The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-12
PROBLEMS OF THE TIME
THOUGHTFULLY \ FORCIBLY DIS
UsSED BY VI. r.. INGALLS,.
New Possessions Must Not he Made
Labor Question and the Trusts.

l.. Railway Company. discusses some OF TIE
| problems of the time in a paper entitled "A
Glance at the Opening Pages of the Twen-
| tieth Century" Through the courtesy of
the editor of Social Service. Mr.. A. IL Mat
tox, the journal is enabled 10 present Mr..
Ingalls's paper in fun below:
At the opening of this new century po-
litical events and business conditions are
! crow6ing each other so fast that many of
us stop and wonder what is 10 happen next
New developments, new methods. new con-
ditions, new obligations, are upon us. To
many the clouds in the horizon have an
angry look and they fear for the future of
the Nation. While we may not share their
fears, We certainly agree that our safety
depends upon the virtue and integrity OF
our citizens, and ii is just as we'll to look
the situation over and make up our own
minds as 10 what should be done to meet
the danger. If there is any. In fact, there
is nothing better for an individual or a
community than to stop and think.
We rush along in our mad race. especially
in this great country of ours, without much
thought or consideration. To many people
the close of the nineteenth century and the
opening of the twentieth is not full OF
promise for the higher ideals of life; 1t
seems TO them that everything is being
sacrificed to the desire of getting rich; that
a discount, and the world only thinks of
who will win i'm the race of piling up mil
lions 1t is certainly time for serious
the ways; we have crossed the Rubicon.
! Hitherto we have been a nation in isola-
ton. a law unto ourselves, but fast ships.
cables. the intercourse of people. the de-
mands of commerce.. circumstances over
which we had no control. have forced us
from this position and we stand forth to-
day full-grown and compelled to take our
shares of the responsibilities of the world.
1t may be that this could have been
avoided, but have never seen how. 1t has
appeared 10 mt more like fulfilling the UNI
written law of the world by which civiliza-
| ton has developed from east to west. For
| mora than 4l0 wears ifs nrOOraSS has hnpn
steady, and | cannot see how We could stay
the tide or escape our share of responsible
ity in carrying out the law OF life and full
filing our destiny, even if we were so dis
posed.
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
In any event the crisis is upon us. Our
fleets and armies are in the Orient; we are
in possession OF new lands and countries;
We stand, as 1t were. sponsor for all the
| republics and nations of North and South
America. When President Cleveland took
his stand in the Venezuelan case and the
country supported him we were committed
TO certain duties and responsibilities in
reference to all of our neighbors. and we
| cannot get away from them. The Span
ish war and subsequent negotiations pla laced
on us the burden of controlling and de-
yeloping other countries.
At the same time, when the burden of
these obligations is pressing us We find
ourselves confronted with a further serious
question, which is continually raised and
tween capital and labor. The OrganiZa-
ton of the most immense trusts or corpo-
front. Certainly there are grave issues to
be settled by us as a people and as a ma
ton. Are we prepared TO assume all these
manage them and still maintain our Re-
public. still preserve "a government of the
people, for the people and by the people? ?"
] am simply suggesting these questions
which are being discussed at every fireside
and in every home in this country. and
which must be considered by every citizen
and by all political parties. | am an OPP
timist and believe We shall survive ali
dangers and preserve our Republic, but il
and carefully consider the best methods
of meeting them.
FOREIGN POSSESSIONS.
Politically we are weak. The "solid
South" and our great cities are menaces 10
our stability. The political ascendency of
one party by as large a majority as we
have had for some years is an element of
danger. The safest condition for a republic
is to have two parties, strong and evenly
divided; then neither side will go very far
wrong for fear of the opposition.
The great danger as to our foreign pos
sessions is that with no colonial policy we
shall drift along until in a fatal hour we
will admit these different countries and
ldilu 10 ltlIllOIltS. d0u tnen III Is so
easy TO make them States Then where
will your Republic be. when Presidents are
elected by votes in Cuba. Porto Rico. Ha-
wall and the Philippines? You NAV say
that this can never be: that / am assuming
an impossibility, but let me assure you that
the danger is already with us.
Hawaii has been admitted as a Territory.
and if by chance some party in power
should conclude that 1t needed an electoral
vote, it is very easy to admit it as q State,
and then your presidential election may be
\ decided i'm H0nnll1n nn Hrcov " that
the Republic Will last under such a condi-
ton as that?
Our mistake will be if we drift along
without providing safeguards against the
danger that / have alluded to. We should
at once provide by constitutional provisions
that no State could be admitted to this
Union unless ii was composed of contigu-
Gus and adjoining territory. This would
cut out Cuba. Porto Rico, Hawaii and the
Philippines. Then we should create a sys-
tenn OF colonial government-or a protec-
tOrate, as you please-SO that we may hold
our trade and m in the Caribbean
sea, on the Pacific and in the Orient. For
the sake of extending our trade we cannot
trifie with the life of a republic.
LABOR is STEADILY WINNING.
Is there danger in the future from the
great business combinations that are now
being made-from the trusts? You hear il
on every street corner. At every gathering
men are inquiring and discussing it. Has
the struggle between capital and labor ac-
tualy commenced and is the conflict ire
pressible? My observation I'm the last
twenty-five years has been that labor has
steadily won and capital lost i'm the strue-
gle which always exists more or less The
compensation of labor has constantly risen
the cost of the necessities of life has de-
creased. On the other hand. the earnings
OF capital have grown less and less each
year. and the responsibility and trouble of
keeping it employed has increased The
rate of interest in this country - oil,
about one-half what ii was TWENTY-FIVE
years ago. A citizen who retired from
business then and decided to live on his
income is to-day i'm comparatively Door cir
cumstances. In other words. If he has stood
still he has seen the interest upon his cant
tai cut in two. while his expenses have Al
the best stood still.
Capital has been able to exist and in
crease only when IL has been actively en-
ployed. and If ii has been active il has had
to employ labor in order to exist Our la "
Of equal distribution of estates and the
prevention of entails ~scatters wealth. About
the only large estate in this country TODAY
that j recall. which Will not be separated
and divided among heirs. is Carnegie's. and
II looks as though he might divide that w
himself. 1t is rarely that large estates last
long in a republic. Children left with large
wealth soon dissipate il. The saying tina
II Is only three generations from the mil.
honaire 10 the clerk i'm shirt sleeves Is gen.
orally true. and 1t is well for society ane
for the Nation that il il true.
CONTROL OF TRUSTS
Has the danger TO labor increased by Ia,
organization OF the vast combinations al
to-day? The trust is no new danger. II !,