Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-12-05

To the Senate and House of Representa-
tlNes: We still continue in IA period of
GLbounded prosperity. This prosperity Is
ihe laws under which we work have been
instrumental In creating the conditions
which mace 1t possible. and by unwise leg
islation IL would be, easy Rough to destroy
i!. There will undoubtedly be periods Of
depression. The wave will re cede; but the
tide will advance. This nation is seated on
=. ortinent fanked by two great oceans:
u Is composed OF men the descendants OF
pioneers. or In sense, pioneers them
selves; on men winnowed out from among
the nations OF the ole world by the energy,
bo,dness and love of adventure found in
their own eager hearts. Such ration. so
piacid. Will surely wrest success from for
tune.
As people we have played a large part
In the world, and we are bent upon making
our future even larger than the past. In
particular. the events of the last four years
have definitely decided that. for woe or
Tor veal, our place must be great among
the nations. We may either fail greatly
or succeed greatly; but we cannot avoid
the enGeavor from which either great fall
ure or great success must come. Even II
we would, we cannot play small part.
If we should try ali that would follow
would be that We should play a large part
ls6obly and shamefuly.
Causes of Prosperity.
No country has ever occupied higher
plane of material well-being than ours
at the present moment This well-being
Is due to no sudden or accidental causes.
but to the play of the economic forces
In this country for over "A century; TO
our laws. our sustained and continuous
policies: above ALL to the high individ-
ual average Of our citizenship. Great
have taken the lead in this phenomenal
industrial development. and most of these
fortunes have been won not by doing
evil. but as an incident to action which
has benefited the community as a whole.
Never before has material well-being
been so widely dffused among our peo-
pie. Great fortunes have been accum-
fortunes are small indeed when COM
pared to the wealth of the people as a
whole. The plain people are better of
than they have ever been before. The
tically mutual benefit soc!eties-especial-
ly helpful to men of moderate means
represent Accommodations of capital which
are among the largest in this country.
There are more deposits in the savings
banks. more owners of farms, more we'll
paid wage workers In this country now
than ever before in ourh history. or course.
when the conditions have favored the
growth of so much that was good, they
have also favored somewhat the growth
Of what was evil. IT Is emnently neces
this evil, but let us keen q due sense of
proportions; let us not In fixing our gaze
upon the lesser evil forget the greater
good. The evils are real and some OF
'uch arr "enacni6, pu' thcs, "'e .hc
outgrowth. not of misery or decadence.
but of prosperity-of the progress of orr
gigantic industrial development. This
industrial development must not be
checked. but side by side with II should
go such progressive regulation as VIII
diminish the evils. We should fail In
our duty II we did not try to remedy the
evils, but we shall succeed only II we
proceed patiently. with practical common
sense as well as resolution. separa ting |
the good from the bad and holding on to |
the former while endeavoring to get rid
of the latter.