The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-11-01
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that success comes only, to those who
lead the life of cndeavor
FuNDAM Entail LAVE OF WORK.
1t seems to me that the simple ac-
ceptance of this fundamental fact of
american life. this Acknowledgment
that the law of work is the fundamen-
tai law of our being. will help us to
start Alright in facing not few of the
problems that confront us from with
out and from within. AS regards inter
nal affairs. il should teach us the prime
need of remembering that. after all
has been said and done. the chief fac
tor in any mans success or failure
must be his own character-that is, the
sum of his common sense. his courage.
his virile energy apd capacity. Moth
ing can take the place of this individ-
ual factor.
l do not for n moment mean that
much cannot be done to supplement it.
Besides each one of us working ind-
vidually. all.of us have to work togeth-
er. We cannot possibly do our best
how to act in combination as we'll as
how to act each individually for him
self. The acting in combination can
take many forms; but. of course. its
most effective form must be when it
comes in the shape of law-that is, of
action by the community as a whole
through the lawmaking body.
OPPORTUNITY THE GREATEST
GIFT.
But it is not possible ever to insure
prosperity merely by law. Something
for good can be done by law. and bad
laws can do an infinity of mischief;
but, after all. the best law can only
prevent wrong and injustice and give
to the thrifty, the farseeing and the
hardworking n chance to exercise to
the best advantage their special and
peculiar abilities. No hard and fast
| rule can be laid down rs to where our
Legislation shall stop in interfering be-
tween man and man. between interest
and interest.
All that can be said is that IT is high
ly undesirable on the one hand to weak.
| en- individual initiative and. on the 9th
| er hand. that in . constantly increasing
| number of cases we shall find il neces
sary in the future to shackle cunning
as in the past we have sliacllled force.
1t isnot only highly desirable but nee
essary. that there should be Legislation
| which shall carefully shield the inter
ests of wageworkers and which shall
1 discriminate in favor of the honest and
| humane employer by removing the dis
f, advantage under which he stand>
when compared with unscrupulous
competitors who have no conscience
and will do right only under fear OF
punishment. Nor can legislation stor
only with what are termed labor ques
| tions. The vast individual and cor
porate fortunes, the vast combinations
of capital, which have marked the de
velopment of our industrial system
create new conditions and necessitatI
a change from the old attitude of tn,
state and nation toward property. II
is probably true that the large ma
| jority of the fortunes that now exist il
this country have been amassed mo-
by injuring our people, but as an in
cident to the comforting of great benc
fits upon the community. and this NJ
matter what may have been the con
scious purpose of those amasSing them
There is but the scantiest justification
for most of the outcry against the mel
of wealth as such. and it ought to b,
unnecessary to state that any appea
which directly or Indirectly leads t,
which tends to limit opportunity and
therefore. to shut the door of success!
against poor men of talent. and, final
ly, which entails the possibility of law
lessness and violence. is an attack upol
the fundamental properties of Amer;
can citizenship.
Our interests are at bottom common
together. Yet more and more is it evi
dent that the state-and, if necessary
the nation-has got to possess the righ
of supervision and control as regard
the great corporations which are il
creatures. particularly as regards th
great business combinations which de
rive a portion of their Importance from
the existence of sc me monopolistic tend
epcy. The right ghould be exercisel
with caution and self restraint. but
should exist, so that it may be ipvoke'
il the need arises.
IWORLD DUTIES ALSO.
So much for our duties. each to him
! self and each to his neighbor. within
the limits of our own country. But on
| country, as it strides forward wit
ever increasing rapidity TO foremos
place among the world powers. mus
: necessarily find more and more tina
, it has world duties also.
: There are excellent people who be
; lieve that we can shirk these dutie
and yet retain our self respect, bu
, these good people are in error. Othe
( good people seek to deter us from tread
2 ing the path of hard but lofty duty b
: bidding us remember that all nation
that have achieved greatness. that hav
J expanded and played their part a
5 world powers. have in the end paSse
I away. So they have; so have all OIL
c ers. The weak and the stationary hav
D vanished as surely as and more rapid
5 than those whose citizens felt With
y them the life that impels generous soul
e to great and noble effort.
' This is another way Of stating til