Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-01

ing to us in words unmiStakabIG. btg
ing both North and South to forgiv,
the past, to bind up the wounds of tn,
nation and to pour in Wine and oil TO
their healing. And we. my brothers o
| the North, can afford to be generous
We were the victurs In this awful con.
nict II Is trie that we suffered nnt
| suffered WRONGLY hs many Il sardsnct
home many d broken family. many
bleeding heart bears Witness 10 ttsj,
day. But we were in the right and VI,
Lord God Almighty gave to us TIL
victory. AS much as we suffered, the
South suffered more and they willingly
OF unwillingly were forced to accept
the issue OF the conflict. Since that
time. like brave people as they are
| they have faced the situation with
manlness and courage and have done
what none but Americans could have
done in redeeming their homes from
| the terrible effects of war and adjust
ing themselves to d tbanssd social
order.
The thinking. intelligent people Of
| the South have l believe accepted the
| results of the war in good faith They
have no desire to again test the doc
trine of States rights. They are sin
| cerely thankful that slavery has
ceased to exist. They would not re-
store it If they could. Said a represent
tative Southerner in speaking Of the
black man, We have found out that
in the summing up the free negro
counts for more than he did as slave.
We fought hard enough to know that
We were whipped and in perfect frank
ness accept as final the arbitrament of
the sword to which we had appealed
che South found her jewel in the toad S
1cad of defeat. The shackles that held
her in narrow limitations fell forever
when the shaclfles of the negro slave
we're broken. Under the old regime the
negroes We're slaves to the South: the
South was a slave to the system. AS
she stands upright, full staturcd and
equaI among the people Of the earth.
breathing the pure air and looking ou.
ipon the expanded horizon, she Under
;tands that her emancipation came be-
,ause. through the inscrutable wisdom
# God. her honest purposes We're
rossed and her brave arfiiles heetan. -
These are the words OF a Southetrer
whose father fell on the Confederate
side. What fuller. freer and more
generous avowal Of defeat and error
,ould the North in reason ask for?
Shall VIC fail to respond to such ex-
,ressions with generous sympathy and
owe? Can we of the victorious North
tfford To be unwilling to forgive the
,ast? Shall we in spirit or in thought
lold ourselves aloof from our brothers
u the South? Shall we not rather let
'uspicion and foul hatred and TIN
'haritabe feeling die of their own
nalignancy? Shall we allow the preju-
lice of the war to remain IN our
learts? Or shall we fulfill the
prophecy of Webster. when he said.
Standing hand in hand and clasping
lands we should remain as we have
oeen for sixty years. citizens of the
anne country. members of the same
government. united all. united now
md united forever"
Another question which has vital
Connection with the success Of our ex-
eriment in popular government and
he future of the republic is that of the
hanger attendant upon the amazing
nassing Of wealth which has been one
If the prominent features of our in
1esitate to touch upon this question for
they realize that they lay themselves
open to the possible charge of being
lemagogues. But however much we
nay shrink this is not a matter which
an be disregarded or passed over
lightly. 1t is demanding our attention
md we must not leave it to be treated
by political managers. but must give it
,ur serious consideration in the hope
that somehow. under the guidance of
Heaven, it may be settled.
| have no desire to denounce the rich
nan or to pander to the prejudice of
he poor. but we cannot note the col
'osal accumulations of wealth and the
ancroachmentS of the so called money
power upon the rights of the individual
without believing that the time will
come when the cause of the people
against the power of wealth must be
brought to a trial. And when the con-
lict comes. as come it must, what shall
>e the result? God grant us wisdom to
Teal wisely with this great question
md to lead this people safely from
darkness and danger into light and
peace.
Never before in the history of the world
have there been noted such marvellous
tccumulations of wealth we are wilt
Messing every day. Fifty years ago the
millionaires of America could be counted
1pon the fingers. Today the increase OF
wealth is so great that almost every vii
,agc has its millionaire And among
these. there are men. I: score in number
each ofwhom might, with his accumulated
wealth. purchase and control the entire
taxable property of this sovereign State
We read of one man who has an annual
income of more than thirty millions of
another who possesses an estate of such
extent that you might start from his pala-
tial country seat and drive straight on for
thifty-tve miles without reaching the
confines of his land. and this too. not in
the midst of the undeveloped lands of the
states.
We are departing from the simplicity
of the early days of the republic. We are
sowing the seeds of luxury with n lavish
hand. What shall be the harvest? What
is to be the result of all this?
| would not dcnounce the rich man:
but these tremendous fortunes are. in
themselves, a menace to our national eX-
istencc. They have been accumulated
years. and there is not a corresponding
sense of responsibility on the part of the
man who becomes suddenly rich. Wealth
when held as Il sacred trust and managed
with charity and good sense. is one of
Gods best gifts to mankind. But. in the
hands of the Irresponsible and managed
with careless prodigality. as it is most
often by our rich men. it threatens toun-
dermnc the very foundations of our SOC
that costs half a million dolarsa wedding
breakfast that costs ten thOuSa nd dollars