Campaign by campaign, local, state and

national, navigating through
the Screw pump endless grind of assemblies and petitions and public events
sometimes supported by striking

workers who risked their jobs, their
physical safety and even their lives for equal justice, they gained
other protections and

guarantees. Workers compensation, occupational
safety, guarantees of pure food and drugs, conservation of natural
resources,

restriction of child labor, regulations of railroads, trusts,
and insurance companies, strengthened defenses against financial

panics
ignited by reckless speculation. Protections for all, especially that
vital middle class on whose shoulders democracy

rested. Achieved through
a political process made accessible to all by machine-fighting reforms
like the secret ballot and the

open primary.

2011-08-25

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