The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-05-12

the city within three hours.
operations of business the privacy and
independence that used to belong prop
rely enough to men who used only
their own capital and their individual
energy in business. We have set out
to make the processes of capital as
open as the processes of politics. We
are now going forward upon the prin-
ciple that those who make use of the
great modern accumulation of wealth,
gathered together by the dragnet pro-
cess of the sale of stocks and bonds,
shall be treated as public trustees;
that they shall be made responsible
for their business methods to the great
communities, which are, in fact, their
working partners; that the hand which
makes correction shall easily reach
them, and that new principle of re-
sponsibility may be felt throughout
their structure and operation.
In the third place, we have deter
minted to safeguard our national re-
sources at every point, realizing, as we
do, that we have used them in spend
thrift fashion. We now insist that our
resources do not consist merely of for
ests and the power of great streams
and the wealth that lies hidden in thSs
mines or merely in the productive pow,
ers of our varied soil, but include also
the lives and health of our workmen,
of our women and children. The
rights and health and prosperity of
our workingmen and working women
and of our children we now recognize
as being our chief national resource.
and we mean to safeguard that re.
source of all others against the sell
fishness of private use and profit We
shall take care of our forests and
mines and water courses and soil;
but, above all things else, we shall
take care of our people.
IN the fourth place, we have made
up our minds to cut all privilege and
patronage out of our fiscal legislation.
particularly out of that part of it
which affects the tariff. We have
come to recognize in the tariff as it is
now constructed not a system of pro.
lection, but system of favoritism Of
privilege, too often granted secretly
and by subterfuge instead of openIy
and frankly and legitimately, and we
have determined to put an end to tbe
whole of the bad business, not by hasty
and, drastic changes, but blythe adop-
ton of an entirely new tpFinciple-by
the reformation of the eoWhole purpose
OF legislation of that kindoaiWe mean
that our tariff legislation henceforth
shall have as its object not private
profit, but the general public develop
ment and benefit; that we shall make
our fiscal laws not like those who dole
out faVors, but like those who serve a
nation.
BY the same token we mean to equal
ize as much as we can the burdens of
taxation.
In brief, we mean by every progress.
slVe measure suggested in such a cat
alogue of purpose to throw open the
gates of opportunity to mankind. This
was the original purpose of America
This is the only thing to which Ameri-
cans can devote themselves with real
confidence or enthusiasm. This is the
only purpose that distinguishes rs
from the other nations of the world
Our whole ideal in the new program
or process is an ideal of restoration
OF reJuYenation, of justice. wrought
out IN its working details We mean
TO think of rights not as opportunities
to be selfish, but as obligations to be
Just. We shall conceive business not
as mean of obtaining, and we shall
treat politics not as a game of adyan.
tage, but as general hopeful. conf.
dent conscientious readjustment of
the interests of individuals and of
to one another.