The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-01
CLIFFORD PINCHOT'S
 CREED
Also What in His Opinion is Public Sentiment Upon
 Current Issues

In a speech before the Detroit Board or Commerce Friday night, Clifford Pinchot said:
 If we could hear the voice of all the people upon some current issues, 1t would, I think declare itself in sub stance as follows:
 believe the people should directly nominate, elect, control, and recall thelr own Legislative representatives
 l believe in publicity of campaign contributions and expenses both be- fore and after elections, and in strict ly limiting by law the amount that may be spent and the manner of spending it.
 I believe that it should be unlawful for any lawmaker or other public ser want to be employed by or to receive compensation from any interstate or public service corporations, or for any public servant appointed and not elect ed to office to be an officer in any political party or organization or to attend any political convention.
 l believe it should be unlawful for any lobbyist or other representative of any interest to advocate or oppose any measure to any legislator or leg .slative committee without first pub licly registering his name, the nature of his compensation and the name of his employer.
 I believe that the most pressing patriotic duty of today is to revive popular government by driving the special interests out of politics. and that complete publicity of all the af- fairs of every interstate and public service corporation is necessary to that end.
 I believe that corporations have certain rights that should be respect ed, but they have no political rights, powers, or duties and they should have no representatives in Congress, in the Cabinet or on the Bench.
 I believe that the special interests, through their control of politics and business and principally by means of the tariff are responsible for the eX- orbitant cost of living
 I believe that the Payne-Aldrich tariff was made by the servants of special privileges for the benefit and according to the orders of their mas ters, and that when Congress and the President enacted and approved it, over the just protest of the Progress sives. they broke faith with the peo- pie.
 I believe that the credit for good laws recently passed in Congress be- longs to the Progressives of both parties, who amended bad bills in the public interest, rather than to the Ad- ministration, which drafted and advo- cated the bad bills.
 I believe that the old party ties are slipping off; that the progressives in both parties are the true represen- tatives of their parties and of the people; and that the public welfare has become stronger motive with the people than partisan success.
 I believe that the people have lost confidence in Congress, because Con- gress as a whole no longer represents the people who elect it, but the spe- cial interest who control it.
 I believe that Cannon and Aldrich. and all they represent are passing rap idly away and that a better time is coming. when the people will control.
 I believe the people must protect themselves against the special inter ests in State and Nation alike; that they can best protect themselves by the power of the Nation against cor porations operating across State lines; and that the great special interests must not be permitted to take refuge from all control by speciously raising the issues Of State rights.
 I believe that our laws and institu- tions should be planned, made and changed solely as the necessities, ad- vantages, and difficulties of the peo- pie require, and not for the benefit or the SpeCldl interests.
 believe that presidents, cabinets, lawmakers. officials, and judges are all servants of the people; that they hold office for the benefit of no spe- cial class or political party, but sole ly for the benefit of the people; and that they may justly be held respon- sible by the people for what they do.
 I believe that our local, State, and National governments can and should ho honestly and nffinilnflU a c any we'll managed private business; that they should be free from parti- san political interference, and that more should be done by the people acting through the government for their own protection, instruction and assistance rather than less.
 I believe that the people of the Uni- ted States have the right, and can be trusted to decide and direct how their own property and their own affairs shall be handled.
 I believe that the people have rights in all natural resources eve wi en privately owned: and that these re- sources must be managed ana used not for private advantage alone, but Likewise so as to promote and not to endanger the common good. Those which still remain in the hands of the people should be kept there. and should be developed and administer ed for the benefit of us all.
 I believe that no man has right to waste or freely monopolize any nec- essary of life, like coal, oil, timber, or water power; and that the people have the right and the duty to prevent the wa esteful or destructive use of any natural resource.
 I believe that this generation of Americans are the heirs of the past and the trustees of the future and that they are in honor and in duty bound to leave this country to their children better than they found 1t.
 I believe that this should be a gov ernment by men for human welfare, and not government by money for profit; and that it is better to help a poor man make living than to help a rich man make more money.
 The foregoing statement is not my own confession of belief. It does not cover all the ground of my political creed For example. I believe in the principle of the Initiative and Refer