Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-06-14

wheels OF industry, 'Of business fail.
ures, of suffering. Of want, OF idle cap
ibal, while the opportunities for com.
merce, of manufacture, of agriculture
are still so great in this land with tt
vast areas, South, North and West, ot
undeveloped resources. The trus
problem is one chat cannot be ignored
It must be settled. Who can doubt
that upon itsyproper settlement de.
pends SO much the veal or the woe oi
this people, eventually the very char
Rcter of our, government and the
preservation OF our liberties? Shall
the trust be allowed to control all the
avenues of production, to stifle indl-
vldual enterprise, make the mass OF
our people simply hired servants of, or
the creatures OF corporations?
Weai,n ds a good and not a bad
thing. The aspiration for wealth
should be encouraged, not discouraged.
That man who denounces 1t is not a
safe lea6er. The corporation Is bene-
fioient institution. 1t is necessary
chat there be large aggregations of
capital for carrying out great and use
full enterprises. But the corporation
is primarily a creature for the public
good and il should remain So It is not
for Uhe public good that corporations
own the state and the people. People
are afraid of socialism. Will ii come
to pass after while that they will be
saying that it will be better for the
state to direct the common labor than
for few great trusts? What will the
educated citizen do to settle this trust
question? Will he simply wait for his
party to promulgate platform and
then grow excited in shouting for that
platform and the candidates and in del
nouncing the other fellows? What
duty does the American college teach
him? 1t cannot do less than prepare
him, courageous man to know the
evil, to fight the evil, regardless OF
party Affiliations, social connections,
the hope of favor or fear Of failure.
Some time ago l listened to DR.. Geo.
C. Lorlmer, Boston's noted preacher,
educator and leader of thought, on the
Education of Society, In speaking of
the instruction in tle public schools
he laid particular stress upon manual
! training He said, II would elevate
carpenterlng, blacksmfthing weaving
and all that to a place along side of
grammar, geography, Latin and his
tory. If you will do that in the next
generation we will have a class of Ann
erican workmen who will do away
with the trusts and who will llft the
| yoke from the neck of labor" To this
l would add the thought that If Mari
etta and other institutions of higher
education would give fuller and more
complete instruction in the literature
of the crafts, the needs and privileges
and, rights and dignities and import
ance OF the workers in our mills and
factories and mines and on our streets
and railways, the next generation
would see class of fully educated
men at the head of affairs in business
and professional walks of life who
would be not only the natural but the
true and earnest leaders in removing
from labor its unequal burdens, max
ing capital safe and giving the whole
citizenry that freedom it should have
from the taxation and arrogancies and
injuSticeS OF the trusts. There would
then be a set OF manufacturers who
would fully understand that in the
modern conditions of industry the re-
ductions of the hours of the labor
which would give a better distribution
of the benefits of labor-saving inven-
UiOns and the workman more hours for
rest, recreation and Improvement
would not only make for the individ-
ual betterment of the laborer, but in
fully as large ameasure foFNthe per-
manency and welfare of industry and
uouO anu lOi llC 6VOu VI tue hdJlOh
and civilization. ae 90
That other great problem before the
people today is too fully Identified just
now with political struggles for an ex-
preston of opinion in this place and
on This occasion. mean our colonial
policy, or the question whether we
should have one. 1t Is a Hquestlon
which needs the most earnest, most
careful study. 1t Is one OF those ques-
tions likely TO force new party align
ments. 1t is not question to be set
tied by hysteria, nor by the calling of
obnoxious names.It isn't primarily;
question of patriotism. 1t is a ques-
ton OF American policy, and as such
should be settled by a study OF our con-
stlturion, our history, our established
principles, our traditional policies, OF
Its effects upon our trade, our indus
tries, our relationship with other pow
er5, OF its effects upon our institutions,
our people and with reference to our
rights and duties towards other people.
Party prejudice, party fealty, and The
rate OF administrations and candidates
should be lost sight Of in its settle
ment.
A few minutes ago | spoke OF the
patriotism of the fathers, the patriot
ism which dominated this community
in which the founders of Marietta Col
lege lived. Il is axlomatlc that the