The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-09-08

P" Aie HpiTN ui bsIHhh uiHSsRaTu,
whether Of ones own duties or Of the
rights Of others. are equally fatal.
In the history Of mankind many re-
publics have risen. have iiourlshed for
less or greater time, and then have
fallen because their citizens lost the
power Of governing themselves and
thereby OF governing their state; and
In no way has this ioss Of power been
NO often and 10 clearly shown az in
the tendency 10 turn the government
into q government primarily for the
benefit 0f one class instead Of d gov
ernment for the benefit Of the people an
whole.
Again and again In the republics Of
ancient Greece. In those OF mcdlaeval
Italy and medieval Flanders, this
tendency was shown. and wherever the
tendency became habit and invari-
ably inevitably proved fatal 10 the
State. In the final result II mattered
not one whit whether the move
ncnt was In favor OF one class
or OF another. The outcome was equal
iy fatal. whether the country fell into
the hands Of wealthy oligarchy which
exploited the poor or whether II fell nn-
der the domination OF d turbulent mob,
which plundered the rich. In both
cases there resulted violent alterations
between tyranny and disorder and
Anal complete loss OF liberty to all citi-
gems. destruction In the end Lvertak-
ing the class which had for the moment
been victorious as well ms that which
had momentarily been defeated. The
death knell OF the republic had rung
AZ soon as the active power became
lodged In the hands OF those who sought
not 10 do Justice TO all citizens rich
and poor alike. but to stand for one
special class and for its interests as
opposed TO the interests OF others.
The reason why our future Ii assured
lies In the fact that our people are gem
timely skilled In and fitted for seif-goy-
ernment and therefore will spurn the |
len iershlp of those who seek 10 excite |
this ferocions and foolish class antag- |
onIsm. Thu average American knows
not only that he himself intends to do |
about what II right. but that his aver |
age fellow-countryman has the same |
Intention and the same power to make |
his intention effective. He knows,
whether he be business man. profess |
sional man. farmer. mechanic. employ
er. or wage-worker, that the welfare /
OF each these men ls bound up with the
welfare Of f,all the others; that each IL
neighbor 10 the other. is actuated by
the same hopes and fears. has funda-
the same ideals. and that all
alike have much the same virtues and
the same faults. Our average fellow
believes In decency and has whole
some mind. He therefore feels an equal
scorn alike for the man OF wealth guilty
Of the men and base spirit Of arro-
gance toward those who are less well
on, and for the man OF small means
who In his turn either feels, or seeks TO
excite In others the feeling OF mean and
and base envy for those who are better
of. The two feelings. envy and arro-
rance, are but opposite sides of the same
shield, but different Developments of
he same spirit. Fundamentally, the
rich man who seeks TO
Exploit and oppress those who are less
well on IL In spirit not opposed to. but
IDENTICAL with. the unscrupulous poor
nan who desires to piunder and OPP
,ress those who are better OFF. The
'ourtier and the demagogue are but
developments of the same type under
llfferent conditions. each manifesting
he same servile spirit the same desire
o rise by pandering to base passions;
hough one panders TO power In the
Ihape OF a single man and the other
o power In the shape OF multitude.
10 likewise the man who wishes to rise |
~ wronging others must by right be I
not with the man who like
wise wishes to do wrong, though to a
llfferent set Of people but with the
nan who wishes to do justice to all {
'eople and to wrong none.
The line af cleavage between good I
nd bad citizenship lies, not between /
he man OF wealthwho acts squarely by ,
Is fellows and the man who seeks each
ay's wage by that days work, wrong
ng no one and doing his duty by his Q
eighbor, nor yet does this line Of {
divide the INSCRIPTIONS s
vealthy man who exploits others in his q
wn interest, from the demagogue, or 4
rom the sullen and envious being who \
fishes to attack all men OF property. /,
,hether they do we'll or Ill. On the con- 7
rary, the line of cleavage between good n