Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-03-03
DUTIES OF THE RICH.
Ex-President Harrison Addresses Chi.
cago Union League Club.

at the central meeting of the annual cello.
bration of the Union League Club in hon.
or Of Washington's birthday in the An.
ditorium in Chicago. The ex-President
took for his subject, "Obligatops Of
Wealth" He said:
Monuments and birthday anniversaries
should be commemorative, not creative
commemorative of deeds that evoke wide
gratitude and of virtues that are still i'm
liable. Scientists have reproduced some
Of the gigantic animals and reptiles of the
worlds early history. We look at them
with fear and wonder, and congratulate
ourselves that they are extinct types So
there have been among men monsters Of
power and violence. We cannot forget
them, but we are glad they lived in an
other epoch. But there are men who
have so won our hearts that we would
recall them if we could. We feel the
need of them. We assemble On this an
niversary Of the birth of Washington, not
so much, if at all, to bring tribute to him,
as to learn at his feet the lessons of a
conscientious citizenship. The imitable
qualities of WashiDgton's character and
life; those that did not exhaust them
selves on a locality or Il period; that are
instructive not only to military command
ers and chief magistrates, but to the I'M
official citizen; the lessons that he taught,
not for the march and BATTLE but for
quiet days when no drum beat calls to (
duty-these are the qualities and lessons
that should engage our thought to-day
In choosing for my theme 1.-The Obi.
cations of Wealth" l am not Wrestling this
anniversary from it's legitimate use.
The word wealth" in its modern use
has suffered a limitation if not perver-
sion. Originally and strictly it means
veal or welfare, external happiness.
We live in time of great agitation, of
war Of clashing thoughts and interests.
The seams which mar the face Of the
social landscape seem to be widening
chasms, and if these CULTS are to be filled
We must establish dumps on both sides
of them. 1t will aid the work if those
on either side use the bridges to get view
of it from the other side. Wealth should
neither be the object of our enmity nof
the basis Of our consideration.
The special purpose Of my address to
day is to press home this thought upon tn
prosperous, well-to-do people of our com
munity, and especially of our great cities
That one of the conditions Of the Securlt
of wealth is a propOrtionate and full co4
tributon to the expenses of the State any
local governments. 1t is not only Wron
but it is unsafe, to make show in OF
homes and on the street that is not mad
in the tax returns.
Equality is the golden thread that ruq
all through the fabric of our civil lnsl
tutions-the dominating note in the sWe
ing symphony of liberty. Equality, n
Of conditions, not of natural endOWme4
but of rights, is the foundation stone
our governmental structure. And as
corollary, necessary and imperative
this doctrine of an equality OF right, is
doctrine of q proportionate ana fala
contribution to the cost of administer
the government. The duty of the ~
to protect life, liberty and property IS
ditioned upon a fair contribution to
cost of government A full and con
entious discharge of that duty by the
zen Is one of the tests of good citlzens]
To evade that duty is moral delinqu'
an unpatriotic fact.
For very many years an oplnoh.
been prevalent that the great Dulk Vi
personal property of the States, espeC1
of the class denominated "securltles' IN
Guiding stocks, bonds, notes, nlol'S IN
and such like, has escaped taxation m
q very few exceptions the great fort NJ
in this country are invested III SGcn D I'M
ties. The delinquency appears ~ III
Gated largely in our great cnleS r.;da NJ
Investigations of students OF poHue' nv
ence. and recent tables prepared, ~, w AN
officials have disclosed an appalDns Ef
dition of things. The evil seems 10 IN
been progressing until, in some MN
preat centers of population ana xk
those forms of personal properl! l&A
horo haon almost eliminated lron EEs
tax list. . ot,ic, Fks
Taxps are O debt of highest oOllS
and no casuist can draw SCUM l;kAT
distinction between the man WIZ as
his nronerty or makes faise iI: f$&
order tn escane the payment Oh ll9 AKy
to the State. and the man WIZ ,;+ fVa
his nronerty from his private cl'u' s3Ss
When to this enormous anu ~ - NJ n
ia added the corruption when II 10 n,o1 Sg
has characterized the appl"is' nf
vol estate we have a condition W. W ts
1,-;+b which we dare not palter' :" IAN Sas
ino,onro+e and at once, s ,,, M
shall coualize tax burdens. :t;os @s
,r-"o1+b in orr great communl'e I:,h mi
We, "e,i. 49, novcment. 1t is not WIN k,,
r of this address to propt TAX vS
t tG1 the the needed reforms in our oe S NS,
suggest that our men OF w ssatious AtSSSS
ma na gers Of our great corp0ra nd ia E<s
themselves come forward a4 they Va
lead in these reforms; tnss hut hut M I
not only show a wiIIin 5snt;@nat p 81 SE
all public burdens. If n ent that wal y n
S he found to exact more than ,nord Is,T h
do Justice is the best Sales' ~
injustice. aeNSl
/o1occ in SIdlh- mn -" 10