The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-04

The growth OF cities has gone on be-
J Fond comparison faster Than the growth
/ IF the country, and the upbuildlng Of the
/ great industrial Ceuters mas meant 2
/ startling increase not merely IN - az,
! sregate Of wealth. but N the nlill..ser ol
| fery large Individual and especially or
/ fery large corporate fortunes The crea-
| ion of these great corporate fortunes
&, las not been due 10 the tariff nor 10 any
! 1ther governmental action, but 10 natur-
/ Il causes in the business world, operat-
J ng in other countries as they operate IN
/ )ur own.
! The process has aroused much antago-
lisTn a great part OF which is wholly
Without warrant. 1t is not true that as
he rich have grown richer the poor have
grown poorer On the CONTRARY never be-
I ore has the average man, me wage
worker the farmer, the small trader,
I seen so we'll OF as n this country and
at the present time. There nave been
| Lbuses connected with the accumulation
/ ~ wealth, yet II remains true mat Tor
.uae accumulated in legitimate business
an be accumulated by the person spe-
I sIaIly benefited only on condition Of con-
.erring immense incidental benefits upon
others. Successful enterprise OF the type
which benefits ali mankind can only eX-
st II the conditions are such 3 5 10 offer
great prizes as the rewards Of success.
Deal with Caution.
The captains OF Industry who have driy-
IN the railway systems across this CONT
nent, who have built up our commerce,
, who have developed our manufactures,
have on the whole done great good TO our
people. Without them the material oeVel-
opmsnt of which we are so justly proud
could never have taken place. Moreover,
we should recognize the immense impOr-
lance to this material oeye-opmen NJ Of
leaving as unhampereo as IS compatible
with the public good the strong and force
ful men upon whom me success OF busl-
ness operations inevitably rests Inc
slightest study Of business conditions VIII
satisfy anyone capable Of forming
judgment that the personal equation IS
The most important FACTOR In business
operation: that the business ability Of the
man at the head Of any business concern,
big or little, Is usually the factor when
fixes the gulf between striking success and
hopeless failure.
ing with corporations is to be found in the
International commercial conditions OF to-
day. The same business conditions which
have produced the great sggrega tons OF
corporate and individual wealth have
made them very potent factors IN inter
national commercial competition. Bust
ness concerns which have the largest
means at their disposal and are managed
by the ablest men are naturally those
which take the lead IN the strife for com
mercial supremacy among the nations OF
the world. America has only Just begun
10 assume that commanding position IN
the international business world which
We believe VIII more and more be hers. II
is Of the utmost Importance that this pO-
sition be not jeoparded. especially at time
when the overlooking abundance OF our
own natural resources and tn. skill bust
ness energy and mechanical aptitude Of
our people make foreign markets essen
tial. Under such conditions Il would be
most unwise 10 cramp or 10 fetter the
youthful strength Of our nation.
Careful Legislation Needed.
Moreover, it cannot too often be pointed
out that TO strike with ignorant violence
al the interests of one set OF men almost
inevitably endangers the interests of all
The fundamental rule in our national life,
the rule which underlies all others. is that
on the whole ana IN the IJng run We shall
go up or down together. There are eXcep-
tions. ana in times of prosperity some VIII
prosper far more and IL tunes Of aGVersi-
~ some VIII suffer far more than others;
but, speaking generally, period OF good
times means that all share more OF less
IN them, and in period Of hard times all
feel the stress to greater or less degree.
1t surely ought not to be necessary 10 en-
ter into any proof or this statement. The
memory OF the lean years which began in
1893 IS still vivid, and We can contrast
them with the conditions in this very year
which is now closing. Disaster to great
business enterprises can never have its ef-
fects limited 10 the men at the top. 1t
spreads throughout, and while il is bad
for everybody, II IS worse for those far
thest Gown. The capitalist may be shOrn
OF his iuXurtes, but the wagewOrker may /
be deprived Of even bare necessities.
The mechanism of modern business Is so /
delicate that extreme care must be taken
not TO interfere with It in 4 spirit Of rash !
ness or ignorance. Many Of those who |
have made It their vocation TO denounce !
the great industrial combinations which !
are popularity. although with technical in !
accuracy, known as trusts" appeal espe- /
cially TO hatred and fear. These are pre-
cisely the two emotions. particularly when (
combined with ignorance. which unfit men I
for the exercise of cool and steady iudg-
ment. In facing rev industrial conditions /
the whole history Of the world shows that |
legislation viii generally be both unwise !
and ineffective unless undertaken after I
calm inquiry and with sober self restraint 1
Much OF the legislation directed at the 4
trusts would have been exceedingly mis-. /
cnlevous had Il not also been entirely IN. |
enectye. In accordance with a well. /
known sociological law the ignorant OF (
reckless agitator has been the really ef.
fective friend of the evils which ne has /
oeen nominatly opposing IN dealing with /
business interests for the government &c
undertake by crude and ill-consfdered leg.
lsl2iion 70 do what may turn out 10 be
pad would be TO incur the risk of such
iar-reaching national disaster that II
"ouia be preferable to undertake nothing
at all The men who demand the limos
slble or the urGesira BILE serve as the allies
Or the forces with which they are rou13-
nally az war. for they hamper those who
~ol!o enCeavor TO find out IN rational
ashion what the wrongs really are and to
"hat extent and IN what manner II is
practicable 70 apply remedies