The Portland daily press., 1900-09-04

they are part, may steadily move onward
and upward. The idler, rich or poor,
is at best a useless and is generally al
noxious member of the community. TO
whom much has been given from him
much is rtghtfully expected; and heavy
burden OF responsibility rests upon the
man OF means TO justify by his actions
the social conditions which have rendered
it possible for him or his forefathers to &C
cumulate and to keep the property he en-
Joys, He is not to be excused If he does
not render full measure OF service to the
state and community at large There are
many ways In which this service can be
rendered; in art, in literature, IN ph1lan-
thOrpy, as a statesman or as soldier;
but in some way he is in honor bound to
render 1t, so chat benefit may accrue to
mis- brethren who have been less favored
by fortune than he has been. In Short he
self but for others Ii he does not work
he falls not only in his duty to the rest
of the community but he fails signally
in his duty to himself.
We must all learn the two lessons; the
lesson OF self help and the lesson Of giving
help to and receiving help from our
brother. There is not man of US who
does not sometimes slip; who does not
sometimes need helping hand and, woe
to him who, when the chance comes,
fails to stretch out that helping hand.
Yet though each man can and ought
You'd redemption If he becomes SO depend
emit upon outside help that he feels that
his own 6XertfOns are secondary. ANY
man at times Will stumble, and 1T is then
our duty to lift him up and set him on
his feet again; but no man can be perma-
pently carried, for II he expects to be car
rled, he shows that he is not worth carry
ing.
The one fact which all of US need to
keep steadily before our eyes is the need
] J. Il, Il
promise If good work is to be done
whether in the industrial or in the politi-
cal world. Nothing DOES more to prOmpb
mental dishonesty and moral 1nsincer1ty
than the habit either OF promising the
impossible, or OF demanding the perform
ance of the impossi BILE; or finally of failing
to keep a promise that has been made;
and it makes not the slightest difference
whether it is promise made on the
stump or off the stump. Remember that
there are two sides to the wrong thus
committed. There is first the wrong
OF failing to keep a promise made, and In
the next place there is the wrong of de-
mand1ng the impossible, and therefore
forcing or permitting weak or unscrupul-
Gus men to make promise which they
either know, or should know, cannot be
kept N 0 small part OF our troubles In
dealing with many Of the greatest social
! questions such as the sO-called labor
question, the trust question, and others
like them, arise from these two attitudes.
We can do a good deal when we under
take sOberly to do the possible. When we
undertake the impossible we too often
fail to do anything at ALL The success 0
the law for the taxation of franchises re
Gently enacted in New York State,
measure which has resulted in putting
upon the assessment books nearly two
hundred million dollars worth of proper
ty which had heretofore escaped taxation,
is an illustration OF how much can be &C
cOmpltshed when effort is made along
sane and sober lines, with care not to
promise the impossible, but to make per-
Torrance square with promise, and with
insistance on the fact that honesty is
never one sided, and that In dealing
with corporations it is necessary both to
DO to them and to exact from them full
and complete justice. The success Of this
effort made in resoIute but also a tenn
perate and reasonable spirit shows what
can be done when such a problem is ap-
preached IN a sound and healthy manner.
1t offers a striking contrast to the COM
plete breakdown of the species OF crude
and violent antitrust legislation which
has been so often attempted and which
has always failed, because of its very
crudeness and violence to make any i'm
preston upon the real and dangerous
evils which have excited just popular
resentment.
ssHe was followed by Charles A. Towne,
Samuel Alschuler, Democratic candi-
date for governor OF nliois, Richard
Yates the Republican gubernatoriaI
committee, William e. Mason. Mayor
hose of Milwaukee, Mayor Harrison of
Chicago, r. M. Patterson and P. j.
O'DonnelI. Colonel Bryan concluded
the speech making. He said:
The first thing to be considered is the
IabOring man am billions; what are his
aims and his purposes; for what IS ne
striYing2 The animal needs only food
and shelter because he has nothing but
a body to care for; but man wants
aPs more numerous. The animal COM
plains when it is hungry, and is content
ed when its hunger is appeased; but man,
made in the image of his Creator, is a
three-fold being and must develop the
head and the heart as we'll as the body.
He is not satisfied with mere physical
existence; neither will he be content
unless ali avenues Of advancement are
open to him His possibilities must be
unlimited as his aspirations.
In other countries and other civiliza-
tions men have been condemned by
birth to particular occupation, place or
caste; in this country, each man, how
ever or wherever born, can strive Tor the
highest rewards in business, state or
church, and these avenues Of advance
meut must be kept open.
Il No civilization can be considered per-
rect which does not plant hope in the
breast of every child born into the world;
the nearer we approach to this ideal, the
better is our civilization. Those who
complain of existing conditions, cannot
BE- put aside as disturbers of the peace.
10 seek remedy for every fault OF gov
eminent is more patriotic Than to profit
by bad systems and then frown down all
criticisms. There should be no antagon-
ism between those engaged in the various
occupations, and there viii be none
when all recognize the mutual obliga-
tions (Which are due between citizens.
Our desire should be. not to separate the
people into warning factions, but to
bring them into better acquaintance and
greater sympathy with each other. The
enmIUy which the poor some times feel
toward the rich and the contempt which
the rich sometimes manifest toward the
DOOR would be ayoided If each knew the |