New-York tribune., 1905-07-08
ENVY CRIMINAL FOLLY.
WE4LTH NOT WICKED
President RooseUett's Speech at the
National Education ConUention.
tsx TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BuNE.l


fenced by President Roosevelt to-day in his
speech before the teachers of the National Edu-
oational Association, at the Ocean Grove Audi
torium.
II Is those persons OF much more moderate
circumstances complaining Of the evils Of riches
that cause a large part OF the harm done oy
huge fortunes. he said for it is their own fauit'
20 a large extent, when harm is done, IN aHo"-
ing themselves 10 be made discontented ana
soured. The President pointed out that "hiie
it.was eminentIy proper TO curb the exceptional
man Of great wealth. it was wicked toiiy 10 at
tack the man Of wealth as such.
ENVY OF WEALTH MOST HARMFUL
..venonous envy of wealth" he said. lis
simply another form of the spirit which IN one
Of its manifestations, takes the shape Of cring-
ing servility toward wealth. and in another the
shape Of brutal arrogance on the part Of certain
men OF wealth.
Each Of them" he added. springs from
fantasticaly twisted and exaggerated idea of
The Importance Of wealth compared TO other
things"
The President paid high tribute 10 the work
Of the school teachers OF the land in amalga-
mating all the discordant elements gradually
being welded into one distinctive race. It is
largely due 10 their efforts. he told them. that
This country is one people and not group Of
jarring races.
When. early in the afternoon. the President
walked to the centre OF the platform OF the
ocean Grove Auditorium, fifteen thousand men
and women leaped OF their chairs and cheered
until too hoarse to more than whisper. The wom-
en- waved their handkerchiefs until their arms
were tired, and the audience looked like daisy
sprinkled meadow.
His speech occupied about half an hour. Then.
when he had finished. he told the teachers that
Elihu Root had consented TO become Secretary OF
State. AS one person the audience arose and
cheered for Mr.. Root. With his voice breaking
slightly President Roosevelt then referred TO the
death OF Mr., Hay, the entire audience rising in
memory Of the dead statesman.
The Presidents speech follows:
[ am glad to have the chance Of greeting
the National Educational Association, for in all
this democratic land there is no genuine
y democratic association than this 1t is truly
democratic, because here each member meets
every other member as his peer without regard
10 whether he is the president OF one of the
great universities or the newest recruit to that
high and honorable profession which has in its
charge the upbrinsing and training OF those
boys and girls who in few short years will
themselves be settling the destinies of this
lion. Il is not too much TO say that the most
characteristic work Of the Republic is that done
hv the educators, for whatever our shortcom-
ings as nation may be, We have at least firmly
Erasped the fact that cannot do our part in
The difficult and all important work Of self
ourselves, unless we approach the task with
developed minds and trained character. You
you did not do your work well this Republic
would not endure beyond the span OF the gen
Grafton
TEACHERS WORK UNITES COUNTRY.
Moreover, as an incident to your avowed
work you render some wellnigh unbeliev-
you render TO the Republic, the prime the vital
service Of amalgamating into one homogeneous
BODY the children alike OF those who are born
here and OF those who come here from so many
different lands abroad. You furnish common
training and common ideals for the children Of
al the mixed peoples who are here being fused
into one nationality. It is in small degree
due 10 you and your efforts that we are one
people instead Of a group Of jarring peoples.
EersoVer, where altogether too much pronli-
9sEsoe lis given TO the mere possession of wealth.
the country is under heavy obligations TO such
s body this which substitutes for the ideal
OF accommodating money the lnhnitely lofuer.
nop-materialistc ideal OF devotion TO work
worth doing simply for that works sake l do
not in the least underestimate the need of hay
ing material prosperity the basis of our
civilization, but / most earnestly insist that II
our civilization does not build a lofty super
structure on this basis can never rank
among the really great peoples A certain
amount Of money is. of course, a necessary
thing, as much for the nation for the in
diVidual; and there are few movements in which
] more thoroughly believe than in the movement
- secure oelIeI LliulIeI Iioli loi 49, out ~ ;
But after all, the service you render is IN
cslculahle, because OF the very fact that by
your lives YOU show that you believe ideals TO
lie worth sacrifice, and that you are splendidly
eager 10 do commemorative work il this work
IS Of good 10 your fellow men
To furnish in your lives such realized high
ideal IS TO do q great service to the country.
The chief harm done by the OF swollen fort
une 10 the community is not the harm that the
oemagogue is apt 10 depict sprnging from
their actions but the fact that their success sets
up a false standard, and so serves as bad ex-
ample for the rest of US. II we did not ourselves
attach an exaggerated Importance TO the rich
man who is distinguished only by his riches, this
rich man would have a most insignificant inhu-
ence over US. It is generally our own fault if
he does damage to us, for he damages US chiefly
by arousing our erNy or by rendering US sour
ana discontented. In his actual business rela-
tions he IS much more apt 10 benefit than harm
the rest Of US: and though IL is eminently right
70 take whatever steps are necessary in order TO
prevent the exceptional members Of his class
from doing harm. il is wicked folly TO let our
selves be drawn into any attack upon the man
OF wealth merely as such. Moreover. such an
attack is IN itself an exceptionally crooked and
ugly tribute 10 wealth, and therefore the proof
% exceptionally ugly and crooked state OF
mind in the man making the attack.
NenOmous envy of wealth is simply another
FORM Of the spirit which in one Of its manites-
tations takes The shape of cringing servility
toward wealth, and in another the shape or
brutal arrogance on the part Of certain men OF
wealth. Each one Of these states OF mino'
whether IL be hatred serVity. or arrogance, is
Dr. reality closely akin TO the other two for each
exaggerated idea Of the importance Of wealth
as compared 10 other things.
LACK OF IDEALS A MENACE.
The clamor OF the demagogue against wealth,
the snobbery OF the social columns of the news
papers which deal with the doings OF the
wealthy, and the misconduct Of those men Of
wealth who act with brutal disregard OF the