The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-11

OF a captive bear that / saw the other
day. A loafer pretended to treat him
kindly, and treacherously dealt hiIn a
blow. Tho poor beast jumped at his tor
mentor. who quickly sprang out of the
way, and an innocent passer felt the grip
OF the animals Jaw.
believe that many common distinc-
tons between labor and capital are false
and insincere. / believe that the honest
laborer and his true friends acknowledge
but one criterion, and that is the rule of
merit. Whether n human being has
gained influence, or power, or wealth. by
his own honest work, whether of muscle
or brain, then this wealth belongs to him.
Ii Is not his to abuse or to use selfishly.
Ii is not the property of the idle or the
shiftless or the dishonest, and no power
should take 1t from its owner and give 1t
to those who have not earned 1t and who
do not deserve it. | do not believe in
equal distribution of wealth. 1t would be
premium on idleness and dishonesty
and a discouragemcnt to thrift and enter
prise. And equal possession would not
outlive the time II took TO mako the dis
tribu;ion. l believe that this is true of
land. The government could distribute
II equally, but the distribution would not
last over night. IL Is true that merit is
not always the ruling power in modern
relations of labor and capital. Columbus
did not receive the reward of his labors
while he lived, and there are many Column
buses in the nineteenth century. This
will always be true OF human life, we
need not expect perfection. Yet this docs
not change tho law that merit should be
our ideal.
Wealth and poverty are not always evil
dence of injustice. A man with a dollar
may often deserve million moro than no
with tho million would deserve one dollar.
But II is none the less true that the mil
lionaire may have received his gold more
honestly than many others a single
nickel. The fault of rich men is not al
ways the fact that they have the gold,
but their failure to use it right. Wealth
in Peabody's hands has helped you and
me much more than it would have holped
us If it had been ours. He gave it for the
good OF the masses.
There are shylocks who sock their
wealth at the cost of the welfare and lives
OF others. This is most heinous crime
and sin. Wherever such spirits exist there
is manifest justice in labor's war and we
bid IL God speed, till all shylocks shall find
their Portia.
We have too much faith in Americas
Portias and in the final power of merit
and too much confidence in American
government, TO think that any man is
warranted Is trying to achieve the ends
we all desire, in the laborer's behalf, by
using lawless and violent methods TO Sc
cure the desired results. And the false
cidal war, will neither enter into the king
dom of the laborer's redemption from
capitals injustice. nor suffer their follow
ers to enter. L1bor's true Lord will have
to say, Il never knew YOU"
There are two false systems of reform.
The one says there is no salvation for the
laborcr till, by accumulated wealth, he
becomes the master OF the men who now
Cypress him for the sole reason that they
are stronger through their gold and have
the power. This is goddess system. and
against it every Christian should unite in
helping the llborer to protect his rights as
a man who is worthy of what he earns,
that he may enjoy its fruits. Humanity
and Christianity alike cry out against sell
fish competition that tells men to relieve
themselves from tyranny by becoming
tyrants. In this way peace could never
como to stay.
Another system is akin to this. 1t is
the plan of war. War has been an ever
present power i'll the history of the world.
and there are times when il seems inevi-
table and just. But this is true alone
when il is n means to later peace. The
world can never become stable OH wars
platform. Temporary victory becomes
subsequent defeat, and the conflict is re-
moved. 1t is fak6e prophet who advises
war TIL all else has failed. He who stands
forth with the unsheathed sword and calls
men ou' to battle, must have another mo-
its spoils, or he Is not the true friend of
his country and its toiling millions.
The laborer's friend is tho friend of
education and of morality. He is the man
who helps the laborer to help himself. He
is above all the Christian who himself
does the will of God in justice and in
charity, and thus uplifts his fellows by the
force of his own example. He is the man
who helps the laborer to respect himself.
to save his money, and TO use 1t for the
public good, and thus to be an ideal CAPT.
talist. In this sense what we need, is not
less men with capital but moro, till all be
capitalists and poverty be unknown.
We need more Cody men and more
Christians, but vastly greater need is n
larger following for the Cody men in tho
church and out of it, who are already do
ing all they can to make tho world better
And n scarcely smaller need is that of
fewer working men who blIndly follow the
cry of labor's anti-Chrsts, who lead their
disciples to still deeper want and pain.
DICK BAKERS SIDE OF 1T