The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-09-01

common country. all alike resolute to
raise to the highest pitch OF honor and
usefulness the nation to which they
belong As for the veterans of the
Grand Army OF the Republic, they de-
serve honor and recognition such as Is
paid to no other citizens Of the repub-
lie; FOR to them the republic owes its
all, for to them 10 owes fits very ex-
istence.
The Lesson for Today.
81 do not speak OF this struggle OF
the past merely from the historic
standpoint. our interest is primarily
IN the application today Of the lessons
taught by the contest OF half a century
ago, IL Is OF little use for US to pay
lip loyalty 20 the mighty men Of the
past unless we sincerely endeavor to
apply to the problems OF the present
precisely the qualities which in other
crises enabled the men OF that day 20
meet those crises. II Is half melan-
choly and half amusing 70 see the way
In which well-meaninE people gather
TO do honor TO the men who. In COM
lead OF Abraham Lincoln, faced and
solved the great problems OF the nine
teenth century. while at the same time
these same good people nervously
shrink from or frantically dcnOunce
those who are trying to meet the prob
lens OF the twentieth in the spirit
which was accountable for the sue
cessful solution OF the problems OF Lin
coins time.
~Of that generation OF men. TO whom
we owe so much. the man to whom we
owe the most is. OF course. Lincoln.
Part OF our debt &c him is because he
the way out. He said.
81 hold that while man exists 20 Is
his duty to improve not only his own
condition. but TO assist in ameliOrating
mankind And again: Labor Is prior
TO and Independent of capital: capital
Is only the fruit Of labor, and could
never have existed but for labor. Labor
Is the superior Of capital and deserves
much the higher consideration. Cap
ital has its rights, which are as worthy
Of protection as any other rights.
Nor should this lead to a war upon the
owners Of property. Property is the
fruit OF labor. property Is desirable
Is a positive good in the world Let
not him who Is houseless pull down
diligently and build one for himself,
thus by example showing that his own
shall be safe from violence when built.
Lincoln Pointed the Way.
cit seems to me that in these words
Lincoln took substantially the attitude
that we ought TO take; he showed the
proper sense OF proportion in his rela-
live estimates OF capital and labor. OF
human rights and property rights
Above all. in this speech. as In many
others, he taught a lesson I'm wise kind
illness and charity. an indispenSaD Die
lesson to US OF today. But this wise
kindness and charity never weakened
his arm or numbed his heart. We can
not afford weakly to blind ourselves TO
the actual conflict which faces us to-
day. The issue IS Joined, and we must
fight or fail.
In every wise struggle for human
betterment one OF the main objects, and
often the only object. has been TO
achieve in larger measure equality Of
opportunity. In the struggle for this
great end. nations rise from barbarism
20 civilization, and through II peoples
press forward from one stage OF en-
iiEhtenment to the next. one OF the
chief factors in progress is the de-
structiOn OF special privilege The es-
sencc OF any struggle for healthy lib
erty has always been and must always
be 20 take from some one man or class
OF men the right to enjoy power, or
wealth. or position. or immunity, which
has not been earned by service TO ms
or their fellows.
at many stages in the advance Of
humanity this conflict between the
men who possess more than they have
earned and the men who have earned
more than they possess IS the central
condition OF progress. In our day IL
appears as the struggle OF free men TO
gain and hold the right Of sef-gov-
eminent as against the special inter-
ests, who twist the methods Of free
government into machinery FOR defeat
ing the popular will At every stage
and under all circumstances the es-
sence Of the struggle Is to equalize OPP
portunity. destroy privilege and give
20 the life and citizenship Of every IN
dividual the highest possible value
both TO himself and 70 the common
wealth.
Equal Chance for All.
Practical equality OF opportunity for
all citizens. when we achieve II, VIII
have two great results. First. every
man will have fair dnance 10 make
Of himself all that in him lies. TO
reach the highest point TO which his
capacities. unassisted by special privi-
lcEe Of his own and unIlampered by
the special privileges OF others. can
carry him. and to get for himself and
his family substantially what he has
earned. Second. equality OF opportu-
nifty means that the commonwealth will
get from every citizen the highest
service Of which he Is capable. No
man vino carries the burden OF special
privilege OF another can give 20 the
commonwealth that service 20 which Il
is fairly entitled.
= stand for the square deal But
when ] say that / am for the square
deal I mean not merely that / stand
for fair play under the present rules
OF the game but that I stand FOR hav-
ing those rules changed so as to work
for n more substantial equality Of OPP
pOrtunity. and OF reward Tor equally
good service.
''This means That our governments.
national and state. must be freed from
the sinister influence or control Of spe-
interests OF cotton and slavery threat
ened our political integrity before the
civil war. so now the great special
business interests too often control and
corrupt the men AID methods OF gov
eminent for their own profit. We must
drive the special interests out OF poll
tics That is one Of our tasks today.
Every special interest Is entitled to JUS
ticc-full. fair and complete-but not
one is entitled TO n vote in Congress-
a voice on the bench. or to representa-
ton in any public affiCe. The con-
stitution guarantees protection 20 prop
crty. and we must make that promise
good But IL does not give the right
OF suffrage TO any corporation.
Property the servant.
The true friend OF property. the true
conservative. is he who insists that
property shall be the servant and not
the master OF the commonwealth, who
insists that the creature OF mans max
ing shall be the servant and not the
master OF the man who made e.. The
citizens OF the United States must ef-
fectively control the mighty CONNER
clal forces which they have themselves
called into being.
There can be no effective control Of
CORPORATIONS while their political ac-
tfvffw remains. To nut an end 20 IL