightful masters, owned
by the many and not by the few.
If we fail, the great interests, in
creasing their control of our nat
ural resources, will thereby control
the country more and more, and the
rights of the people will fade into
the privileges of concentrated
wealth.
There could be no better illustra-
ton of the eager, rapid, unwearied
absorption by capital of the rights
which belong to all the people than
the water power trust, not yet
formed, but in rapid process of for
nation. This statement is true, but
not unchallenged We are met at
every turn by the indignant denial
of the water power interests. They
tell us that there is no community
of interest among them, and yet
they appear year after year at these
congresses by their paid attorneys,
asking for your influence to help
them remove the few remaining
obstacles to their perpetual and
complete absorption of the remain
ing water powers. They tell US it
has no significance that the general
electric interests are acquiring
great groups of water powers in
various parts of the United States,
and dominating the power market
in the region of each group. And
whoever dominates power domi-
mates all industry. Have you ever
seen few drops of oil scattered on
the water spreading until they
formed continuous film, which put
a RI or tot nf
the surface. The time for us to
agitate this question is now, before
the separate circles of centralized
control spread into the uniform, I'M
broken, nation wide covering of a
single gigantic trust. There will be
little chance for mere agitation af-
ter that. No man at all familiar
with the situation can doubt that
the time for effective protest is
very short. II we do not use it to
protect ourselves now, we may be
very sure that the trust will give
hereafter small consideration to the
welfare Of the average citizen when
in conflict with its own.
The man who really counts is the
plain American citizen. This is the
man for whom the Roosevelt poll
cies were created, and his welfare
is the end to which the Roosevelt
policies lead. AS a nation we are
fortunate at this time in this fact
above all others, that the great man
L:
has for his successor another great
president, whose administration is
most solemnly pledged to the sup
port of them.
1 stand for the Roosevelt policies
because they set the common good
of all of us above the private gain
of some of us; because they recog
nize the livelihood of the small man
as more important to the nation
than the profit of the big man;
because they oppose all useless
waste at present at the cost of rob-
bling the future; because they de-
mand the complete, sane and order
ly development of all our natural
resources, not forgetting our rivers;
because they insist upon equality of
opportunity and denounce monopoly
and special privilege; because dis
carding false issues, they deal d.
rectly with the vital questions that
really make a difference with the
welfare of us all-and most of all,
because in them the plain American
always and everywhere holds the
first place. And 1 propose to stand
for them while 1 have the strength
to stand for anything.