New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-01
THE DANGERS OF PEACE
Mr.. PHELPs's SPEECH AT MOUNT HOLLY

Mn. ruELfSS SPEECH Al MOUNI HULL.
POLITICAL DUTIES-LABOR--GREAT FORTUNES.
The Hon. William Walter Phelps made an
address yesterday at Mount Holly. n. j.. under the
auspices OF the Grand Army. Having touched upon the
topics Immediately suggested by Tho occasion, Mr.
Phelps continued follows:
Peace has its dangers less than war, and the
soldiers OF the Grand Army be ready to eet them
There Is the danger you will neglect your political
duties. DO not have too much fear of becoming poll
uclans. Every riSnt-mnded man, In addition to what
he owes % his family and himself ought to feel that he
owes something politically TO the community in which he
lives. He hasn't finished his duties to the community
when he ha, participated in the social enterprises and
charities Of his locality He has political work to do FOR
IT, he nas the duty Of citizen 10 educate and give
proper direction to public opinion and to tlht the
praS p esec ohon Is 50 d pr as 70 nave sa
practical effects only through party organizations. He
must JON and work with OF these. These oganLa
tons ats not dangerous 50 l0hS as they remain the
agents and Instruments Of the peorlenOt their masters
poIitlclans IA were your fathers. Ths men who made
and signed the Declaration OF independence and after
ciersymen aud lawyers-men working with brain hand
and 10 representatives Of the tong millions for whom
duty and we cannot do better tIian to follow their
example. Any other course involves disaster to the
Again there Is danger that you may accept false and
discouraeng views OF our political present and future;
words, convey them to others. Discouraging Views
false No Government was ever honest this; and
~ now The Government for which you fought Is grow
ing better every day not worse Most OF the Things mat
troDe you would disappear, did you take tme 10 cx-
anime them. Don't be discouraged because Congress
holds long and tedious sessions for much talk and title
LEGISLATION Don't mind tic comments mis- fact OF
shallow or Interested newsparers-hey impatient OF
long debate. and unde estimata their value Coneross
not only makes laws but 1t eucates ITSELF the press and
tho people
In the third place you must not cast aside your faith
In the honesty OF public The only you
have TO that public degenoratins IS because
your partisan newspaper says 50. These charges OF
emphatic and extensive than IN the days Of v ash
ngton, Adams Jefferson and Jackson Indeed, the
Administration of Jackson marked the highest tide OF
newspaper AMI a.orca deiraction. The mercIless
assaults upon personal reputation then male nave never
since been equalled Although bsfoie even In colonial
times he who real The history in hostile records, read
that the motives OF the founders OF the were
partisanshp. personal ambition and greed for
the emoluments OF official position
THE SCANDALS OF THE PAST.
Tie jealousy scandal OF these earlier years in our
history shocking. And there WAS truth in it. At
hat time all there OF che Government was personal
The great families " Massachusetts, New-fork and
virgiria and but New Jersey, were n close
corporation. who their political machinery with
skill and selnshness not outdone by Losses OF the
present day. Their relatives aud their adherents
obtained most OF the lucrative offices AMI when there
were not enough to 90 round 1t was charged that Offices
increased Tor the purpose. There were more
rogues in those days: AM II they differed from ours
"a merits OF the speak advisedy when
was then and or public mon on tie average are
and their Lonor tar more sensitive And II have not
the intellectual giants ~ those days the average oil our
craftsmanship is wiser and higher. ~
Does any thoughtful man anticipate Terinanelt inury
from tue labor Guescon Under any other system OF
government there might he. There Is none III ours
There is disturbance because great class Is opening
readju aud setting social question:; the WORKING
man is seeking large share Or the profits lie
deserves large share; and both parties seem wiing TO
give all the legislative aid that Is praccaoe Inh
what form o. government has done Tor tue wOrknS
and how they are exhibited IN this struggle me
working cla-s lnalgurated IT, not Under ine
want hut OF philosophy and re son Their dlssatlsiac
did because they were poor ana suiei ln9
They were never before 40 rlch ana couiolta"!o no
National Commissioner % Labor states thaI "ny sohsn
aud half per cent OF the WORKING people were idie
during The year 1855 and all through IL thelr wases
constantly Increasing The savings nahKs oI lno
states where mechanical industries are most numerous
never mad so large an aSgresate, nor - ir5n ro
capita deposit nor such iarIe number OF uePoslOIs
really wanted to work-were never before more
prosperous Then, what for the Dtt rLess ana
because OF certain things the wOrkDgmen saw, and a
Certain injustice these things suggested
LARGE FORTUNES NOT DANGEROUS
Ono thing they saw was largo held ~ capital
ss aud corporations who had paid scaLt wages and ha
exacted long labor. They saw, too that their
employers worked fow hours and ostenta;ou'ly aud
uselessy spent much And they felt an Injustice when
they contrasted with their ald determined 10
seek for themselves larger share OF What ther hnor
produces. They ought To have H. lhcl -" Ereas
grants Ot public LANDS railroads, the SAFE Oh large areas
OF soil to combined capitalists Of this and ot'et l"hs.
And they felt an injustice that their patilmony was
Diverted aud determined 70 stop H. Anc they .lS lTnD
Organized lsbOr keeping within the bounds OF tue Jaw
with aid legislation eau Afford VII! setIio Inns
social and economical question In que season, ne
American wOrkngnsD Is sensible, ana does not cAPece
lie Impossible. They know IHat under no state OF
society can all lie equally Ron asa great. IneJ Ano"
that institutions lar as human lhslitu lohs can
give all eqaa chances 70 acquire wealth. 1nI 1iatcon
To those who have achieved success tie WOrkhgeh OF
this country have always been able III the a7 10 con-
ri their full number Nor Is IL less true lo-y .n
IL been any time IN the past tIat The Aiian WIZ
l. eligent industrious ana prrsevcrlug Will hnd the
road open to him why almost al the employers Of
to-day are the workingmen or YESTERDAY Why snoull
the wage worker OF to-day despair " briug an employ or
Tomorrow Never fear LABOR WIZ get us rs%Is unao
he Cnnsiit Ition. aud without harmlns It, Nor need
You fear anv permanent dancer Tat 5,eDs W
! Inv the accumulation of wealth M few hands ruen
accommodations arc evil, Ou they tempOfaty evil
These great disappear almost ~ soon % they
appear You count hand the great io ,unos,
most o! then accumulated nnder your eyes, WHICH SUI
remain intact Ana yet you have seen hnn Of
fortunes accumulated and lost, either IN tue haus %
those vino accumulated those VINO Inherited thell
Wealth can only be kept by the qualities thAI GOT IL
| -Tafchfglness, prudence aud sell-'ltnla
denial and the kindred virtues nOdriShe In adversely
they don't gro Ia the rich soil and poIIulnod dto'
! phere Of inherited wealth. go =, .
Ineousltes OF fortune must exist until all men are
created with the tastes aud capacities tney arc
evils which the ballot cannot cnie Destroy our preSe'
form OF government and change our present society,
and the Inequalities w@nld reapPGna. c cn
they he mtisated. LdncailOh VIII 40 tno n 70,
toward IT, and virtue and philAnthsOpy-teaeAhs Tue
Golden Rue and teaching tile poor tho great truth hat
happiness self and the respect OF Otuer- ma
exist without money TIE worll' ny e1", ,,tn tnat
experience, will yet learn the unouDted trnIh t's
Agr prayed Tor the best; and that the estate Within tc
grasp o! every OF our countrymer thhl m!"a31
between riches aud poverty is the Happiest VI AL
cOnd tons.
AN ADDRESS INTERRUPTED.
VETERANS lEHIrATED By THE CONDUCT OF GENE
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