Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-08-13

the needs of man. One worker to-
day can produce more than twenty
workers could produce a century
ago.
The people living in this land of
gold are the most daring and re-
sourceful on the globe. Coming
from the hardest stock of every ma
ton of the old world their very his
tory in the new world has made
Americans a peculiar people in
courage, initiative, love of justice
and all the elements of independent
character.
And, compared, with other peo-
pies, we are very few in numbers.
There are only ninety millions of us,
scattered over a continent. Germany
has sixty-fve millions packed in a
country very much smaller than
Texas. The population of Great
Britain and Ireland could be set
down in California and still have
more than enough room for the pop
ulation of Holland. If this coun-
try was as thickly peopled as Bel
GUM there would be more than
twelve hundred million instead OF
only ninety million persons within
our borders.
So we have more than enough to
supply every human being beneath
the flag. There ought not to be in
this republic a single day of bad
business, single unemployed work
Iingman, single unfed child. Amer
lean business men should never
know an hour of uncertainty, dis
couragement or fear. American
working men never a day of low
wages, idleness or want. Hunger
should never walk in these thinly
peopled gardens of plenty.
And yet in spite of all these fav-
ors which providence has showered
upon us, the living of the people is
/ the problem of the hour. Hundreds
of thousands of hard working Amer
leans find it difficult to get enough
to live on. The average income OF
an American laborer is less than
$500 a year. With this he must fur
nish food, shelter and clothing for a
family.
4 Women, whose nourisning and
protection should be the first care
OF the state, not only are driven in
to the mighty army of wage earners,
Ibut are forced to work under unfair
and degrading conditions. The
right of a child to grow into nor
NAL human being is sacred; and yet,
while small and poor countries,
packed with people, have abolished
child labor, American mills, mines
factories and sweatshops are des-
Itroying hundreds of thousands OF
American children in body. mind
and soul.
| At the same time men have grasp
ed fortunes in this country so great
that the human mind can not COM
prehend their magnitude. These
mountains of wealth are far larger
than even that lavish reward which
no one would deny to business risk
or genius
| On the other hand, American bust
ness is uncertain and unsteady COM
pared with the business of other ma
lions. American business men are
the best and bravest in the world,
and yet our business conditions ham
per their energies and chill their
courage. We have no permanency
in business affairs, no sure outlook
upon the business future. This un-
settled state Of American business
prevents it from realizing for the
people that great and continuous
prosperity which our country's loca-
ton, vast wealth and small popula-
1 =
tion justifies.
We mean to remedy these condi-
lions. We mean not only to make
prosperity steady, but to give to the
many who earn it just share OF
that prosperity instead Of helping
the few who do not earn 1t to take
an unjust share. The progressive
motto is pass prosperity around .
To make human living easier, to free
the hands of honest business, to
make trade and commerce sound
and steady, to protect womanhood,
save childhood and restore the dig
Unity of manhood-these are the
tasks we must do.
What, then, is the progressive an
swer to these questions? We are
able to give it specifically and con-
cretely. The first work before us, is
the revival of honest business. For
business is nothing but the indus
trial and trade activities of all the
aEor urnu. Tho prnd,,cfc nf