The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-02-20


his own strength and energy and
the intelligence which God has Civ
en- him, and by these and these
alone, he should work out his pros
perity and happiness in life. This
cultivates and developes individual
characters, self-reliance and enter
prise among the people. Splendid
cities. grand public improvements,
and immense private fortunes are
not reliable evidences of a sound
and healthy national condition.
Consider the splendor of ancient
Egypt, and her civilization was de-
stroyed. Two per cent of her pop
ulatiOn owned ninety-seven per cent
of her wealth. Remember the ap-
parent power and glory of the
Persian Empire, when it fell as a
dead and rotten tree before the
strength of a mere IcOrpOral's
guard of sturdy Greeks. One per
cent of her population owned the
whole entire land. Think of the
countless wealth and splendid
treasures of Babylon when this
proud city was blotted out. Two
per cent of her population owned all
of this wealth. Without, all was
fair, within, all was corruption
and dead mems bones. Rome,
the wonder and undisputed mis-
tress of the ancient world, at the
chariot wheels of whose victori-
Gus generals princes and kings
were led captives, was destroyed
by the barbarian GothS. At this
time one thousand and eight hun
dred Romans owned the entire
world. But Rome had lost sight
of the source of her greatness.
Her people had become enervated
by luxury and ease; they had been
reaping where they had not sown;
their self-reliance and independ-
ence had been destroyed; they had
ceased to rely upon their individ-
ual courage and manhood and had
come to rely upon their govern
ment.
Look at modern France. An
aristocracy of wealth on one side;
millions of oppressed and impOver-
ished toilers on the other side.
The government of France fell of
its own weight and the revolution
which followed sent a chill of hor-
ror though the hearts of the people
of all civilized nations. Nine per
cent of our population owned about
about seventy-twO per cent of the
entire wealth of the United States.
According to the New York Tri-
bune, republican paper, we have
four thousand and fOrty-seven
milliOnaires who are worth not
less than ten millions each. How
did these men get this money?
Mr.. Rockefeller has an income of
sixty-five millions a year and will
soon be the first Millionaire of the
world. Does this money represent
honest labOri We have long since
passed the danger line. Yet, the
man who calls attention to these
matters is denounced as an agita-
tor and demagOgue. Peopleiforget
agitation means life. Stagnation
means death and corruption. His
toryrepeats itself. Like condition
will produce like results. What has
been may be again. No people
can set at defiance the purposes of
God and long continue to prosper
The laws of nature are self-execut-
ing. Though they may move with
laeden tread, they crush with an
iron heel.
We should keep these things con-
stantly in mind; we should never
lose our bearing; we should stand
firmly by and never forget funda-
mental principles; we should re-
member that a frequent recurrence
to first principles is absolutely nee
essary to maintain a free govern
ment; we should anchor our hopes
upon that immutible rock of truth
which lis of Divine origin and