Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-09-01

and far more effective-a graduated
inheritance tax on big fortunes, prop
erly safeguarded against evasion, ant
increasing rapidly in amount with the
size Of the estate.
Nothing is more true than that ex
cess of every kind is followed by re
action; a fact which should be pom
dered by reformer and reactionary
alike. We are face to face with new
conceptions of the relations of prop
erty to human welfare chiefly because
certain advocates of the rights OF
property as against the rights OF men
have been pushing their claims too
far. The man who wrongly holds
that profit must now give way to the
advocate of human welfare, who right
ly maintains that every man holds his
property subject to the general right
of the community to regulate It's use
to whatever degree the public welfare
may require It, But think we may
go still further. The right to regu-
late the use of wealth in the public
interest is universally admitted. Let
us admit also the right to regulate
the TENS and conditions of labor,
which is the chief element Of wealth,
directly in the interest of the CON-
mon good.
The fundamental thing to do for
every man is to give him the chance
to reach place in which he will make
the greatest possible contribution to
the public welfare. No man can be a
good citizen unless he has a wage
more than sufficient to cover the bare
cost of living, and hours of labor short
enough so that after his days work
is done he will have time and energy
to bear his share in the management
of the community to help in carrying
the general load. We keep countless
men from being good citizens by the
conditions of life with which we sur
round them. We need comprehensive
workmen's compensation acts, both
state and national laws to regulate
child labor and the work Of women,
and especially we need in our CON-
mon schools not merely education in
book learning but also practical train
ing 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
commerce both within and between
the states. Also. friends, in the in
terest of the workingman himself we
need to set our faces like flint against
mob violence just as against corporate
greed; against violence and injustice
and lawlessness by WagewOrkers just
as much as against lawless cunning
and greed and selfish arrogance OF
believe in shaping the ends OF
government 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 l am for men and not for prop
erty. | am far from understanding
the importance of dividends, but I
rank dividends below human charac-
ter. know we'll that the reformers
must not bring upon the people eco
nomic ruin, or the reforms themselves
will 60 down in the luin. But we
must be ready to face temporary dis
aster whether or not brought on by
those who will war against us to the
knife. Those who oppose all reform
will do we'll to remember that ruin in
it's worst form is inevitable if our
national life brings us nothing better
than swollen fortunes for the few and
the triumph in both politics and bust
ness Of sOrdid and selfish mater
lalism.
If our political institutions were per-
feet, they would absolutely prevent
The political domination of money in
any part of our affairs. We need to,
make our political representatives
more quickly and sensitively respon-
sive 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 step In this
direction if it is associated with a cor
rupt practices act effective to prevent
The advantage of the man willing ..
and unscrupulously to spend
money over his more honest Compel
tor. 1t is particularly important that
all moneys received or expended for
purposes should be publicly
accounted for not only after election,
out before election, as WE'LL Political
action must be made simpler, easier,
and freer from confusion for every
citizen. I believe that the prompt re-
noval of unfaithful or incompetent
public servants should be made easy
md sure in whatever way experience
shall show to be the most expedient in
my given class of cases.
The object of government is the
Welfare of the people. The material
and prosperity of a nation
ire desirable chiefly as far as they
cad to the moral and material well
are of all good citizens. Just in pro-
portion as the average man and wo.
nan are honest, capable of sound judg
nent and high ideals, active in public
lffairs-but first of all sound in their
lome life, and the father and mother
# healthy children-just so far and
10 farther We may count our civiliza-
ion success. We must have-I be-.
ieve we have already-a genuine and
moral awakening without
which no wisdom of legislation or adj.
really means anything
nd, on the other hand, we must try
o secure the social and economic leg
Station without which any improve
nent due to purely moral agitation fs
ecesSarily evanescent, What va