The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-29
THE PROBLEM OF TODAY.


Frederick ", Seward, in the New York Tribune.
In this republic OF ours We have inherited from
the Old World various problems of politics and
government that tor ages have puzzled its s1Ges
and statesmen. II has been our destiny and duty
to solve in tho New World questions that the
o!d World hiu well night given up in despair.
Flst. had the theories uf monarchy and
aliStouaci, of divine right and dcspotisrn. in
which up to that time all the world had
q,icNccd. Tho carly years of om national life
were devoted to disprovinC them. We con.
signed the whole business of crowns, thrones,
ranks and Titles and privileged classes, with
their tHppIngs and gowgaws, to the lumber
room Of past history 50 TAR as we were con
ccrncd. and substituted for them "A government
by the people, through their representatives, in
which every citizen might share and all have
equal legal rights. SO disposed of problem
No. |.
Then came the question Of land ownership.
The usage in thc Old World had been for the
crown TO grant vast tracts of territory TO court
idvoiitcS. with governmental powers. under
which great landed estates were paroCllcd out
and handed down through successive generations.
tn he worked by tenants and dependents in.
capable of becoming owners. We studied this
problem and gradually reformed the system by
aboli>hing toudal tcnurcs immortal titles, primo
gcnituIc and cntdlcd estates. instead. We en-.
acted that every man, poor or rich might he
come land owner il he chose might have and
hold all tho broad acres he could earn during
his iietimc-hut prohibited him from tying it
mp in pcrpCtuity for his descendants. We knew
that time aud the working of natural laws
would rcdistrihutc it among the community. so
We solved problem No. g
Next came the more complex question of deal.
ing with capital and it4 combinations Men
had ALREADY learned that by cOmbing their en-.
erGes and capital they could accomplish great
enterprises otherwise impossible. The Old World
practice was to allow court favoriirs to organ.
ize chartered companies" having the monopoly
of trade in specified localities at home and
abroad, having also sufficient powers to crush
out all competition and reduce to Suhjcction
the unfortunate inhabitants who came in contaCs
with them. Lycn some OF our colonies were hc.
gun in this way. We studied the problem long
and thoroughly during the nineteenth century
The outcome Nas system Of laws in regard 70
corporations which sought e. retain all their
powers tor doing good and to deprive them ot
their powers FOR doing harm. Its fundamental
principle was that men might freely combine and
organize under general laws 80 that all helds ot
enterprise should he open to competition and
none closed hv monopoly. 4 corporation miLht
acquire hundred mills or thousand miles of
railway, hut any rival corporation could do the
same. Under the salutary system Of state and
| national laws, oar country is advancing by leaps
and hounds IN the path of commercial progrcss
So We have solved problem No. :.
Lastly, have been confronted with the
problem ot labor, its rcldton to capital and
their joint relation n the community at large.
That problem are still Wrestling with. We
began by freeing the lahorcr from all the Old
World tyrannicS and medieval oppression by
docrcciug that he should no longer hc scrf pcon
or slave lie should hc free 10 choose his o,cu.
patton, tree to make contracts 10 work whore
| and how he pleased. Furthermore. we have
decided that he has tho same freedom the
| capitalist to combine and organize with his tCl-
| ow workmcn ior mutual protection and hcncht.
| Rich and poor in America decided, should
| have equal rights and equal protection IN the
| courts
| II is not strange that when news o this as
founding change in tho lahorrr's status reached
Europe newcomers fockcd over here hy the
| thousand to better their condition and to enjoy
| the advantages Of rcpuhlcan freedom.
But with them lattcrly have come some smbi.
| t,orS spirits and plausible mischief makers who
| under the prctonSe Of revealing new doctrines.
| arc trying TO lead men back into Old World
| notions. Chcf among these notions is the i'd "a
| that "lihcrty' means liberty to opprcss some-
| body. They play upon tho 'ahorcr's ignorance
| timidity or crcdulity They tempt him with
| the thought that, being 10 longer oppressed, he
| may turn opprt~sor They teach him method. ~
! tyranny against other workmcn against which
| his better Judgment would revolt. They tell
| him that whle otEc' men are held to their con.
tracts he may break his with mpunity--that his
| personal freedom allows him 70 dcny personal
| freedom to othcro-that lhc right to earn his liv
| ing, which he prizes, Is one that he may deny
| 70 other lihorcls, and that n become a member
| nj an organized "niou" gives him the privilege
| Of stoning or starving those who do not belong
| 10 it, They demand that, instead of exercising
| his rights as a Tree man, he shall submit his
| will and Judgment 10 the "ordors' Of an aris.
| tocricy composed Of grand masters and
| walking dclcsdioS,' and other iunctionsries
| with high sounding MINES
| All these ideas are IN, American and so re.
| rugnant to natural justice that they will find
| no enduring foothold except in minds perry erted
| and dcmorazcd by old World misgovcrnmcnt
| The children ot such "hnd leaders oi the
| blind" will be wiser than their parents Tor they
| will have the benefit 81 American schools and
| newspapers. They will have the opportunity 10
| acquire American common sense and discard for.
| cign fantasies. They will know that the Ameri.
| can miSim Of olive and let live" is the keynote
| of individual and national progress.