Evening star., 1927-11-18
TEXT OF THE PRESIDENTS
SPEECH TO UNION LEAGUE

NOTWITHSTANDING IIllS dppcai ohe =
which shook the confidence of Sc
| many, the founders of this league
looked beyond the disorders OF the
hour, and, determining to support
what was sound and right and reform
what was wrong, kept their faith In
their country.
At present our land is the abiding
place of peace, Universal freedom. and
undoubted loyalty, holding the regard
of all the world as mighty power,
stable, secure, respected. The people
are prosperous, the standards of social
Justice were neXc2 so highL the rights
Of the individus'>fever 80 extensively
protected. If tAs founders of this
league, under She circumstances OF
their time, were able nevertheless to
believe in their country ard raise a
standard to which those who were de-
! termined upon it's defense might re
pair. how much more ought we of this
day and genera ton, the inheritors of
all the advantages which their sac
rifices secured, the most fortunate
people on the face of the earth, not
| only to have, but by our actions con.
| stantly proclaim our faith in America.
Not Perfect Nation.
No one would claim that our coun.
| try is perfect. No one with a proper
sense of proportion, or even limited
knowledge Of the world, Is likely to
make it the object of vainglorious
boasting. Yet a moderate endowment
of such sense and such knowledge
ought to be sufficient not only to ST.
lence most of our critics and apollo
gists, but to fill them with a whole
some respect and admiration. A ma
| ton which hfA raised itself from
struggling do dency to a leading
power in the Id, without Cypress
ing it's own /aAwple and without in
justice to its neighbors, in the short
space of $50 years, needs little in the
way of extenuatiOn or excuse.
But having faith in our country
| does not mean that we should be OBJ
livious to or neglectful Of its prob
lens. The human race Is finite. BY
it's very character 1t is necessarily
subject to limitations. We may have
sound principles Of government, but
they will be administered only i'm.
perfectly. We may have wise laws,
but they will be obeyed only partially.
We may have judicious institutions Of
society, but they will be supported
only incompletely. But because we
cannot expect perfection is no reason
why we cannot expect progress. In
that field our success is unrivaled.
The pre-eminence of America is un-
challenged in the advance which it
has made in promoting the general
welfare of it's people.
While we have not neglected re-
ligion and education, we have con-
sidered our welfare in the past mainly
on its economic side. Our population
L.
erable space of years. We have re-
ceived large numbers of foreign peo-
pie. For the most part they We're
vigorous. enterprising and of good
character, but almost always without
money, and too often without learn
ing. Due to the exigencies of frontier
life, many of our native-horn have
found themselves in similar situa-
ton. To form all these people into an
organization where they might not
merely secure a livelihood, but by in
dustry and thrift have the opportunity
to accumulate a competency, such as
has been done in this country, is one
of the most marvellous feats ever ac-
complished by human society. 1t could
never have been done without the ut
most of private and public attention to
the business side of life. Vet it has
complete, but the framework has been
erected and no one can deny that the
construction is making steady prog
ress.
Results Far.Reaching.
The object Of this economic en-
deavor has not been the making of
money for its own sake. 1t certainly
has not been for the purpose Of endow-
n q N 2 xsyif 4 g
been fostered and encouraged by the
Government in order to provide the
people at large with sufficient incomes
to raise their standards Of living to a
position worthy of a free and enliglt-
ened nation. In the carrying out Of
this mighty project, which in its con-
ception and it's execution has never
been surpassed by any effort for human
advancement, our inhabitants have
found the added benefit of q cor
responding development Of character.
The results have reached Into the
humblest home in the land, carrying
hope and cheer with the knowledge
that the door of opportunity has been
opened to them.
1t would be entirely wrong to as
sumo that our present position has
been secured as a result of accident.
1t has come from carefully thought
out policy, which has been for the
most part consistently followed. We
have always held very strongly to the
theory that in our country, at least,
more could be accomplished for
human welfare through the encour-
agement of private initiative than
through Government action. We have
sought to establish a system under
which the people would control the
Government, and not the Government
control the people. If economic free.
dom vanishes, political freedom be.
comes nothing but a shadow. 1t has
therefore been our wish that the people
Of the country should own and con-
duct all gainful occupations not di-
rectly connected with Government serv-
ice. When the Government once enters
a business it must occupy the field
alone. No one can compete with it.
The result is a paralyzing monopoly.
1t was in pursuit Of this policy that