The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-02-22
Are Now on Sale
Standard since 1885,"

This 10 true. The only prosperity worth
having 10 that which Affects the mass
Of the people. We are bound to strive
for the fair distribution of prosperity.
But II behooves US to remember that
there is no use in devising methods for
the proper distribution of prosperity un-
less the prosperity IL there to distribute.
l hold II to be our duty to see that the
wage-worker. the small producer. the
ordinary consumer. shall get their fair
share of the beneht of business pros
perity. But II either IL or ought to be
evident to every one that business has
to prosper before anybody can get any
beneft from II.
OLD COMPETITION CANT BE REsToKED.
This 10 the reason why have for SO
many years insisted, as regards our
National Government. that II is both
futile and mischievous to endeavor to
correct the evils Of big business by an
attempt to restore business conditions as
they were In the middle Of the last CEN
tury. before railways and telesraphs had
rendered larger business organizations
both inevitable and desirable. The ef-
fort to restore such conditions. and to
trust for Justice solely to such proposed
restoration, 10 As foolish As II We should
attempt to arm our troops with the flint
locks of washinEton's Continentals In
stead of with modern weapons of pre-
cision. Flintlock legislation. Of the kind
that seeks to prohibit all combinations.
good or bad. is bound to fail. and the
effort. In so far as II accomplishes any
thing at all. merely means that some Of
the worst combinations are not checked,
and that honest business Is checked.
What is needed Is. first. the recognition
that modern business conditions have
come to stay. in SO far at least as these
conditions mean that business must be
done in larger units. and then the cool
headed and resolute determination to In
troduce an effective method Of regulating
big corporations SO as to help legitimate
business as an incident to thoroughly
and completely Safeguarding the interests
OF the people as a whole.
CHANCE FOR PRIVATE INITIATIVE.
The important thing is this: that. un-
der such government recognition as we
may give to that which Is beneficent
and wholesome in large business organ
izations. We shall be most vigilant never
to allow them to crystalline into a con-
dition which shall make private initia-
tive difficult. II Is OF the utmost i'm
portance that in the future we shall keep
the broad path Of opportunity just as
open and easy for our children as 1t was
for. our fathers during the period which
has been the glory of American in
dustrial history-rhat II shall be not only
possible but easy for an ambitious man.
whose character has so impressed itself
upon his neighbors that they are willing
to give him capital and credit. to start
In business for himself. and. II his supe-
rior efficiency deserves II. to triumph over
the biggest organisation that may happen
to exist In his particular field. Whatever
practices upon the part of large combna-
tions may threaten TO discourage such
n man, or deny to him that which IN the
Judgment Of the community is a square
deal. should be specifically deIined by the
statutes as crimes. And In every case the
Individual corporation officer responsible
for such unfair dealing should be pun
shed.
We stand for the rights Of property. but
We stand even more for the rights OF
man. We will protect the rights Of the
wealthy man, but We maintain that he
holds his wealth subject to the general
light Of the community to regulate its
business use as the public welfare re-
quires. &c.,. !
SHORT BALLOT. DIRECT NOMINATIONS. :.
So much for the ends OF government
and I have. Of course, merely sketched
In outline what the ends should be- Now
for the machinery by which these ends
are TO be achieved and here AGAIN re-
pember only sketch In outline and do
net for a moment pretend to work out
n detail the methods Of achieving your
purposes. Let me at the outset urge up
IN you to remember that. while machin-
cry II important. II ts easy to overesti-
nate its Importance and. moreover. that
ZACH community has the absolute right to
determine f,r itself what that machinery
shall be. subject only to the fundamental
law OF the nation as expressed In the
Constitution Of the United States. Massa-
chusetts has the right to have appointive e
Judges who serve during good behavior,
subject to removal. not by Impeachment.
but by simple majority vote OF the two
houses Of the Legislature whenever the
representatives Of the people feel that
the needs of the people require such re-
moval. New York has the right to have
a long-term elective judiciary, Ohio has
the right to have a shOrt-term elective
judiciary without the recall. California.
oregon and Arizona have each and every
one Of them the right to have short
;erm elective judiciary with the recall.
Personally. of the four systems ! prefer
he Massachusetts one, II addition be
made to It as ! hereinafter indicate.
In the irst place. ] believe In the short
ballot. You cannot get good service
from the public servant II you cannot see
him, and there is no more effective way
Of hiding him than by mixing him up
with a multitude OF others SO that they
are none Of them important enough to
catch the eye of the average. workaday
citizen.
! believe in providing Tor direct nom-
nations by the people, including therein
direct preferential primaries for the cleo
ton OF delegates TO the national nominat-
ing conventions. Not as matter OF
theory. but as matter of plain and
proved experience, We find that the con-
vention system. while II often records the
popular will, is also often used by adroi,
politicians as method Of thwarting the
popular will
THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENpJM.
I believe in the initiative and the ref.
erendum. which should be used not &C
de stroy representative sovernmenS but te
correct It whenever II becomes nlsrepre.
sentative. The power to invoke such
direct action. both by initiative and b,
referendum should be provided in such
fashion as to prevent it's being wantonly
or too frequently used do not believe
that II should be made the easy or ordi,
nary way of taking action. In the greai
majority of cases II Is far better thai
action on legislative matters should hi
taken by those specially delegated to per.
form the task; in other words, that tn,
work should, be done by the expert,
chosen TO perform II. But where the mer
thus delegated fail to perform their duty
then II should be In the power Of the peo
pie themselves to perform the duty.
Moreover. where possible. the question
actually TO be voted on by the people
should be made as simple as possible. l,
short. believe that the initiative ant
referendum should be used. not as sub
stitutes Tor representative government
but as methods OF making such govern
ment really representative. Action by tn
initiative or. referendum ought not to b,
the normal way Of LEGISLATION but tn,