The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1910-10-28

! people the advantage of the difference
between the cost of production here
and elsewhere. If we should. in Grad
icating its abuses, destroy the whole
system there would be three million
workmen in the streets asking for
work within six months. The mildew
Of stagnation would whiten the indus
trial life of the country and while
prices would be lower there would
be no consolation in that fact to
the workmen who would have nothing
with which to buy. Let it be under
stood that those of us who favor the |
making of such changes as new con-
ditions demand, still believe in the |
great economic system which has
helped to make us rich and power
ful nation, doctrine now accepted by |
every great nation save one and 1t
gives evidence that it will accept it
before another decade.
/ agree entirely with those who |
think the last tariff bill was not al
together what it should have been and
that many duties were left too high.
| have no doubt ii was the best pos
sible bin to be had at that session
and that 1t was much better than the
tariff bill which 1t supplanted. Many
who voted for the bill did so because
it was a step in the right direction
and all that could be had. But little
can be gained now by reverting to
that matter 1t Is rather our duty to
get the facts which we did not at that
time have and could not get and to,
as scientifically as we can adjust the
schedules in accordance with the facts
and in accordance with the rules an
nounced in our platform.
Government and Corporations.
The most important question of this
hour, the one upon which turns very
largely the future of the republic, is
the relation of our government to
combined and centralized wealth.
those powerful and Indispensable
agencies of industry created by the
State-the corporations. 1t is well to
understand in the beginning that this
problem can not be solved by denun-
citation. There is no possible room
here for the demagogue. The whole
business world Is involved, the wages
of millions of workmen the savings
of tens of thousands of people of or
binary means are involved. The far
reaching results for good to be at
tanned through wise action and the
fearful results, the misery to follow
from unwise action ought to sober all
men into a determination 30 be 1ust
| to be tolerant, to be above all things
courageous, courageous not only TO
do the right but courageous 70 pre-
vent the wrong.
| There seems to be a class of honest,
we'll meaning men who start all dis
! cussion upon this subject by denounc-
ing property and assailing property
rights-by seeking to array what they
choose to call the rights of men
| against the rights of property. There
is no such issue in this controversy.
| There have been no rights of men
worthy of the name. no rights other
than tormenting decisions where
property has been unprotected and
property rights worthless. The gull
lotine follows in quick succession the
destruction of all title deeds gov
eminent which does not furnish pro-
lection for the honest gatherings of
frugality and industry, which does not
safeguard the Accommodations of honest
toll would be miserable delusion.
There can be no rights under such a
government save the rights which rest
in superior physical strength, the
rights of a savage. The weak would
be the miserable playthings of the
strong. There is no man in this land
so humble but is interested in the
stability of our property rights just
the same as the man who directs the
operations of a great railway system.
Remedy Is mt Hand.
Equally misled are those who
think that 1t is first of all necessary
to change or ignore the fundamental
| principles Oh oul BoNNi biANhS INV ~
our institutions. We do not need a
} change nearly so much as we need
, the faithful and intelligent use of the
powers we have. The old charter OF
government is to me a sacred instru-
ment. | would only touch 1t for a
change when necessity should abso-
lutely command and when changed
would do II in the manner pointed
| out by the instrument itself. l would
neither invoke unnatural construction
, nor ignore it's plain terms. The I'M
mortal Washington said:
"If in the opinion of the people, the
distribution or modification of the
constitutional powers be in any par
ticular wrong, let 1t be corrected by
an amendment in the way in which
the constitution designates. But let
there be no change by usurpation; for
though this in one instance may be
the instrument of good, 1t Is the Gus
tomary weapon by which free govern
ments are destroyed. The precedent
must always greatly overbalance in
permanent evil any partial or tran
silent benefit which the use at any
time can yield"
That is as sound a piece of political
philosophy as ever came from human
lips concerning free institutions. 1t
is the gospel of orderly liberty ana
Willingly or unwittingly he is the peo-
pies foe who does not walk in its
light
l believe If we could administer this
government i'm full faith, exercising
the powers which are ours, doing all
things with a reverent respect for the
greatest governmental instrument ever
conceived by the wit of man, we
would be the happiest, the most pros
porous the best governed people on
the face of the earth, and we would
have the most stable and be the most
powerful government known to man.
All discussions of these questions
therefore, should have a beginning in
a profound respect for those rights of
property upon which rests this civili-
zation of ours; a profound reverence
for the great charter under which we
have grown to greatness; profound
reverence for those institutions Gre
J ated by the genius Of the fathers and
profound conviction that only
through legal and orderly methods
! can permanent good be accomplished
e or evils eradicated or wrongs righted.
Partners of the Public.
A corporation is the creature OF the
. state--it should have no secrets as
i against its maker. Every public SER
= vice corporation is in a sense also the