The Butte inter mountain., 1903-09-07


"Let the watchwords Of all our people
be the old familiar watchwords of honesty,
decency, fair dealing and common sense.
The qualities denoted by these words are
essential to all of us, as we deal with the
complex industrial problems of today. the
problems affecting not merely the accuniu-
lation but even more the wise distribution
Of wealth. We ask no mans permission
when we require him to obey the law;
neither the permission of the poor man nor
yet of the rich man. Least OF all can the
man of great wealth afford to break tho
law, even for his own financial advantage
for the law is his prop and support, and
it is both foolish and profoundly ui-
patriotic for him to fail in giving hearty
support to those who show that there is i'll
very fact one law, and one law only, alike
for the rich and the poor, for the great
and the small.
Protection Of Property.
Men sincerely interested in the due pro-
lection of property, and men sincerely in
terested in seeing that the jus, rights OF
labor are guaranteed. should alike remcm-
Der not only that in the long run neither
the capitalist nor the wagcworker can he
helped in healthy fashion save by helping
the other: but also that to require either
side to obey the law and its full duty
toward the community is emphatically tol
that sides real interest.
There is no worse enemy of the wage
worker than the man who condoncs mob
violence in any shape or who breaches
class hatred; and surely the slightest ac-
quaintance with our industrial history
should teach even the most short sighted
At.,, .t.. - T,s
people As Il whole. the times when bust
ness is stagnant, and capital suffers from
shrinkagc and gets no return from its in
vcstmcnts. are exactly the times OF hard
ship, and want, and grim disaster among
the poor. If all the existing instrumen-
talities of wealth could he abolished, the
first and severest suffering would come
among those of us who are least well off
at present. The wage worker is well oil
only when the rest of the country is well
off; and he can best contribute to this
general wel-being by showing sanity and
firm purpose to do justice TO others.
GConseTatism.
"In his turn the capitalist who is really
conservative. the man who has fore
thought as well as patriotism, should heart
lily welcome every effort, legislative or
otherwise. which has for its object to Sc,
cure fair dealing by capital, corporate OIL
individual. toward the public and toward
the cmploye. Such laws as the franchise
tax law in this state which the court OF
appeals recently unanimously decided con
stitutional--such a law ms that passed in
congress last year for the purpose OF es-
tablishng department OF commerce and
labor under which there should be bu-
reau TO oversee and secure publicity from
the great corporations which do an inter
state business such law as that passed
al the same time for the regulation OF the
great highways Of commerce so as to keep
these roads clear on fair terms 10 all pro-
ducers in getting their goods TO market
these laws are in the interest not merely
OF the people rs whole, but OF the prop
crticd classes. For in no way is the
stability OF property better assured than
by making il patent 10 people tina;
property bears its proper share of the
burdens Of the state; that property is
handled not only in the interest Of the
owner. but in the interest OF the whole
community
Must Embrace Nation.
"ln other words. legislation to be per-
manently good for any class must also be
good for the nation as a whole. and legis-
lation which does I'M ustice to any class
is certain 10 work harm To the nation.
Take our currency system for example.
This nation is on a gold basis. The treas
ury OF the public is in excellent condition.
Never before has the per capita OF crcuIa-
ton been as large rs it is this day and
this circulation, moreover, is OF money
every dollar OF which is at par with gold.
Now. our having this sound currency sys-
TEN is Of benefit to banks, of course, but
il is OF infinitely more benefit To the peo-
pie as n whole. because OF the healthy effect
on business conditions.
in the same way, whatever is advisable
in the way Of remedial or corrective eur!
rcncy lcgisla,ion-and nothing revolt
tionary is advisable under present condi-
tions-must be undertaken only from the
standpoint OF the business community as
a whole. that is, OF the American body
politics as whole. Whatever is done,
ave cannot afford to take any step back
ward or TO cast any doubt upon the GER
tain redemption in standard coin OF every
circulating note.
All Men Not Equal.
"Among ourselves we differ in many
qualiiieS ol DOdy, Hcdi ana hearI we are
unequally developed. mentally as well as
physically. But each OF us has the right TO
ask that he shall be protected from wrong
doing AS he does his work and carries his
burden through life. No man needs sym
pathy because he has to work, because he
has burden to carry. Far aud away the
best prize that life offers is the chance 10
work hard at work worth doing; and this
is a prize open TO every man. icr there
can be no work better worth doing than
that done to keep in health and comfort
and with reasonable advantages those i'm
mediately dependent upon the husband,
the father or the son.
There is no room in our healthy
American life for the mere dler, for the
man or'woman whose object it is through
out life to shirk the duties which life
ought 10 bring. Life can mean nothing
worth meaning, unless its prime aim is
the doing OF duty, the achievement of re-
suits worth achieving A recent writer
has finely said: After all, the saddest