Mexico Missouri message., 1910-09-01


Is the chief element OF wealth, directly
| In the interest Of the common good The
fundamental thing to do for every man
| is to give him the chance TO reach a place
| IN which he will make the greatest posi-
| bfe contribution to the public welfare
No man can be a good citizen unless he
| has wage more than sufficient to cover
| the bare cost Of living and hours of Ia
| Dor short enough so that after his days
| work IL done he will have time and en-
| ergy to bear his share in the manage
| ment OF the community to help in car
| rying 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 and
inc Work or women, and especially we
need in our common schools not merely
education in book learning but also prac-
teal training for daily life and work We
need 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 the
states. Also, friends. In the interest of
the workingmen himcelf we need to set
our faces like flint against mob violence
Just as against corporate greed: against
violence and injustice and lawlessness by
wage-workers Just rs much as against
lawless cunning and greed and selfish a.
roganCe OF employers
National efficiency has many factors.
1t is necessary result OF the principle
OF conservation widely applied. In the
end 1t will determine our failure or sue
cess as q Nation. National efficiency has
to do not only with natural resources and
with men. II is equally concerned with
institutions. The state must be made ef-
hclent for the work which concerns only
the people Of the state: and the Nation
Tor that which concerns all the people.
fNnR
serve as 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 a misfor-
tune when the National legislature fails
to do its duty in providing a National
remedy, so that the only National activ-
lily is the purely negative activity OF the
judiciary in forbiddlng the state to ex-
ercise power In the premises.
Calls for Broad Natlonaism.
I do not ask for over-centralization.
but 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. 1 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 be &C
compished, 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. It 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-dvision of government
powers, the impotence which makes 1t
possible for local selflshness or for legal
cunning, hired by wealthy special inter-
ests, to bring National activities to a
deadlock. This new Nationalism 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 It demands that the represent
tative body shall represent all the people,
rather than any one class or section of
the people.
I believe in shaping the ends of gov
eminent to protect property as we'll as
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 property.
am far from Understanding the impor-
lance of dividends, but 1 rank dividends
below human character. I know we'll
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 M hy
those who will war against us to the
knife. Those who oppose all reform will
do well to remember that ruin in its
worst form is inevitable II our National
life brings us nothing better than swol-
len fortunes for the few and the triumph
in both politics and business Of a sordd
and selfish materiaHsm.
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-
| tcal representatives more quickly and sem
| 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 1t is associated with corrupt
| practises act effective to prevent the adj
| vantage of the man willing recklessly and
| unscrupulously to spend money over his
| more honest competitor 1t Is 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 we'll. Po-
| litical action must be made simpler cas-
| Ter, AND freer from confusion for every
citizen. I believe tlSlt the prompt re-
moval Of unfaithful or incompetent pub
| lie servants should be made easy and
| sure in whatever way experience shall
show to be most eXpedient in any given
| class Of cases.
One of the fundamental necessities in
| a representative government sues 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
| pensation directly or indirectly from in
| ter-state corporations; and a similar pro-
! vision could not fail % 10 IIeafu1 within