The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-09-01

hos wage more than sufficient to cover
the bare cost of living, and hours of la
hor short enough so that after his days
,,,ork is done he will have time and en-
erey to bear his share in the manage
mont of the community, to help in car
wing the general load We keep count
less men from being good citizens by the
conditions Of life with which we surround
them. We need comprehensive work.
mems compensation acts, both state and
National laws to regulate child labor nd
the work Of women, and especially we
need in our common schools not merely
aducation in book-learnng but also prac-
teal training for daily life and work. We
,ees TO enforce better sanitary conditions
for our workers, and TO extend the use
of safety appliances in industry and COM
merce both within and between inc
states Also, friends, in the interest OF
the workingmen himself we need TO set
our faces like flint against mop violence
lust as against corporate greed; against
violence and injustice and lawlessness by
wage-workers just rs much as against
lawless cunning and greed and selfish ar
rogance of employers
National efficiency has many factors.
It is a necessary result OF the principe
of conservation widely applied. In the
end n will determine our failure or sue
cess as a Nation. National efficiency has
with men. 1t is equally concerned with
institutions The, state must be made eff
ficient for the work which concerns only
the people of the state; and the Nation
for that which concerns all the people.
There must remain no neutral ground to
serve as a refuge for lawbreakers, and
especially for lawbreakers of great
wealth, who can hire the culpine legal
cunning which will teach them how to
avoid both jurisdictions. 1t is misfor-
tune when the National legislature fails
to do it's duty in providing a National
remedy, so that the only National activ-
ity is the purely negative activity of the
judiciary in forbidding the state to ex-
ercise power in the premises.
Calls for Broad NationaIism.
do not ask for over-centraliZation,
but 1 do ask that we work in a spirit of
broad and far-reaching Nationalism when
we work for what concerns our people as
a whole. We are all Americans. Our
common interests are as broad as the
continent. I speak to you here in Kan
sas exactly as 1 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 be &C
complished, I believe, mainly through the
National government.
The American people are right in de-
manding 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 is still more i'm
patient Of the impotence which springs
from the over-division of government
powers, the impotence which makes il
possible for local selflshness or for legal
cunning, hired by wealthy special inter
ests, to bring National activities to q
deadlock. This new Eationalism regards
the executive power 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 1t demands that the represen-
tative body shall represent all the people
rather than any one class or section OF
the people.
believe in shaping the ends of gov
eminent to protect property as well az
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 l rank dividends
below human character. / know wei
that the reformers must not bring upor
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 it,
worst form is inevitable If our Nationa
life brings us nothing better than swol
len fortunes for the few and the triumph
In both politics and business of a sordit
and selfish materialism.
Honesty in Public Servants.
II our political institutions were perfect
they would absolutely prevent the polite
al domination of money in any part o.
our affairs. We need to make our polit
ical representatives more quickly and sen
sitively responsive to the people whOs'
servants they are. More direct action b,
the people in their own affairs undc
proper safeguards is vitality necessary
The direct primary is a step in this direc
ton If it is associated with a corrup
practises act effective To prevent the ad
vantage of the man willing recklessly AM
unscrupulously to spend money over hi
more honest competitor 1t is particular
expended for campaign purposes shoult
be publicly accounted for not only afte
election but before election as well. Po
litical action must be made simpler eas
Ter, and freer from confusion for ever.
citizen. 1 believe that the prompt re
moval of unfaithful or incompetent pub
lie servants should be made easy AM
sure in whatever way expelsence shall
show to be most expedient in any givel
class of cases.
One of the fundamental necessities i,
a representative government such as our
il 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 be
ieve that every National officer, electe,
| or appointed, should be forbidden to per
form any service or receive any com
pensation directly or indirectly from in
ter-state corporations; and similar pro
vision could not fail to be useful withi
the states.
The object of government is the wei
| and prosperity of a nation are desira bl
chiefly so far as they lead to the mora
and material welfare of all good citizens
| Just in proportion as the average ma
| and woman are honest, capable of SCUM
| Judgment and high ideals. active in pub
| lie affairs-but first of all sound in thei
home life, and the father and mother O
| healthy children-just so far and no FIR
| Their we may count our civilization a sue
| cess. We must have-I believe we hav
! awakening, without which no wisdom Q
| 1aeyio al fc<r