The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1913-03-14

policy which was meant to serve the
humblest as well as the most power
full, with an eye single TO the stand
ards Of justice and fair play, and re-
membered it with pride. But we were
very needless and in a hurry TO be
great.
Things to Be Altered.
We have come now to the sober
second thought. The scales of heed
lessness have fallen from our eyes.
We have made up our minds TO square
every process of our national life
again with the standards we so proud
ly set up at the beginning and have
always carried at our hearts. Our
work Is work Of restoration.
We have itemized with some degree
Of particularly the things that ought
to be altered and here are some or
the chief items: A tariff which cuts
US off from our proper part in the
commerce Of the world, violates the
just principles of taxation. and makes
the government facile instrument In
the hands of private interests; bank
Ing and currency system based upon
the necessity Of the government to
sell its bonds fifty years ago and per-
fectly adapted to concentrating cash
and restricting credits; an industrial
system which, take it on all Its sides,
financial as well as administrative,
holds capital In leading strings. re-
stricts the liberties and limits the op-
portunities Of labor, and exploits with
out renewing or conserving the nat
ural resources OF the country; body
OF agricultural activities never yet
given the efficiency Of great business
| undertakings or served as 1t should be
through the instrumentality OF science
taken directly to the farm, or afforded
| the facilities OF credit best suited to
its practical needs; water courses un-
developed, waste places unreclaimed,
| forests INTENDED, fast disappearing
without plan or prospect of renewal,
unregarded waste heaps at every mine.
We have studied as perhaps no other
nation has the most effective means
of production, but we have not studied
cost or economy as we should either
as organizers Of industry, as states
men, or as individuals.
Government for Humanity.
Nor have we studied and perfected
the means by which government may
be put at the service OF humanity, ID
safeguarding the health Of the nation,
the health Of it's men and it's women
and its children, as we'll as their rights
in the struggle for existence. This Is
no sentimental duty. The firm basis
OF government is justice, not pity
These are matters Of justice. There
can be no equality or opportunity, the
first essential Of justice in the body
polite, if men and women and chill
dren be not shielded in their lives
their very vitality, from the conse
quences Of great industrial and socia
, processes which they cannot alter
| control, or singly cope with. Society
must see to it that it does not itsel
crush or weaken or damage it's owl
, constituent parts. The first duty o
, law is to keep sound the society 1
serves. Sanitary laws, pure food laws
, and laws determining conditions o
, labor which individuals are powerles
a to determine for themselves are init
! mate parts Of the very business Of jus
tice and legal efficiency.
These are some Of the things W
Z ought to do, and not leave the other
}. undone, the old-fashioned, never-to-be
!. neglected. fundamental safeguardin
q Of property and Of individual r1gh
r This Is the high enterprise Of the neN
n day; to lift everything that concern
I our life as a nation to the light tina
d shines from the hearthfire Of ever
v mans conscience and vision OF tn
h right 1t is inconceivable that W
should do this as partisans; 1t is II
conceivable we should do it in igno
q ance Of the facts as they are or
n blind haste. We shall restore, not d.
J. stroy. We shall deal with our ecol
!. omic system as it is and as 1t ma
It be modified, not as it might be II "
q had clean sheet OF paper to writ
l. upon; and step by step we shall max
4. it what it should be, in the spirit {
10 those who question their own wisdOl
|. and seek counsel and knowledge, nj
r shallow self-satisfaction or the excit
% ment OF excursions whittier they ca
-e not tell. Justice, and only justic
{. shall always be our motto.
[. Nation Deeply Stirred.
r. And yet 1t will be no cool proce!
r. OF mere science. The nation has bee
le deeply stirred. stirred by solem
N passion. stirred by the knowledge I
Of wrong. Of ideals lost, Of governmel
IS too often debauched and made an i
It strument Of evil The feelings VII
"a which we face this new age OF rig
q, and opportunity sweep across o.
G. heart-strings like some air out
re Gods own presence. where justice al
a. mercy are reconciled and the judl
n and the brother are one. We kno
ys our task to be no mere task Of politi
,k but a task which shall search
r. through and through. whether we
ye able to understand our time and q
Of need of our people, whether we be
i L1;- tn