The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-12

vital separation 10 between tho puTtlShHt
OF government by money for profit and
the believers in government by men for
! human welfare.
When political parties como 90 be badly
led, when their leaders lose touch with
| tho people. when their object ceases TO
| be everybody's welfare and becomes some
body's profit, II is time TO change the
| leaders. One OF tho most significant facts
OF the time is that tho professional poll
ticians appear TO be wholly unaware Of
the great moral change which has come
over political thinking In the last de-
| cadc, They fail TO see that the political
! dogmas, the political slogans. and the po-
| itical methods OF the past generation
| have lost their power. and that our people
| have come at last TO judge Of politics by
| the eternal rules of right and wrong
| n new life is stirring among the dry
bones OF formal platforms and artificial
| issues. Morality has broken into politics.
| Political leaders. trust-bred and trust
| fed, find Ii harder and harder TO conceal
their actual character. The brass
bound collar OF privilege has become plain
upon their necis for all men TO see.
| They are known for what they are. and
their time is short. But when they come
to be retired 1T Will be OF little use to re-
place an unfaithful public servant who
wears the collar by another public SER
want with the same collar around his
| neck. Above all. what We need I'm every
| office is free men representing free peo-
| pie.
The motto in every primary-in every
| election-should be this: No watch dogs
| OF the interests need apply.
People Growing Weary.
| The old order. standing pat in dull
misunderstanding OF the great forward
sweep of nation determined on honesty
and publicity In public affairs. is already
| wearing thin under the ceaseless ham
mering of the progressive onset. The de-
mand OF the people for political progress
will not be denied. Does any man. not
blinded by personal interest or by the
dust OF political dry rot. suppose that the
| bulk Of our people are anything else but
progressive? II such there be. let him
ask the young men, In whose minds the
| policies of tomorrow first see the light
The people OF the United States de-
mand a new deal and a square deal.
They have grasped the fact that the spe
| caI interests are now in control of public
| take control OF their own business. For
| the last ten years the determination to
do so has been swelling like a river. They
! Insist that the special interests shall go
| out OF politics or out of business-one
or the other, And the choice will lie with
the interests themselves. II they resist.
both the interests and the people will
suffer. If wisely they accept the inevi-
| table. the adjustment Will not be hard
| 1t will do their business no manner OF
harm to make it conform 10 the general
welfare But one way or the other, con-
| form il must.
| The overshadowing question before the
American people today is this: Shall the
nation govern itself or shall the interests
run this country? The one great political
demand, underlying all others, giving
meaning TO all others, Is this: The special
interests must get out of politics. The
old style leaders, seeking to switch public
attention away from this one absorbing
and overwhelming issue are pitifully rid
| iculous and out Of date. To try to divert
| the march OF an aroused public con-
science from this righteous inevitable
conflict by means OF obsolete political
catchwords Is like trying to dam the
Mississippi with dead leaves.
Great Conflict Soon.
To drive the special interests out OF
doubtless they will. it Will cali for nerve
endurance. and sacrifice on the part OF
the people. 1t Will be no chlld's play.
the power of our people is greater stiI.
and their steadfastness is equal to the
need. The task is q tremendous ono. both
In the demands 1t will make and the re-
wards it will bring. 1t must be under
taken sobery. carried out firmly and
| Justly. and relentlessly followed TO the
very end. Two things alone can bring
success. The first is honesty in public
men, without which no popular govern
| ment can long succeed. The second is
| complete publicity OF all the affairs In
which the public has an interest, such as
| the business Of corporations and political
expenses during campaigns and between
| them. To those ends. many. unfaithful
public servants must be retired. mucn
passed, and the struggle will be bitter
| and long. But II Will be well worth all
| II will cost, for self government is at
stake.
There can be no legislative cure-all for
great political evils, but legislation can
make easier the effective expression and
| this direction. which I personally believe
should be taken without delay. is n law
forbidding any senator or member OF
| congress or other public servant TO per-
| form any services for any corporn tinn
engaged in interstate commerce. or to
accept any valuable consideration. di
poration. while he is representative Of
| the people, and for n reasonable time
| thereafter. II such a law would be good
for the nation in Its affairs. similar
| law should be good for the states and
| tho cities in their affairs. And / see no
| reason why members and senator's and
state legislators should not keep the pco-
| pie informed OF their Decunary interest
| In interstate or public service corpora
such publicity would do the public no
| harm.
Back to Patriotism.
This nation has decided to do away
with government by money for profit and
return 10 the government our forefathers
died for and gave TO us-government by
men for human welfare and human prog
ress.
Opposition to progress has produced it's
natural results, There is profound dis
satisfaction and unrest and profound
cause for both. Yet the country is awake.
For a generation at least there has not
been n situation so promising for the ul
innate welfare as that of today. Our
people are like q hive OF bees full OF aGi-
tation before talking fight to n better
place, Also thoy are ready to sting. Out
OF the whole situation shines the conf
dent hope Of better things. If any man
is discouraged let him consider the rise
Of cleaner standards in this country
Within the last ten years.
The task of translating these new
standards into action lies before us.