The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-08-09


 tell him that mankind must stand impotent before the forces of nature, year after year, as science progressed and his mas tery of the mysteries of the physical universe increased, hi has been turning nature, once his hard master, into useful seryi- tude.
 Moved by the Drought
 That is why, on this trip across the northern part of our country, I have been so moved by the dis dressing effects of a widespread drought and at the same time SO strengthened in my belief that science and cooperation can do much from now on to undo the mdnY mistakes men have made in the past and to aid the good forces of nature and the good impulses of men instead of fight ing against them.
 We are but carrying forward the pioneering spirit of the fathers when we apply the pioneering methods to the better use of vast land and water re- sources--what God has given us to use as trustees not only for ourselves but for future genera tions.
 But man is fighting also those forces which disregard human cooperation and human rights in seeking that kind of individual profit which is gained at the ex- pense of his fellows.
 It is just as hard to achieve harmonious and cooperative &C., ton among human beings as it is to conquer the forces of na- ture. Only through the submerg- ing of individual desires into un- selfish and practical cooperation can civilization grow.
 Dawn of New Day
 In the great national move- ment that eliminated in 1884, people joined with enthusiasm. They lent hand and voice to the common cause, irrespective of many older political traditions. They saw the dawn of a new day. They were on the march; they were coming back into the pos session of their own home land.
 As the humble instruments of their vision and power, those of us who were chosen to serve them in 1892 turned to the great task.
 In one year and five months, the people of the United States have received at least 8 partial answer to their demands for ac- ton and neither the demand nor the action has reached the end of the road.
 But action may be delayed by two types of individuals. Let me cite examples: First, there is the man whose objectives are wholly right and wholly pro- gressive but who declines to CO., operate or even to discuss methods of arriving at the ob- jectives because he insists on his own methods and nobody elses.
 The other type to which refer is the individual who demands some message to the people of the United States that will re- store what he calls confidence" When I hear this I cannot help but remember the pleas made by government and certain types of so-called "big business" all through the years of 1880, 1881 and 1892 that the only thing lacking in the United States was confidence.
 Before left on my trip, l re- ceived two letters from import ant men, both of them pleading that I say something to restore confidence. l wrote both of them:
 Return to Old Days
 "What would you like to have me say?" From one of them I have received no reply at all six weeks later. I take it that he il still wondering how to answer. The ether man wrote me frankly that in his judgment the way to restore confidence was for me to declare that all supervision by all forms of government, federal and state. over all forms of human activity called business should be forthwith abolished.
 In other words, he was frank enough to imply that he would repeal all laws, state or national. which regulate business-that a utility could henceforth charge any rate, reasonable or other- wise; that the railroads could go back to rebates and other secret agreements; that the processors of foodstuffs could disregard all rules of health and of good faith; that the unregulated wild cat banking of a century ago could be restored; that fraudu- lent securities and watered stock could be palmed off on the pub lie; that stock manipulation which caused panics and enrich ed insiders could go unchecked. In fact, if we were to listen to him, the old law of the tooth and the claw would reign once more.
 Nation Not Going Back
 My friends, the people of the United Staates will not restore that ancient order. There is no lack of confidence on the part of those business men, farmers and workers who clearly read the signs of the times. Sound eco homie improvement comes from the improved conditions of the whole population and not the small fraction thereof.
 Those who would measure con- dence in this country in the fu- ture must first look to the aver age citizen.
 Confidence is returning to our agricultural population which, in spite of unpredictable and uncomfortable drought in a large area, is giving understand ing cooperation to practical plan- ming and the ending of the use- less pickering and sectional thinking of the past.
 Confidence is returning to the manufacturers who, in over whelming numbers, are compar- ing the black ink of today with the red ink of many years gone by; to the workers who have achieved under the National Re- covery Administration rights for which they fought unsuccessfully for a generaitonS to the men and women who willing hands found no work and who have been saved from starvation by govern ment relief; to the youngsters whose childhood has been saved to them by the abolition of child labor; to the fair and sim