Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-09-01

l VI lNAOby appliances IN hAuuutly anu GuA1
merce both within and between thu
states. Also. friends, IN the interest Of
the worldngmen himCelf we need to eei
our faces like iiint against mob violencs
Just az against corporate greed; against
violence and injustice and lawlessness b
wage-workers just NJ much as against
lawieHs Ginning and greed and selfish ar
rogance Of employers
National efficiency has many factors
II iS'a necessary result Of the principle
Of conservation widely applied. In the
| end u will determine our failure or sue
| cess as Nation. National efficiency has
to do not only with natural resources and
with mon. It 10 equally concerned with
institutions. The state must be made eff
dclent for the work which con -erns only
the people Of the state: and the Nation
for that which concerns all the people.
There must remain no neutral ground ia
serve - 9 refuge for lawbreakeTs. and
especially for lawbreakers of great
wealth, who can hire the ct'pine legal
cunning which will teach them how ia
avoid both jurisdictions. II 10 misfor-
tune when the National legislature fails
70 do it1 duty in providing q National
remedy, 10 that the only National activ-
ity II the purely negative activity Of the
aN>N~Se@@d Va
ercise power IN the premises.
Calls for Broad NatIonaIlsm.
do mot ask for OTer-centralisation,
but do ask that we work In o spirit Of
broad and far-reaching Nationalism when
We work for what concerns our people a.
q whole. We are all Americans. Our
common interests are az broad a. the
continent. speak TO you here in Kan
sas exactly as would speak In New
York or Georgia. for the most vital prob
lens are those which affect Us all alike.
The National government belongs TO the
whole American people. and where the
whole American people are interested.
that interest can be guarded effectively
only BY the National government The
betterment which we seek must DO ac-
complished. believe, mainly through the
National government.
The American people are right In de-
mandlng that new Nationalism without
which we cannot hope to deal with new
problems. The new Nationalism puts the
National need before sectional or per-
sonal advantage. 1t is impatient Of the
utter confusion that results from local
legislatures attempting to treat National
issues as local issues. 1t IL still more inn
patient Of the impotence which springs
from the over-division Of government
powers, the impotence which makes 1t
possible for local selnshness or for legal
cunning, hired by wealthy special inter-
ests, to bring National activities to .
deadlock. This new Nationalsm regards
the executive pewer as the steward Of the
public welfare. 1t demands Of the judici-
airy that 1t shall be interested primarily
In human welfare rather than in proper
ty. Just as It demands that the represent
tatlve body shall represent all the people,
rather than any one class or section or
the people.
I believe in shaping the ends Of gov
eminent to protect property as well as
human welfare Normally and in the
long run, the ends are the same, but
whenever the alternative must be faced
I am for men and not for property.
am far from Understanding the impor-
lance Of dividends but I rank dividends
below human character. I know well
that the reformers must not bring upon
the people economic ruin, or the reforms
themselves will go down In the ruin.
But we must be ready to face temporary
disaster, whether or not brought on by
those who will war against US to the
knife. Those who oppose all reform will
do we'll to remember that ruin in its
worst form is inevitable If our National
life brings us nothing better than swol-
len fortunes for the few and the triumph
in both politics and business of sordid
and selfish materialism.
Honesty In Public Servants.
If our political institutions were perfect,
they would absolutely prevent the polite
al domination of money in any part Of
our affairs. We need to make our polit-
ical representatives more quickly and sen-
sitively responsive to the people whose
servants they are. More direct action by
the people in their own affairs under
proper safeguards Is vitality necessary.
The direct primary Is a step in this direc-
ton II It 10 associated with a corrupt |
practises act effective to prevent the adj
vantage ofAthe man willing recklessly and
pnscrupuIouBIy 70 spend money over his
more honest competitor. II !s particular
ly important that all moneys received or
expended for campaign purposes should
be publicly accounted for not only after |
election but before election as well. Po-
Ntical action must be made simpler, cas-
Ter, and freer from confusion for every
citizen. l believe that the prompt re-
moval Of unfaithful or incompetent pub |
He servants should be made easy and |
sure In whatever way experience shall |
show to be most expedlent In any given |
class Of cases.
One Of the fundamental necessities in
a representative government such as ours
Is to make certain that the men to whom
the people delegate their power shall |
serve the people by whom they are elect
ed, and not the special interests. I be-
lieve that every National officer elected
or appointed should be forbidden to per-
form any service or receive any COM
directly or indirectly from in-
ter-state corporations; and a similar pro-
vision could not fail to be useful within
the states
The object Of government is the well
fare OF the people. The material progress
and prosperity Of a nation are desirable
chiefly so far as they lead to the moral
and material welfare Of all good citizeHs
lust in proportion as the average M
and woman are honest. capable Of sound
Judgment and high ideals, active in pub
lie affairs-but first Of all sound in III r.
home life, and the father and mother Of
healthy chlldren-just 50 far and no far
her we may count our civilization sue
,ess. We must have-I believe we have
aiready-a genuine and permanent moral
weakening, without which no wisdom Of
egislatlon or administration really means
and. on the other hand. we
must try TO secure the social and eco
aomIc legislation without which any i'm
due TO purely moral agitation
5 necessarily evanescent. What we need
3 good citisens Good citizenship means
progress; and therefore all good citizens
ihould stand for progress. and must b
lrogreasive