The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-09-29
MISUNDERSTANDING

is an assault upon the upright political
leader The high regard IN which we
hold the upright and honest business
man who reaps a great reward by
rendering a great service osthe com.
munity is the measure OF our con.
tempt and adherence for that business
man, big or little. who wins success
by corruption and fraud, who swind.
les the public instead Of serving the
public. AZ Y
In short, our attitude Is merely that
we stand for honesty us well as for
progress essivenessS and for efficiency;
thatSwe believe, that both buiness men
and politicians should be Just and
upright and honest as we'll as, wise,
jcourag geous and farsighted. We are
against crook edness in the small man,
but we are against 1t Just as strongly
in the big man. We fudge each man
by his conduct, and not by his wealth
or his social station; and we hold 1t
to sSbe our bounden duty to strive
steadily to- make and to keep this
great American commonwealth as a
true democracy and steadily endeavor
tosshnpe our legislation and our soc.
ial conditions SO that there shall be
q far nearer approach than at present
towards equality OF opportunity among
men. The corporation must be pro.
itected. must be given Its rights, but
It must be prevented from doing wrong
and Its 'nanagers must be held in
strict accountability when 1t does
wronss; and 1t must be deprived OF
all secret influence in our public life.
We must strive to do away with the
have come from failing to meet by
proper legislation the changed con.
-ditions brought about by the gigantic
growth ofEour gigantic 'industrlalism.
We Of this state must make 1t our bus
mess to help In efficient fashion the
country districts toBshape matters so
as to encourage the growth of the
farming communities, and to help give
the people. in those communities the
advantages which have. come in dispro
portionate measure to the city rather
than TO the country during he indus.
rial growth of. the last so years. We
must guard the interests of the wage
worker the man who; works with his
hands; we must safeguard the woman
who tolls and. see that the young
children do not toll.
Legislation for tho Worker.
must see that by. far:reaching
legislat ation the workman who is Grip.
pied. and the family .of the workman
who els killed in Industry are com.
lpensated SO that the loss necessarily
Incident to certain indutries shall be
equitable and fairly distributed in
stead of being placed upon the shoul.
ders Of those not able to bear them.
We must make 1t a matter OF obliga.
ton by the state to see that the con.
idiions under which the working men
and women do their work shall be
safe and 3healthful. So far as by leg.
islation 1t is possible, we must strive
to give to the workingnian the power
To- achieve and maintain a high stan.
dard of living. Finally, and as q
matter Of course, We must do every
thing possible to promote and conserve
the business prosperity Of the Whole
country. ,iA5
We who come together to set the
standard Of our party have great
responsibility to that party and to
the; public. Democracy means nothing
unless the people rule. The rule Of
the boss is the negation OF democracy.
IT is absolutely essential that the peo-
pie should exercise self-control and
seR.mastery, whether from without or
within. But Is must be literally self
control and not control by outsiders.
We should at once introduce In this
state the system Of direct nominations
lin the primaries. so that the people
shall be able themselves to decide who
the candidates shall be, instead OF our
being limited merely to choosing be.
tween candidates with whose nomi.
nation they have had nothing to do.
Our country offers the most won.
derful example Of democratic govern.
ment in giant scale that the world
has ever seen; and the peoples of
the world are watching to see whether
we succeed or fall. We believe with
all our hearts in democracy; in the
capacity Of the people to govern them.
selves; ;fand we are bound to succeed,
for our shccess means not only our
own triumph but the triumph Of the
cause OF the rights Of the people
throughout the world and the uplift.
ing of the banner of hope for all ma
tions OF mankind.