The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-03
FILLED THE ARMORY.
Large Crowd Greets Judge Parker at
Bridgeport, Conn.

bridgeport, OOIln.
Bridgeport, Conn, Nov. 3.-Judge
Parker arrived here at 11:40 m.
The Judge was received with an out
burst of applause by the people who
thronged the platform. Mr.. Parker
was Immediately welcomed in formal
way by General Henry A. Bishop, can
Democratic ticket whose guests he was
during his stay in this city.
After the luncheon Judge Parker
was driven with General Bishop to the
Third Regiment armory where he de-
livered an address to an audience
which taxed the capacity of the build
ing. AS Judge Parker entered the ar
mory the audience cheered for fully
5 minutes. With a brief introduction
General Bishop introduced the presi-
Dental candidate, who spoke as fol-
lows:
'In our later days the claim is often
made. not only by practical men, but
by students of economic history, that
our rapid industrial progress is the
resultsof the development of machin-
cry. This theory assumes that what
ever our ancestors did in the way of
building UP institutions and industry
everything is now so changed that we
have now become dependent upon the
machine and must be content to re-
main so hereafter.
1.-THE fact, however. is overlooked
that whatever machinery may have
QOne, II mas Deen QeVOle0s created ana
adapted by mans ingenuity, has been
perfected by human patience and in
dustry and that it must be operated
by men of mind and bone and muscle.
Nobody will presume to deny that it
has become an important factor in in
dustry but it is merely an incident,
an auxiliary.
''In truth. in nothing of what we
call modern progress, has there been
SO much of eXaggeration as that which
relates to the machine.
This is due entirely to the assump-
ton that it is something in and of
itself, something separate from the
human mind and the human body.
We have thrown over it the aegiS of
the law and for the reason that we
have recognized it as a form of prop
erty and thus an expression of hui
man thrift, every kind of protection
which society could devise has been
given to it. Still the fact remains that
it is the man behind the machine who
has enabled the great mass of the peo-
pie of our country to procure better
shelter, more food, more comfortable
clothing and to enjoy the blessings of
the world which God has given not
for the few, but for all.
During the past few years an en-
tirely new doctrine has been preached.
It's logic is that whatever else we have
done in the world, whatever human inn
projections may still exist, so far as the
levy of taxes is concerned, we have
reached absolute perfection. The phrase
standing pat used to denote this ideal
may not be elegant, but it is at least
expressive.
1T would be interesting, if time per-
mitted, to inquire what this country
and the world would have been, if, at
different periods during the past few
hundred years our ancestors had
thought of this doctrine and had ac-
cepted it.
TT might, for instance, have been
used two hundred and fifty years ago
- Ill 4I,A e Al
ism. There was much in that idea, and
in the resulting system of government
which was interesting. The castle from
which armed retainers went forth to
battle, either for an idea or for defense,
had great fascination for many minds,
and it has, perhaps. added a tinge of
interest or even glory to modern his
torical study.
were sure that the work of James Watt
was, to say the least, superfuous; some
even thought it dangerous, but he re-
fused to stand pat and the world has
been able to progress by reason of his
thought and action.
$50, too, many people and great in
terestS, might have been satisfied If the
world had kept to the sail boat and if
Robert Fulton had never lived to dis
turb it. And STILL we in this country,
do pride ourselves somewhat upon this
original contribution to modern prog
reSs.
IL
who listen to me that there were many
people in this country who We're willing
to stand pat on the question of
slavery.
''It is no less certain than in the
early days of New England history
Roger williams was forced out into
the wilderness because the people
about him insisted on standing pat
Still we do not recall the act with
conspicuous pride and as if in mock
cry of the doctrine. that great apostle
to the Indians is one of the command
ing figures of our early history. In
fact the whole of modern progress
has come largely from the refusal of
the world to stand pat Each sue
cessive generation has recognized the
virtues and naccepted the labors of its
predecessors, but in doing SO none has
even declined or refused to recognize
new demands or to correct old abuses.
There is no more reason why we
should resolve not to revise our ma
tional revenue laws. than there would
have been at other periods of history,
to stop all progress. This is especially