The Washington times., 1901-10-26
No War Upon Capital.


III late speech Colonel Kilbourne,
Democratic candidate foc the gov
ernorship OF Ohio, laid especial enHha-
sis upon the fact that the party for
which he stands is not the enemy Of
capital legitimately employed. This
was both timely and proper. No politi-
cal organization can afford to assume
an attitude of hostility to wealth. and
none should desire to do so. There are
few really good and deserving men
who have no ambition for the accumu-
lation of riches. Some of these are de-
voted to religious pursuits, others are
in the field of educational work, and
some are deep in the mysteries of
scientific research. But the most of
men are engaged in some business or
calling the Immediate object of which
well being.
Every business man, every farmer,
every mechanic, and every laborer who
is not in some way mentally or NOR
ally degenerate is working for the ac-
QUESTION of those things which the
world calls wealth" the extent of
mems ambition with respect to this
matter varies with their dispositions,
their environments, and the opportuni-
tres which seem to present themselves
What is riches TO one man may appear
almost like poverty to another, but each
in his way and according to circum-
stances is seeking for more and more
1t is impossible to draw an arbitrary
line and say that no man shall accumu-
late more than so much. The moment
such a thing is done the material prog
ress OF mankind will be at an end.
while the intellectual development of
the human-raee Will be most serious
ly checked. Education and scientific
discovery in the abstract count for very
little. There must be a practical appli-
cation of them along Industrial and
commercial lines in order to make them
of real value
With the advance of scientific discov-
cry and mechanical invention. the
forces of nature are brought 10 the aid
of man in Industrial undertakings.
This means operations upon large
scale, which in turn require large cap
ital. How large it should be allowed to
become in particular case is matter
over which government should attempt
no control. The efforts of the govern
ing power, which in this country Is the
people, should be directed to the pre-
vention of abuses by organized capital,
and should be confined to that end.
Here is the distinction that should be
lratz
eral discussion 1t is obscured. Froza
the language employed by some II
would be inferred that they looked
upon 1t as sin to acquire wealth even
In the fairest and most honorable way,
Others seem TO think that capital
should be given everything that 1t de-
mands, and that an unwillingness to
leges and advantages is In the nature
of communism. Capital Is quite able to
take care OF itself without any govern
mental bolstering. So far as paternal-
ism is to be permitted to influence our
legislation. II should be framed with
reference to the interests of the middle
and poorer classes rather than of those
who already are enormously rich. But
the true rule is so to shape the laws
that they will do equal and exact JUS
tice to all classes alike
Some OF the advocates of reform are
extremists in their views, but this is
largely owing to the exacting nature OF
the demands made by the capitalistic
classes. During recent years it is un-
deniable that wealth has had a tremen-
/ dous hold upon legislation, both State
and national The never ending de-
mand of capital has been for special
privileges and largesses. The argument
has been that If those advantages were
conferred, the benefits would promptly
be distributed among the people gener-
ally. The actual result has been that
while there has been something of a
distribution of benefits, it has been a
very unequal one, and those who were
the direct beneficiaries have always re-
tanned for themselves the lions share.
The political issues of the day do not
| involve any trespass upon the rights of
capital There is no proposition being
made To deprive any person of what
rightfully belongs TO him, or to force a
communistic distribution of wealth.
The war against the trusts does not rest
upon the idea that they must be over
thrown because they represent large
capital. The contention is simply that
they should not be permitted 10 monop-
olize great industries and oppress the
] people by forestalling the markets and
maintaining prices at unjust figures.
More specifically. 1t is urged that these
monopolies should not be artificially
| supported by high protective tariff,
which cuts off all foreign competition
and allows them TO set prices in the
| American market at from twenty to
| fifty per cent above a just and proper