The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-02-29
The Important thing is this-that

The Important thing is this-that
under such government recognition as
we may give to that which is benef-
icent and whole~ome in large bust
ness organizations we shall he re
vigilant never TO allow them h c.
talllZe into 4 condition which So.
make pr.vgte initiative diGcvlt. Is
of he ~ t i-2por a1ce tha n e
future we shall I-captte breGI p@th C =
opportunity just IS omen AMI cas- [or
our children as it Yves for our fathers
during the period which has been the
glory of America Industrial history.
In word, then, our fundamental
purpose must be to secure genuine
equality OK opportunity. No man
should receive a dollar unless that
dollar has been fairly earned. Every
dollar received should represent a dol
lars worth Of service rendered No
watering Of stocks should be permit
ted, and it can be prevented only by
close governmental supervision of all
stock issues so as to prevent overcap-
italization
We stand for the rights Of property.
but we stand even more for the rights
Of man. We VIII protect the rights Of
the wealthy man, but we maintain
that he holds his wealth subject to the
general rt~l-- Of fhe comclunitv to roo
ulote is e-nees use as the public
welfare reoCtros
V41trers &c Ech-~
We also maintain that >the nation
and the several states have the right
TO regulate the terms and conditions
OF labor, which is the chief element
Of wealth, directly in the interest of
the common good. 1t is our prime
duty to shape the industrial and social
forces so that they may tell for the
material and moral upbuilding of the
farmer and the wageworker. just as
they should 90 IN the case Of the bust
ness man. YOu, Trainers Of this con-
stitution, be careful so to frame it that
under it the people shall leave them
selves free to 90 whatever is necessary
In order TO help the farmers OF the
state to get for themselves and Their
wives and children not only the bene-
fits Of better farming, but also those
of better business methods and better
conditions Of life on the farm.
Moreover. shape your constitutional
action so that the people Will be able
through their legislative bodies or. f1il-
ing that, by direct popular vote to pro
vide WOrkmen's compensation acts, to
regulate the hours Of labor for chill
dren and for women. to provide for
their safety while at work and to pre-
vent OverwOrk Or work under unhy
gienic or unsafe conditions. See to it
that no restrictions are placed upon
legislative powers that will prevent the
enactment of laws under which your
people can promote the general well
fare, the common good.
So much for the ends of govern
ment, and l 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 remember I only sketch
in outline and do not for a moment
PAOLCuO W WOlh OOC LII OCCd1I CnO 1uCCA-
DDS Of achieving your purposes. Let
me at the outset urge upon you to re-
member that, while machinery is i'm
portant, it is easy to Overestimate its
Importance and, moreover, that each
community has the absolute right to
determine for itself what that machin-
cry shall be, subject only to the funda-
mental law of the nation as expressed
In the constitution of the United
States. Massachusetts has the right
to have appointive judges who serve
during good behavior, subject to re-
moval. not by impeachment, but by
simple majority vote Of the two houses
Of the legislature whenever the repre-
sentatives 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 q short term elective judiciary
With the recall. Personally of the four
systems I prefer the Massachusetts
one II addition be made to It az here
matter indicate.
In the first place. believe In the
short ballot. You cannot get good serv-
ice from the public servant II you can
not see him, and there is no more ef-
fective way Of hiding him than by mix
ing him up with a multitude Of others
90 that they are none Of them tmpor-
tant enough to catch the eye Of the
average workaday citizen. The crook
In public life IL not ordinarily the man
whom the people themselves elect d.
rectly to a highly important and re-
sponsible position. The type Of boss
who has made the name Of politician
odious rarely himself runs for high cleo
live Office, and II he does and Is elected
the people have only themselves to
blame. The professional politician and
the professional lobbyist thrive most
rankly under q system which provides
4 multitude Of elective officers, Of such
divided responsibility and Of such OBJ
security that the public knows and can
know but little as to their duties and
the way they perform them.
Direct Nominations.
I believe in providing for direct nomi-