Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1899-03-25
THE OTHER SIDE.
world

To the Editor of the Chicago Record
1t strikes me that you do not tote
fair in this matter of jury bribing
You certainly ought to take account
of the many good deeds of these gen
tlemen who are on the directorate of
the street railways. They are men of
culture and refinement the flower of
our civilization. They are the patrons
OF art, literature and education in all
It's phases. You cannot name chart
ty nor q humane work with which
these gentlemen are not in sympathy.
In short, they are philanthropists-
lovers of mankind One of them, who
perhaps Of all has been most vilifed,
has given to Chicago one of the finest
astronomical observatOries in the
world. A dear old saint, who until a
short time ago was a director of a
street railway, has given freely and
most wisely to the cause of education
throughout our country. Many de
serving college rejoices to-day in the
benefactions Of this man. BY making
his gifts conditional and using them
as lever he has secured to the cause
of Christian education, over $4,000
OOO Just think of the enlargement of
lite that comes to thousands of our
young people because one of these men
turned his great loving heart toward
them!
In all this discussion you should
bear i'll mind that these men are not
working for themselves; they already
have SO much that only by q miracle
can they ever want for anything. You
doubtless have heard the remark that
wealth is a trust This is a great
truth. 1t is one of the comforting
truths of our day. AS q lotion for the
spiritual joints of a well-fed deacon
with large corporate interests, it has
no equal. These street railway direct
ors are trustees. They stand to the
public in loco Deus. They are His
viceregents. In former days popes
and bishops, kings and conquerors,
were His trustees, but in these last
days the captains of industry and
commerce have taken their place, and
by the same divine right they admin
lister His bounty. The great sorrow
IS that in these degenerate DAYS so lit
tie respect is paid to these holy men.
Their efforts are not appreciated.
There is no privacy; nothing is sacred.
short time ago the Chicago press
made such a roar about street-car fen
ders that thousands upon thousands
of dollars had to be diverted from the
Lords trust fund and invested in un-
slightly wire baskets. How much bet
ter and wiser to leave such matters in
the hands of "the trustees" This
matter of ury-bribing is Of much the
same nature. These people who 90 in
to the courts and secure damages for
the loss Of their limbs or the Gripping
OF their children are not and never
will be in a position to do ANYTHING
for the public welfare. The money
paid to them is absolutely thrown a.
way SO far as the public good is con-
cerned. How much better to put this
money into the endowment of a chair
OF ethics in some needy college. In
such case it would be source of life
and light and helpful influence rgen-
erations to come. Or think ofthe cry
ing needs OF our foreign-missionw work.
When one of these sainted trustees
shall turn his thought that way we
may look TO see the conversion Of the
heather world. To be sure the proph-
ct lsiah said that true service is to
loose the bonds OF Wickoduess, to let
the oppressed 20 free, I'D feed the hun
gry and clothe the naked, but that
Mas long time ago Besides it was
the second lsiah who said chs and lie
was scarcely orthodoT, anyway.