The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-05

therefore 1nnBte our blOcHs auobner nun
bred or two per cent. Tap few more
where. who will merely have TO sweat
and groan little mors to produce the In
teiest!' Leaving all this snnctined
parasi tism out of the question VI present
account, mean by capitalism the under.
lying idea that II Is higher right and
holier duty for prosperous man to aes
rich and for rich man to gSt rioher.
than IL is to divert some Of his talent into
flnuinx out how his business may make
his fellow laborers securer and happier
and broader men and women. Capitalism
is the conception Of life, which permits
man who controls business to feel sat L.
fled with himself and with the tradi tons
of the business, when he is pulling up
his profits even II the fellow lsborers
whomshe calls employees are standing stu
or going back ward in their receipts from
the business. Capitalism Is the spirit
by which men jus; ~ then s.lves in tax
ing ali the advantage of help or oomf e1-
tors CT customersor supplies mat law
and business custom allow without ever
feeling an Obligation to ask whe.he- law
and business custom hive gradually cie-
ated for certain factors in bu siutss an ar
titit isl advantage which u ohivalrous man
would hate to employ. At II e same time,
capitalism is the spirit which de'noraiizse
trvbody at the otEer end OF tire indus
ITIbI slle, anu btlhs u e Joy Va WI N Aheo
Theory and practice of shirs.
Z. This capitalism. this ll'ndgod OF
our Irss.pt civilization, turns capitalists
from the chic. servants into the ierrors
Of civilization | cannot Imagine wotla
in which | could bc content TO live X the
element Of comie'i ION Were thrown out;
hut given in the !. ad srs or competition
dnmir eer'rg aim 10 ulle up profits, anu
withal power of lsS and custom to
maze business run to profits, with min
iinum OF re- ard to pe rslI 5. and you have
no condition in which ruthlt ;ness is
policy and disregard of humanity Is vir-
tue. In q Campailn on such lines no SIN
Y le competitor has my otoice about u g
practice of fire sentiments. Each must
defend him self against all the RIAL or I'M
agined advantage taking Of an tie rest,
and reduce the human tst'mae In the
whole affair to the very love 50 tern :.
5. Under thn dominance II capitalism
the scourge of trusts has become the
most serious menace which men OF affairs
have faced since the Huns Dit s5ended upon
WESTERN civilization. ] Il rot now it,
dulging in ABSTRACT theo'iling. Nor am
rstai ing the cant of political and profess
sional opuotition to trusts. am simply
putting into words the symptoms ttat
dis over in the minds of business men
ht mselves. as we'll m among theorists.
Inc trust il like TIRE a. good servant, but
a .ai mas er. 10 n society OF iss-orosted
" h trusts that snow no law except that
w. ich i have called the spiIi. of ospi tai
ism, nobody is free, least Of al tho trusts
tt'n Ives The sugar Trust no more
relishss dio,ation from ST sel trust or u
railrcad conf iue than IT. does from car
nen ter S union There is, of course, n
permanent senss in wi len freelom is an
Impossible idea. All INDUSTRY Is neces.a-
rity dependent upon and interlaced with
all other industry. The sting OF the pres
emit situation is that these natural de-
pendsnciss have been complicated and
arr iticiaiizsd by invention OF arbitrary
de tendencies, all dictated not by the har
monies of industry hut by the demon Of
Cal iGalism.
What shalI we do about il? This is an
other story and too long to he begun
after all that have said, II were
pessimist, should vex INV soui with these
tbirgs in quiet and silercs, with all res
i gnation that could muster. i believe
however, In the progressive triumph OF the
better in this world, ard consequently
wisdom seems to me- to consist in opening
our eyes to the facts just ms they ara. anu
IN adjusting ourselves TO them ike men.
IL l did not hsiieve men capable OF md
ing ways 10 remedy evi ills, ard OF apply
ing them SO that there would be pro
grenssive adjustment to changing condi-
tons, should abandon sociology, and Try
to befool myself wi, h esoteiic Buddhism.
men have been SOWING nara
human problems all through history. how
ever. and human virility Is not exhausted
yet. No man In the world is wise enough
to map out programme for any great
distance ahead. II We can lind out few
things TO do in our generation, next gen.
eration's men will doubtless be able ID
lind out the few mora things that they
can do. and the march of progress will
never come to complete halt. From the
social philosophers point of view, the
most rational thing In anv situation Ia
and fearlessly TO face the facts of
that situation. 1t is puerile to try TO
parry the facts by haunting the man who
voices them with ''pessimism. The first
thing to be done is frankly and freely to
that we want to get out of
1t. Men are never SO we'll of as when
they have problems, except when they
have taken the next stop of acknowledge
ing ths problems, and of teckling them
like men. l believe l am speaking not
merely for the theorists. but for tho
strongest and bravest and most clear.
headed and practical OF our American
business men, when Icandidly formulate
the situation and publish the fact that
judicially minded men ARE doing their
best TO al lust their conditions to its de-