Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1902-12-06
His Annual Communication Upon Questions
Of Importance to the Nation.
VIEWS ON THE TRUSTS AND TARIFF
Lowering of Import Duties Would Not Remedy the
Evils of Monopoly Believes in a Tariff Conn
rnission-Much That Is Good in Labor
Unions and Corporations
Needs of the Nation.

To the Senate and House of Representa-
lives: We still coEtinue in a period of
not the creature of law, but undoubtedly
the laws under which we work have been
instrumental in creating the conditions
which mace IL possible, and by unwise leg
islation IL would be easy enough TO destroy
II. There will undoubtedly be periods of
depression. The wave wilfreceoe; but the
tice will advance. This nation is seated on
a continent thanked by two great oceans:
1t is composed OF men the descendants Of
pioneers, or in a sense, pioneers them
selves; OF men winnowed out from among
the nations OF the OLD world by the energy,
holiness, ard love of adventure found in
their own eager hearts. Such alton,
tune.
AS a people we have played a large part
In the world. and we are bent upon making
our future even larger than the past In
Se tee Gsess Of The last four yeaPs
Tor veal, our place must be great among
the nations. We may either faI greatly
Or or succeed greatly: but we cannot avoid sI
ure or great success must come. Even If
We would, we cannot play a small part.
Would be that we should pia% a large part
lgnobly and shamefully.
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
ual average OF our citizenship. Great
fortunes have been won by those who
have taken the lead in this phenomenal
Industrial development, and most of these
fortunes have been won not by doing
evil, but an incident to action which
has benefited the community as a whole.
Never before has material well-being
been so widely diffused among our peo-
pie. Great fortunes have been accum-
ulated. and yet in the aggregate these
fortunes are small indeed when com
pared to the wealth of the people
whole. The plain people better off
than they have ever been before. The
insurance companies which prac-
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
paid wage workers in this country now
than ever before in our history. OF course.
when the conditions have favored the
growth of much that was good, they
have also favored somewhat the growth
of what was evil. 1t is eminentIy neces-
sary that should endeavor to cut out
this evil. but let us keep n due sense of
proportion let us not in fixing our gaze
upon the lesser evil forget the greater
good. The ills are real and some of
outgrowth. not of misery or decadence,
but of prospeFity-of the progress of our
gigantic industrial development. This
industrial development must not be
checked, but side by side with it should
go such progressive regulation as will
diminish the evils. We should fail in
our duty If did not try to remedy the
evils, but we shall succeed only if we
proceed patiently. with practical common
sense as well as resolution, separating
the good from the bad and holding on to
the former while endeavoring to get rid
of the latter.