The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-17
The Land of Opportunity.
T. ANY demonstration were nee

+ ANY demonstration We're needed
" to prove the boundlessness of
opportunity open in the United
Il SUatcs to young men of natural
force ana ambition. without regard to
circumstances of humble origin or early
poverty, il MAS certainly afforded on
Saturday in the exhibition %: intel
lectual fencn. between Hon. Wayne
MacNea2h. Il former attorney general
of the United states. and II Self-made
graduate from the peerless school OF
youthful hardship. and Jchn Mitchell.
the elf-edurnted miner boy who. ut -
years of age. presiHes with manifest
skill and with practically unlimited au-
thority over the largest single organ
ization of wage-earncrs in the world
We doubt that such an exhibition
could have taier place under any other
flag than the American flag. although If
the American invasion continues much
longer ut its present pace throughout
the world. in the world of ideas not
less rapidly than in the world OF COM
merce it may yet become possible even
in autocracies like Russia, where the
self educate of the poor is still looked
upon with suspicion: or fear. And it is
not the least Interesting feature of The
picturesque incident in our court room
on Saturday that the younger man.
having as we think in some respects
the worse of the argument, WAS yet
adroit and resourceful enough to return
good counter for every thrust by the
elder. who is admittedly without
superior at the American bar in the art
OF intellectual cross-eXamina tior. From
this circumstance we infer that Colonel
Bryan's curiously self-fOrgetful so!iCi-
tude for the young man Absalom was
uncaled for and supertiuous. inasmuch
as the contemporary crop Of Yankee
youth appears well qualified to take
care OF itself.
We have serious doubt that either
Mr.. MacNeagh or MI. Mitchell could
have attained the experiences which
they in different ways 50 conspicuously
eXempify had each confined himself in
the lahors OF preparation to an eight
hour day We have no doubt whatever
that in each case the very fact Of early
enforced for selr-heln in the struggle
for existence constituted Il powerful ad-
vantage for both and that had they
been born with a silver spoon the law
might have lost ore Of its most accom-
plished opponents and the cause of labor
unionism one of its most remarkable
and successful generals. This is not
necessarily an argument for poverty as
an endowment of youth; but it is. to
our mind, one of many Indications, in
which history and biography ar" rich,
that there are things OF more import
ancc in the uplifting of the poor than
the mathematics Of agc-coun,ins.
The acuulsitivc side of both labor and
rapital--thdt which causes the one to
scheme iur power often as neglectfully
of the moral law az the other plots for
pelf-is showing itself in very unovcly
fashion these days. Hut though the
clouds blaCken at times there is always
consolation in the reelection that the
men all over our Couutry who have had
the ineslimubla privilege through
American opportunity 10 work their
way upward IN life Notwithstanding
early disadvantages are numerous
enough strong enough and, at bottom,
sensible and sane enough tn save the
moral law from extinction and our
country from permanent danger,