Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-09-01

be largely increased. We have right TO
expect from the Bureau OF Corporations
ans from the Inter State Commerce Conn
mission very high grade of public serv-
ice. We should be as sure OF the proper
concl,ct of Interstate railways and the
proper management OF Interstate bust
ness as we are now sure of the conduct
and management OF the National banks.
and we should have as effective super
vision in one case as in the other The
Hepburn act. and the amendment TO that
act in the shape in which 1t finally passed
congress at the last session. represent a
long step in advance and we must go yet
further.
There is widespread belief among
our people that, under the methods of
making tariffs which have hitherto OBJ
tanned. the special interests are too in
huential Probably this is true OF both
the big interests and the little interests
These methods have put premium on
selfishness. and naturally the selfish big
interests have gotten more than the sell
fish small interests. The duty of congress
IS to provide a method by which the In
terest of the whole people shall be all
that receives consideration. To this end
there must be an expert tariff commits
sion. wholly removed from the possibility
OF political pressure or of improper busi-
ness influence. Such commission can
find out the real difference between cost
OF production, which is mainly the differ
ence of labor cost here and abroad. AS
fast as its recommendations are made.
believe In revising one schedule at time.
A general revision OF the tariff almost in
evitably leads to log rolling and the sub
ordination OF the general public interest
to local and special interests.
The absence OF effective state, and
especially National restraint upon unfair
money-getting has tended to create.
small class OF enormously wealthy and
economically powerful men, whose chief
object is to hold and increase their power.
The prime need is to change the condi-
tons which enable these men to accumu-
late power which II is not for the general
welfare that they should hold or exercise.
We grudge no man n fortune which rep
resents his own power and sagacity, when
exercised with entire regard to the well
fare OF his fellows. But the fortune must
be honorably obtained and we'll used. 1t
is not even enough that II should have
been gained without doing damage to the
community. We should permit 1t to be
gained only so long as the gaining rep
resents benefit TO the community. This.
I know, implies a policy of far more
active governmental interference with So
cial and economic conditions In this coun-
try than we have yet had, but think we
have got to face the fact that such an
increase in governmental control is now
necessary.
income and Inheritance Taxes.
No man should receive a dollar unless
that dollar has been fairly earned. Every
dollar received should represent a dollars
worth OF service rendered. The really
big fortune, the swollen fortune by the
mere fact of its size, acquires qualities
which differentiate Il In kind as well as
I'm degree from what Is possessed by men
OF relatively small means. Therefore 1
believe in graduated income tax on big
fortunes. and In another tax which Is FAR
more easily collected and far more eff
fective-a graduated inheritance tax on
big fortunes, properly safeguarded
against evasion, and increasing rapidly
in amount with the size of the estate.
The people of the United States suffer
from periodical financial panics to de-
gree substantially unknown among the
other nations which approach as in finan-
cial strength. There Is no reason We
should suffer what they escape. 1t Is OF
profound Importance that our financial
system should be promptly investigated.
and so thoroughly and effectively re-
vised as TO make 1t certain that hereafter
our currency will no longer fall at crit-
cal times to meet our needs.
1t is hardly necessary for me to repeat
that I believe In an efficient army and
abroad that respect which is the surest
guarantee of peace. Justice and fair deal
ing among nations rest on principles
identical with those which control Justice
and fair dealing among the individuals or
which nations are composed; with the
vital exception that each nation must do
its own partin international police work.
National friendships, like those between
men, must be founded on respect as well
as on liking. on forbearance as well as
upon trust. In all this II is peculiarly the
duty of the United States TO set a good
example.
or conservation I shall speak more at
length else where. Conservation means
development as much as 1t does protec-
ton. j recognize the right and the duty
of this generation to develop and use the
natural resources of our land. but / do
not recognize the right to waste them, or
to rob, by wasteful use, the generations
that come after us. The natural resources
must be used for the benefit of all our
people and not monopolized for the bene-
mt of the few. That is one Of the funda-
mental reasons why the special interests
must be driven out Of politics OF all the
questions which can come before this
Nation short of the actual preservation
of it's existence in a great war. there is
none which compares In Importance with
the great central tasS OF leaving this
land even a better land for our descen-
dants than II is for US, and training them
into a better race to inhabit the land and
pass IT on. Conservation is a great moral
issue, for 1t involves the patriotic duty
of insuring the safety and continuance
of the Nation. Let me add that the
health and vitality of our people are at
least as we'll worth conserving as their
forests, waters, lands, and minerals, and
that In this great work the National gov
INN a nj
part
/ have spoken elsewhere also OF the
great task which lies before the farm
ers of the country to get for themselves
and for their wives and children not only
the benefits of better farming, but also
those Of better business methods and
better conditions of life on the farm. The
burden OF this great task will fall as 1t
should, mainly upon the great organiza-
lions of the farmers themselves. ] am
glad 1t will, for I believe they are well
able to handle It. In particular, there
are strong reasons why the departments
of agriculture of the various states, the
Urited States department of agriculture.
and the agricultural colleges and expert
ment stations should extend their work
to cover all phases of life on the farm.
instead of limiting themselves, as they
have far too often limited themselves in
the past, solely to the question Of the
production of crops.
Human Welfare Comes First.
Nothing is more true than that excess
Of every kind is followed by reaction;
fact which should be pordered by reform
er and reactionary alike We are face to
face with new conceptions of the reia-
tons of property to human welfare, chief
ly because certain advocates of the rights
of property as against the rights of men
have been pushing their claims too far.
The man who wrongly holds that every
human right Is secondary to his profit
must now give way to the advocate of
human welfare, who rightly maintains
that every man holds his property sub
ject to the general right Of the commun-
ity to regulate It's use to whatever degree