Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-09-03

Others from Envy.
President Roosevelt defined his position
on the trust question before 10000 r
sons in Providence, K. L., after having
made a triumphal journey from Hart
ford Conn. BY trusts he explained that
he me mt the great combinations that en-
gage in business in various States and
are in the nature of monopoles. Such
combinations, he said. should be under
tn. control of the general government.
Il the laws were insufficient new ones
should be made, If it was impossible to
make laws to control the combinations
then the cons .itution of the nation should
be changed so as to enable the enacting
of the necessary laws.
The President denied that the poor
people were becoming poorer, but he said
some of the rich were getting to be SO
very wealthy that the amassing of wealth
stood out more plainly man in the earlier
days of the nation. Ee severely criticised
those who rail at corporations or wealthy
men merely from motives of envy. Calm
judgment devoid of rancor was neCes-
sary in settling the trust ques ION, The
whole solution of which he coulo not yet
fathom He wanted the people to S.1
the President and Congress in the eff
forts being made to that end. When all
had been done that law coud do there
would still remain the necessity for char
acter and fair dealing among individuals
before the country would be lid of the
danger of the trust evil.
An ovation which lasted five minutes
was the Presidents greeting when he
arose to speak. He said:
We are passing through a period of great
material prosperity, and such period Is
sure adversely itself to bring NUT
terngS Of discomfort. AT time when most
men prosper somewhat 1t always hap
pens that few men prosper greatly. and
1t Is as true now as it was when the Tower
of Sloan fell upon all who were under
It. that good fortune does not come only to
the just nor BAD fortune only to the unjust
When the weather is good for crops II is
also good for weeds Moreover, not only
do the wicked flourish when the times are
such that most men flourish, but, what is
worse the spirit Of envy and Jealousy ana
hatred springs up in the breasts of those
who, though they may be doing fairly well
themselves, yet see Others who are 20
more deserving doing far better
Wise laws and fearless and upright ad-
ministration Of the laws can give the OPP
portunity for such prosperity as we see
~
When the conditions have been created
which make prosperity possible, then each
Individual man must achieve 1t for himself
by his own thrift, intelligence, energy, m
duStry and resolute purpose. IL when peo-
pie wax fat they kick. as they have been
prone to do since the days of Jeshurun, they
will speedily destroy their own prosperity.
If they go into wild speculation and lose
their heads, they have lost that which
legislation 1an supply, and The business
world will suffer In consequence. If In
spirit of sullen envy they insist upon pull
ing down those who have profted most
by the years of fitness. they will bury
themselves in the crash of common disas-
ter. 1t is difficult to make our material
conditions better by the best laws, but 1t is
easy enough by bad laws to throw the
whole Nation into an abyss of misery
Now, the npshot of all this is that 1t Is
peculiarly incumbent upon us in time of
such material well-being. both collectively
nation and individually, each in his
own account to show that we possess the
qualities of prudence selfknowledge and
self-restraint In our government we need
above all things stability. hXity of economic
policy while remembering that this hXity
must not be inability to shape our course
anew TO meet the shifting needs of the peo-
pie as these needs arise. There are real
and great evils in our social and economic
life. There Is every need of striving In all
possible ways, individually and collectively.
by combinations among ourselves In private
life. and through the recognized organs of
government, for the cutting out of these
evils Only let us be sure that we do not
would make 1t more dangerous to the pa
tient than to the disease.
Accumulation of Fortunes.
One of the dangers of the tremendous
industrial gcowth of the last generation has
been the very great Increase in large pri-
waite, and especially In large corporate, for
tunes We may like this or not, just as we
please, but this is n fact nevertheless; and
Hs far as we can see ii is an inevitable re-
suit of the working of various causes prom
inent among which has been the immense
Importance steam and electricity have as
sumed In modern life
Ii is not true that the poor people have
grown poorer, but some of the rich have
grown very much richer that where null
titudes Of men are herded together in
limited space the contrast strikes the on
locker as more violent than formerly. ON
the whole. our people earn more and live
better than ever before, and the progress
of which we are proud could not have
taken place had 1t not been for the great
upbuildtng of industrial centers. such
our commercial and manufacturing cities
But. together ~ til the good. there has come
a measure OF evil Life is not so simple
It was, and surely both for the indi
Vidual and the community the simple life
Is morally the healthy life There is not
in the cities the same sense of common un-
DERIVING brotherhood which there is stil
IN country localities, and the lines of social
cleavage are far more clearly marked
For some of the evils which have at
tended upon the changed conditions we
can at present see no complete remedy
For others the remedy must come by the
action OF men themselves IN Iheir private
capacity. whether merely as individuals or
by con- bnatiOn one with another. For yet
others, some remedy can be found In leg
islativc action national, State or munici-
pal Much of the complaint against comhi-
nations is entirely unwarranted. Under
present day conditions it Is as necessary
10 have corporations in the business world
IL Is to have organization among wage
workers. But we have Il right to ask in
each case that they shall do good and not
harm. Exactly rs labor organizations.
when managed intelligently and In a spirit
of justice and fair play Of very great
service, not only to the wage workers,
but to the whole community. the his
tory Of many labor organizations has con
o,Isvely shown, wealth, not merely In
diyidual. but corporate, when used Alright.
IS not merely a benefit to the community
as Il whole. but indispensable to the up
building Of the country, under the condi-
tiaIs which AZ present the country has
grown not only to accept. but to demand,
tritc even to state II, and yet If are 70
against, and 8ttacks mac upon wealth as
such. IL Is fact worth keeping In mind.
Proper Use of Wealth.
treat fortune. II not used Alright. makes
rs possessOr In peculiar sense men
ace 10 the community as whole. just as
great intellect does IL IL is not accoIapanitl
ty developed conscience. by character. But
obviously this no more affords grounds fl-
DEFINING intellect. Every man Of power
by the very fact o. that power. is capable
o. doing damage 10 his neIghbors. nut we
can l0r AFFORD - discourage The da~aIon-