Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-12

it Is the merest truism to say that its
absence means ruin. We need to build
a higher life upon 1t as foundation;
but we can build little indeed unless
this foundation of prosperity Is deep
and broad. The well-being which we
are now enjoying can be secured only
through general business prosperity and
such prosperity Is conditioned upon the
energy and hard work, the sanity and
the mutual respect Of all classes Of cap
italists, large and small, Of wage-work-
ers Of every degree. AS is inevitable in
a time Of business prosperity, some men
succeed more than others and 1t Is un-
fortunately also inevitable that when
this is the case some unwise people are
sure to try to appeal to the envy and
jealousy Of those who succeed least. 1t
is a good thing when these appeals
are made to remember that while 1t Is
difficult to increase prosperity by law,
it is easy enough to ruin 1t and that
there Is small satisfaction to the less
prosperous If they succeed in over
throwing both the more prosperous and
themselves in the crash Of common dis
aster.
Every Industrial exposition Of this
type necessarily calls up the thought of
the complex social and economic ques-
tions which are involved in our present
Industrial system. Our astounding ma
terial developments have brought grave
troubles in their train. We cannot af-
ford to blink at these troubles any more
than because Of them we can afford to
accept as true the gloomy forebodings
Of the prophets of evil. There are great
problems before US. They are not in
soluble, but they can be solved only II
we approach them In spirit of reso-
lutte fearlessness, Of common sense and
Of honest intention to do fair and equal
justice to all men alike. We are certain
to fail If we adopt the policy Of the
demagogue who raves against the
wealth which is simply the form Of en-
bodied thrift, foresight and intelli-
gence; who would shut the door Of op-
portunity against those who energy we
should especially foster, by penalizing
the qualities which tell for success.
Just as little can we afford to follow
those who fear to recognize injustice
and to endeavor to cut 1t out because
the task Is difficult or even-if perform
ed by unskilled hands-dangerous.
This is an era Of great combina-
tions, both Of labor and Of capital. In
many ways these combinations have
worked for good; but they must work
under the law and the laws concerning
them must be just and wise or they will
inevitably do evil; and this applies as
much to the richest corporation as to
the most powerful labor union. Our
laws must be wise, sane, healthy con-
ceived in the spirit Of those who scorn
the mere agitator: the mere inciter of
class or sectional hatred: who wish
| justice for all men; who recognize the
need of adhering to the old American
doctrine Of giving the wide"t possible
scope for the free exercise Of individual
initiative and yet who recognize also
that after combinations have reached a
certain stage it Is indispensable to the
general welfare that the nation should
exercise over them, cautiously and
with self-restraint, but firmly, the pow
er Of supervision and regulation.
above all the administration Of the
government, the enforcement Of the
laws must be fair and honest. The
laws are not to be administered either
in the interest Of the poor man or the
interest of the rich man. They are
simply to be administered justly; In
the interest of justice to each man, be
the rich or be he poor-giving immunity
to no violator whatever form the VIOLA
ton may assume. Such Is the obliga-
| tion which every public servant takes,
and to 1t he must be true under penal
lty Of forfeiting the respect both of him
self and Of his fellows"