Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-24
A NOTABLE AFTER DINNER
SPEECH.

Speaking of the banquet of the New
York Chamber of Commerce on Tues
day evening the New York Mail and
Express says:
But now and again at the Chamber
of Commerce dinner a voice Is raised
In admonition that there are higher
objects than the acquisition of wealth
and material power, and loftier consid-
erations than establishing safeguards
for business and property"
And this seems to the Mail and EN-
press very wonderful thing, and one
full OF salutary possibilities for the flu
ture, though as matter of fact the
only speaker of the evening who point
ed out that there are higher objects
than the acquisition of wealth" was
minister of the gospel, Bishop Law
renee, of Massachusetts. From the
other speakers of the evening. Post
master General Smith, Senator Depew,
Admiral Barker, John *. Cowen, Judge
Parker, and II. IL. Hanna, there was
no bent that wealth imposes any obll-
cations, or that there are "loftier con-
alterations than establishing safe
canoe of the incident lies not
so much in the voice now and
again raised in admonition," but
in the fact that this should be so
rare as to excite wonder and comment
nor that the members of the New York
Chamber of Commerce should be ex-
pected to grow prosy over the wine of
IL
the weight of their responsibilities; but
it ought not to seem remarkable that
one of them should occasionally recog-
nize that he is a citizen and n man Ia
human being), as we'll as a money
maker; though as a matter of fact,
Bishop Lawrence was a guest, not a
member of the Chamber. Bishop Law
renee stated so we'll Il phase OF contem-
porary development that it is worth Il
careful reading:
II want to speak, however, of that
which l believe to he the most immi-
nent danger to the rights and liberties
OF the American people, | mean the
recognition on the part of any man of
the supposed privileges of great cor
porations, because they are great and
the public service or with their repre-
SentatiVes in a way which is not re-
coSni2cd as honorable on the part of
any private citizen. The missing of
great wealth in corporations has come
TO stay. 1t is a new, Il necessary, and
on the whole n beneficent instrument in
civilization. Like all new machines, it
is dangerous until we know how To
handle 1t. We appreciate too, the
heavy responsibilities that the leaders,
who are trustees for thousands of men
and woman, have TO carry. But neither
our sympathies nor the risk 10 great
properties, nor the curtailment or loss
OF our properties can reconcile us to
dailying with the rights and liberties
of the people. l am not so afraid of
the rich man in politics as l am afraid
of the poor and weak man in politics
and the rich man outside. Gentlemen.
the people, the great common people,
are suspicious that some great corpora
ti0nS and masses of wealth are pro-
tectcd, or their interests advanced, in
ways that are Inconsistent with the
rights of the people. They may have
no material grounds for their suspi-
cionS. but they are suspicious, and so
are many OF you. Civilization cannot
go on where there is n mutual suspi-
cion. and prosperity cannot go on long
while the people feel or think that the
reverence for law by which property
is safeguarded is not upheld"
In saying that "the people are suspi-
cious,' the speaker might have added
that suspicion is met with an intoler-
ance that justines it TO itself, thereby
increasing the difficulties in the way
of any amicable adjustment OF the re-
lations between the corporations and
the mass of the people. 1t is notorious
that wherever popular suspicion has
been met with conciliatory policy on
the part of corporations. it has given
place to fricndliness and good will.
NO RESI- FOR THE WEARY.