Imperial Valley press., 1912-08-06

ana women nave very high standard
of intelligence and of industrial ca
pacity. Surely such being the case,
we cannot permanently support con-
dltions under which each family finds
it increasingly difficult to secure the
necessaries OF life and a fair share
of its comforts through the earnings
of its members.
There is no more curious delusion
than the Democratic platform is a
Progressive platform. The Democrat
ic platform, representing the best
thought of the acknowledged Demo-
cratic leaders at Baltimore, is purely
retrogressive and reactionary. There
is no progress in it. 1t represents an
effort to go back; to put this nation
of hundred millions, existing under
modern conditions, back to where it
was as nation of twenty-five millions
in the days of the stage coach and
canal boat. Such an attitude is tory
3 ism, not Progressiveism
! Currency
I'VE believe that there exists an i'm.
perative need for prompt legislation
for the Improvement of our national
currency system. The experience of
repeated financial crises in the last
fcrty years has proved that the pres
ent method of issuing, through private
agencies, notes secured by govern
mnet bonds is both harmful and un-
scientific. This method was adopted
as a means of financing the govern
ment during the Civil war through
furnishing a domestic market for gov
ernment bonds. 1t was largely sue
cessful in fulfilling that purpose: bur
that need is long past, and the sys-
tenn has Outlived this feature of its
usefulness.
Conservation
Ihere can be no greater issue tnan
mat OF conservation in this country.
Just as we must conserve our men.
women and children, so we must con-
serve the resources of the land on
when they live. We must conserve
the soil so that our children shall have
land that is more and not less fer
tlle than that our fathers dwelt in.
we must conserve the forests, not bv
dlsuse. but by use, making them more
valuable at the same time that We use
them. We must conserve the mines
Moreover, we must insure so far as
possible the use of certain tvnac of
great natural resources for the bene-
tit Of the people as a whole.
international Affairs
In international affairs this country
should behave toward other nations
exactly as an honorable private citi-
zen behaves toward other private citi
zens. We should do no wrong 10 any
nation, weak or strong, and we should
submit to no wrong.
The question that has arisen over
me right OF this nation to charge tolls
on the canal vividly illustrates the
Jolly and iniquity Of making treaties
Whlch cannot and ought not to be
kept.
Il believe in a larger use of the gov.
ernmental power to help remedy in
dustrlai wrongs, because it has been
borne III on me by actual experience
that without the exercise of such now
er many of the wrongs will 90 unrem-
edied. | believe in a large onnort,ni-
ty Tor the people themselves directly
10 participate in government and to
cohtrol their governmental agents
because long experience has taugbt
me tnat without such control MANY of
n
~ by actual experience in office 7
nave louhd that, as rule. ! could Sc
cure the triumph of the causes in
"uich | most believed, not from the
PohticidhS ana the men who claim an
eAceptlohal right to speak in business
ana government, but by going over
tnelr heads and appealing directly to
the people themselves | am not IN.
Ger the slightest delusion as to anv
power that during my political career
nave at any time possessed. What
ever power | at any time had. I oh
tanned from the people. | could exer-
clse 1t only SO long as, and TO the
extent that, the people not merely he.
ile'ed IN me, but heartily backed me
up. Whatever L did as president 7
was able to do only because | had the
backing OF the people. When on anv
point L did not have that backinr
"hen on any point | differed from the
people, it mattered not whether VOC
right or. whether | was wrong INV
power vanished. | tried nv hest to
iead the people, to advise them. to toll
them what | thought thev onebt to
near, even though | thought if wo1Id
Ce unpleasant for them to hear if. but 7
necessary, | never hesitated to toll
Ineh What L thought it would be IN
PHEASANT for them to hear if. hut
recognized that my task was to trv
10 lead them and not to drive them IL
tdhe Jhem INTO my confidence. tn trv
10 snow them that [ was right and
then loyalty and in good faith TO ar.
sept thelr decision. | will do ANYTHING
LOT the people except what nv con-
science tells me is wrong. and that
can 90 for no man and no set of
men, L mold that man cannot serve
the people well unless he serves his
Gchscience; but | hold also that whore
MS conscience bids him refuse TO do
Mhat the people desire, he should not
uy u continue in office against their
VIII. Our government system should
ce SO SNAPPED that the public servant
"hen ne cannot conscientiouslv carry
out the wishes of the people. shall a.
thelr desire leave his office and NOT
ihlsTepresent them in office: and n
noiu that the public servant can hv so
uoing, better than in any other wav
serve both them and his conscience
NOW to you men, who. in vf,ur
.urn' nave come together to spend and
De spent in the endless cr,eada
asalnst wrong, to you who face the
luture resolute and confident, to Won
VINO strlve in spirit of brotherhood
ior the betterment of our nation IN
you VINO grid yourselves for this great
new nght in the never ending wor
1are for the good of bumankind