The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-09-01

srty. Property IL the frui; OF labor. prop
erty is desirable. Is n positive good IN
the world. Let not him who IL houseieaa
pun down the house VI another. but let
him work diligently and build one fer
himself. thus b. example showing that
Dis own shall be safe from violence when
built II seems 90 me that In these
words lincoln took substantially the atu-
fude that we ought 70 take, he showed
the proper sense Of proportion In hia rela-
tive estimates % capital and labsr, %
human rights and property rights. Above
alL In this speech. as in many others. he
taught a lesson In wise Enduness and
charity. an indispensable lessen TO us q
today But this wise kudlness and char
ity never weakened his arm OF numbed
his heart We cannot afford weakly 20
blind ourselves 20 the actual conflict
which faces us today. The Issue is join
"a, and we must fight or fast
Equality Of Opportunity.
In every wise struggle for human bet
tsrmtnt one Of the main objects. and
often the only object. has been 20 achieve
ia larger measure equality % opportunity.
In the struggle fer this great end. ma
tons rise from bsrbsusm 70 civilization.
snd through 1t peoples press forward from
one Htage OF enlightenment % the next
One o. thu chief factors IN progress IL
the destruction % special privilege. The
essence % any struggle for healthy lib
erty has always been and must always
be "a take from some one man or class
of men the right 90 enjoy power, or
wealth, or position. or Immunity, which
has not been earned by service 70 bis
or their fellows.
~ many stages IN the advance Of hu-
manly this conflict between The men who
posaess more than they have earned and
the men who have earned mere han they
possess r. the central condition % prog
rces In our day 20 appears as The struE-
Ee o. free men 20 gaia and hold the
right q self government - against the
special Interests. who twist the methods
Or free government into machinery for
cefeaung the popular Will Al every
stage and under nl circumstance the
essence % the struggle Is TO equaize op-
pcrtunity, destroy privilege, and give 70
the ne and citizenship Of every individ-
uaI the highest possible value both TO
himself and 90 tho commonwealth.
Practical equality o. opportunity Tor AL
ciuEens when we achieve Il. viii have
two great results First. eysry man Will
have a fair chance 10 maxi o. himself all
that ia him lies, 20 reach the highest point
20 which his capacities, unassssted BY
special privilege OF his own and unha-a-
Pcned BY the special privileges Of others.
can carry him. and % get FOR himself
ans his family Substantially what he has
earned. Second. equality % opportunity
means that the commonwealth will get
from every citizen the highest service Of
which he 10 capable Ne man wis car
UrH the burden % the special privileges
q another can give 20 The commonwealth
that service 20 which q L. fairly en-
uued
] stand for TIE square deal But When
! say that I am for The square deal 7
mean not merely that : stand Tor tair
play under the present rules o. the gamr.
but that 7 stand for having those rules
changed 50 AZ 70 work for q more sub.
stanual equality 81 opportunity. and OF
reward Tor equally Eood service.
This means that our governments Ma
uonl ana State. must be freed from the
sinister Influence or control Of special
Interest," Exactly as the special interests
% cotton and slavery threatened our 20,
hucal Integrity before the civil wAr. 80
nov the great special business interests
too often control and corrupt the mon and
methods % government Tor their OWE
profit We must drive the special inter.
'sts ont ~ politics That is one ~ oui
tasks today livery special interest S.
entitled 20 ~tusuro-fuI fair ans com
rlctcHbut not one is entitled Co a vote ~
corRrrsg. a voice on the bench. or 10 rep
resentauon IN any public ofdcr. The Cen
rutuuou guarantee protection 60 proper
81. and We must make that promise good
BJi u does not give mo right % sunraE,
TO any corporation
Property Should Re the Servant.
Tho true friend % property the trl.
conservative, o. De VINO insists that prop
cry shall ho tho servant and not tf,
master % tho commonwealth who insist
that the creature ~ mans making rnaI
be the servant and not the master ~ th,
man who made o. The cifIRrn % th,
United states must effectively control 90,
mighty commercial forces which the,
have themselves called into being
There can Do no effective control q
corporations while their political astiVIf,
rrwsins To put an end Go it viii D.
neither a shuTt nor an easy task, rut .
can be done.
We must have ronplcts and rractiyI
publicity ~ corporate Affairs. - that m
people may knew beyond pvradvonuu
whether the corporations obey tho Law
and whether their management entitlp
them 60 the confidence % tho pu,lir 1
r. necessary that laws should b pasnel
Go prohibit me uuo OF corporate fund
directly or indirectly FOR political pur
poses 70 IL HuU more necessary tha
z such laws should be thoroughly enforced
Corporate expenditures for political pur
poses. and especially such expenditure
BY puhuc service corr1rauona have sun
piled one o. the principal sources % cor
uption ia our political anAirs
u has become entirely clear that "
must have government supervision of N
NApltAtHrN not only % bubble EerYtC
corporations. Including particularly ral
ways but % all corporations doing a.
Inter state business 90 not wish q
tcs the Nation forced into oWnrrship o
the railways n n can possibly be- avoided
and the only alternative 10 t-horouEhEoin
and effective regulation. which shall b
based on a tuu knowledge OF an tho fact,
Including a physical valuation o. ~
property This physical valuation b. no
needed. or AZ least is very rarely needed
Tor nxinE rates but u is needed a. N
basis Of honest capitalization.
We ave come 70 recognise tina fran
chiscs should never Be granted cnccp
Tor a limited time and never withou
proper provision for compensation 20 al
public Il h my personal belief that N
same kind and dsgtce or control an
supervision which should be exercise
over public service corporations shout
be extended also 20 combinations whic.
control necessartes % ufe. such 40 maal
OIL and coal or which deal In thsn u
an hnportant scale.
I believe that tho onieeru and cspe
ciaily the directors. 81 corporation,
should be held personally rcsponsihl
when any corporation breaks the law.