The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-08-30

less, and as far as we can see Ii is an
inevitable result of the working of various
causes, prominent among which has been
the immense Importance steam and cleo
tricity have assumed in modern life.
TT is not true that the poor people
have grown poorer. but some of the rich
have grown so very much richer that
where multitudes of men are herded to-
gether in a limited space the contrast
strikes the onlooker as more violent thai
formerly. On the whole, our people earn
more and live better than ever before,
and the progress of which we are so
proud could not have taken place had 1t
not been for the great upbuilding of in
dustrial centers such as our commerclai
and manufacturing cities But together
with the good, there has come measure
of evil Life is not so simple as II was,
and surely both for the individual and
the community the simple life is morally
the healthy life. There is not In the
cities the same sense OF common under
living brotherhood which there is still in
country localities, and the lines OF soclal
cleavage are far more clearly marked
For some of the evils which nave at
tended upon the changed conditions We
can at present see no complete remedN.
For others the remedy must come Dy
the action of men themselves In thelr
private capacity, whether merely as III
dividuals or by combination one with an
be found in legislative and executive sc-
ton, national. state or municipal. Much
of the compliant against combinations Is
entirely unwarranted. Under present day
conditions it is as necessary to have cor
Dorations in the business world as II is
to have organization among wage-Work-
ers But we have a right to ask in each
case that they shall do good and not
harm Exactly as labor organizations
when managed intelligently and In spirit
Of Justice and fair-play. are of very great
service not only to the wageeworkers'
b,,+ 70 tbe whole community. as the mis-
tory of many labor organizations mas con-
clusivelv shown so wealth, not merely
Individual, but corporate, wheh useu
Alright is not merely benent TO the conf
rnunity as a whole, but Indispensable 10
the upbuilding of the country under the
conditions which at present the country
has grown not only to accept, but TO ue-
mand. as normal. This is so obvious that
1t seems trite even to state IT, anu YET IL
we are to judge from some OF the arsu-
ments advanced against, and attacks mace
upon, wealth as SUCH it Is fact worth
keeping in mind.
"A great fortune, If not used Alright,
makes it's possessor in a peculiar sense
a menace to the community as Whole'
Just as a great intellect does II IL IS NOT
accompanied by developed conscience py
character But obviously this no more
than it does for condemning intellect
Every man OF power by the very fact OF
that power is capable of doing damage
to his neighbors. but we cannot afford 20
discourage the development OF such men
, merely because il is possible they may
use their power to wrong ends. II we ava
SO. we should leave our history blank,
| for we should have no great statesman.
soldiers or merchants, no great men oI
arts orators or of science. Doubtless on
| the average the most useful nam 10 MS
| fellow citizens is apt to be he to whom
| it has been gwen what the psaimist
prayed for, neither poverty nor riches,
| hut the great captain of industry. the
man of wealth who alone or in combira
ton with his fellows. drives through orr
great business enterprises, is factor
without which this country could not pos
sibly maintain its present Industrial posi-
tion in the world. Good not harm, nor
naIly comes from the piling up OF wealth
through business enterprises. Probably
the most serious harm resulting to u.s.
the people of moderate means, is When
we harm ourselves by letting the dai
and evil vices of envy and hatred tow
ards our lellows eat into our natures.
/ 'StiII there is other harm of a more
evident kind, and such harm it is our
clear drty to try to eradicate If possible
and in any event to minimize. The COZ
| porations, and therefore those great cor
norations containing. some tendency TO
monopoly, which we haze grown 10
sreak of rather loosely as trusts. are the
creatures OF the State and the State not
only has the right to control them out
/ (Continued on page 3D.
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