The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-08-31
For Mon. Not Property.

u
i believe in shaping the ends of gov
eminent to protect property us well rs
human welfare. Normally and in the
long run the ends are the same, but
whenever the alternative must be
faced am for men and not for prop
erty.
am far from Understanding the
Importance Of dividends. but i rank
dividends below human character. /
know well that the reformers must not
bring upon the people economic; ruin
or the reforms themselves will 60
down in the ruin. But we must he
ready to face temporary disaster,
whether or not brought on by those
who will war against us to the knife.
Those who oppose oil reform will do
well to remember that ruin In its
worst form is inevitable If our ma
tional life brings US nothing better
than swollen fortunes for the few and
the triumph In both politics and bust.
ness Of a sordid and selfish material.
ism. grS 4s
If our political institutions were per.
feet they would absolutely prevent the
political domination of money In any
part of our affairs. We need to make
our political representatives more
quickly and sensitively responsive to
the people whose servants they are.
More direct action by the people In
their own affairs under proper safe
guards is vitality necessary. The d.
rect primary is step in this direction
If 1t is associated with a corrupt prac.
ticcs act effective TO prevent the I'D.
vantage of the man willing recklessly
and unscrupulously to spend money
over his more honest competitor.
1t is particularly important that oil
moneys received or expended for cam.
paign purposes should be publicly ac-
counted for not only after election.
but before election rs well.
Political action must be made sim.
pier, easier and frecr from confusion
for every citizen. believe that the
prompt removal of unfalthful or In
competent public servants should be
| made easy and sure in whatever way
experience shall show to be most ex-
pedient 10 any given class of cases.
! One Of the fundamental necessities
In n representative government such
as ours is to make certain that the
men towhom the people delegate their
power shall serve the people by whom
they are elected and not the special
interests.
The object of government Is the vel.
fare of the people. The material prog
rcss aud prosperity of nation are de-
sirable chiefly so far as they lead to
the moral and material welfare Of all
good citizens. Just in proportion rs
the average man and woman are hon.
est. capable of sound Judgment and
high ideals. active In public affairs
but first Of all sound In their home life
/ and the father and mother OF healthy
chlldren-just SO far aud no farther
we may count our civilization n sue.
cess
! We must hnve-I believe we have
already-a genuine and permanent
moral awakening. without which no
! wisdom Of legislation or administra.
ton really means anything. And. on
the other hand. we must try to secure
the social and economic legislation
without which any Improvement due
to purely moral agitation is necessarl.
lyevancscent
What we need are good citizens.
Good citizenship means progress. and
therefore all good citizens should stand
for progress und must be progressive.