The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-12-03

should be made an offense against
the law Of nations, like piracy and THAI
form of man-stealing known as the
slave trade; for Il is of far blacker In
fanny than either. II should be so de-
clared by treaties among all civilized
powers. Such treaties would give to
the Federal Government the power Of
dealing with the crime.
grim commentary upon the folly
of the anarchist position was afforded
by the attitude of the law toward this
very criminal who had just taken the
life of the President. The people
would have torn him limb from limb
II 1t had not been that the law he de-
fed was at once invoked I'm his behalf.
So far from his deed being committed
on behalf of the people against the
Government the Government was
Obliged at once to exert its full police
power to save him from instant death
at the hands of the people. Moreover.
his deed worked not the slightest dis
location In our governmental SYSTEM
! and the danger of a recurrence OF such
| deeds, no matter how great It might
/ grow, would work only I'm the direction
of strengthening and giving harshness
| to the forces of order. No man will
|
President by any fear as to his per
sonal safety, If the risk to the Presi
| dents life became great It would mean
| that the office would more and more
come to be filled by men OF a. spirit
which would make them resolute and
merciless in dealing with every friend
of disorder. This great country will |
not fall into anarchy and If anarchists |
should ever become a serious menance
to its institutions, they would not |
merely be stamped out but would in |
Volve I'm their own ruin every active or |
passive sympathizer with their doc
trines. The American people are slow
to wrath but when their wrath is once
lindled II burns like n consuming
flame.
The Nation Prosperous.
During the last Ave years business
confidence has been restored and the
nation is to be congratulated because
of its present abounding prosperity.
Such prosperity can never be created
by law alone, although II is easy
enough to destroy IL by mischevous
laws. II the hand OF the Lord is heavy
upon any country, II flood or drought
comes, human wisdom is powerless to
avert the calamity. Moreover, no law
can guard us against the consequences
of our own folly. The men who are
idle or credulous, the man who seek
gains not by genuine work with head
or bands but by gambling In any form,
are always a source Of menace not only
to themselves but TO others If the
business world loses it's head, Il loses |
what legislation cannot supply. Funda-
mentally the welfare OF each citizen,
and therefore the welfare OF the aggre-
gate OF citizens which makes the Ma
tion, must rest upon individual thrift |
and energy a resolution and intelli-
gence. Nothing can take the place OF
this individual capacity: but wise leg
lslation and honest and intelligent ad-
can give It the fullest
scope, the largest opportunity to work
to good effect
Serious Social Problems.
The tremendous and highly complex
Industrial development which went on
with ever accelerated rapidity during
the latter half of the Nineteenth Cent
ury brings us face TO face at the be-
ginning of the Twentieth with very
serious social problems The old
laws and the old customs which had
almost the binding force of law, were
once quite sufficient 10 regulate the ac- ,
and distribution Of wealth. I
Since the industrial changes which q
have 50 enormously increased the pro- ,
luctive power OF mankind they are nc {
longer sufficient. !
The growth of cities has gone on be- {
yond comparison faster than the B
growth of the country and the up \
building OF the great Industrial centers I
has meant a startling Increase not {
merely In the aggregate OF wealth,
but I'm the number OF very large indi- !
yidual, and especially of very large !
corporate fortunes The creation Of I
these great corporate fortunes has not
been due TO tariff nor to any other I
action but to natural I
causes in the business world, operating /
in other countries as they operate I'm I
our own The process has aroused (
much antagonism, great part OF q
which As wholly without warrant IL {
Is not true that as the rich have grown +
richer, the poor have grown poorer I
on the contrary never before has the Y
average man, the wage worker, the
farmer. the small trader been so well 4
off as in this country and at the a
time. There have been abuses {
/
wealth; vet Il remains true that a 4
fortune accumulated In legitimate y
business can be accumulated by the [
person specially benefited only on con- v
Hilton OF conferring immense Incidental /
benefits upon others Successful enter 6
prise, OF the type which benefits all {
can only exist IL the condi- I
ions are such as TO offer great prizes 4
rs the rewards OF success.
The captains OF industry who have f
iriven the railway systems across this c
continent, who have built up our COM
nerce, who have developed our manu- [
actures. have on the whole done great 1
yood 10 our people. Without them the [
Material development OF which We are [
10 Justly proud can never have taken ;
,lace. Moreover we should recognize \
he immense importance TO this mate [
tai development OF leaving as unham- [
,ered as rs compatible with the public 4
rood the strong and forceful men upon o
whom the success OF business opera [
ions inevitably rests. The slightest e
indy OF business conditions Will sat N
sfy any one capable of forming v
Judgment, that the personal equation is
he most important factor In busl- 4
,ess operation; that the business abil- 4
~ of the man at the head Of any busi- n
less concern, big or little, Is usually 5
he factor which fixes the gulf between n
striking success and hopeless failure. T.
An additional reason for caution In s
lealing with corporations Is 10 Dc r.
ound in the international commercial
.onditions OF today. The same busl- G
a.