Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1905-06-29

| break II, but SO cunningly that they
can not be discovered. the crimes the,
commit being not those of pnysica
outrage. but those of greed and Graf
on the largest scale. The very rich
he believed that ne were law unto
| himself. thereby immensely Increase
| the difficulty OF the task of uphoiding
| order when the disorder is menace
to men of property; for II the com
munity feels that rich men disregard
then the oommanityfis apt to assume
| the dangerous and unwholesome atti.
tude of condoning crimes of violence
committed against the interests
which in the popular mind these rich
men represent This last attitude is
wholly evil but so is the attitude
which produces IL. We have n right
to appeal 20 the alumni OF Harvard,
and to the alumni. of every institution
of learning in this land, to do their
part In creating public sentiment
which shall demand of all men OF
means. and especially of tne men of
vast fortune, that they set an example
to their less fortunate brethren. BY
paying scrupulous heed not only to
the letter but to the spirit OF the laws.
and by acknowledging In the heartiest
fashion the moral obligations wnich
can not be expressed in law. but
which stand back OF and above all
laws. II Is far more important that
they should conduct their business al
fairs decently than that they should
spend the surplus of their fortunes in
philanthropy. Much has been given
to these men and we have right to
demand much OF them in return. Ev
cry man OF great wealth VINO runs his
business WITH cynical contempt for
those prohibitions of the law which
by hired cunning he can escape or
evade. Is a menace to our commun
ity; and the community is not to be
excused II 1t does not develop a spirit
which actively frowns on and discoun-
tenances MIN. The great profession
of the law should be that whose mem
bers ought to take the lead in the
creation of Just such a spirit We all
know that, as things actually are.
many OF the most influential and most
highly remunerated members OF the
bar In every center of wealth make II
their special task to work out bold
and ingenious schemes by which their
very wealthy clients. individual or
corporate. can evade the laws wnicn |
are made to regulate in the interest
Of the public the use os great wealth. (!
Now, the great lawyer who employs
his talent and his learning in the
a very wealthy client to override or
circumvent the law is doing all that |
in him lies to encourage the growth |
in this country of a spirit Of dumb |
anger against all laws and of disbe-
lief in their efficacy. Sucn spirit |
shall he made even more drastic
against the rich. or else 1t may mani
fest itself in hostility to all laws.
Surely Harvard mas the right to ex-l
pect from her sons nigh standard
Of applied morality. whether their
paths lead them into public life. into
business. or into the great profession
of the law, whose members are so po-
tent in shaping the growth of tne ma
tional soul.
But in addition TO having high
ideals 1t can not TOO often be said to
a body such as Is gathered here to-
day, that together with devotion 10
what is right must go practical eff
cheney In striving for what is right.
This is a rough, workaday. practical
world. and If in 1t we are to do the
best worth doing, we must approach
that work in a spirit remote from that
OF the mere visionary whose asplra
tons after good find expression only
in the shape Of scolding and complain
ing. 1t shall not help us II we avoid
to be wrecked on the Charybdis OF
wrong headedness. of feebleness and
inefiiciency. There can be nothing
worse for the community than to have
the men VINO profess lofty ideals show
themselves so foolish. SO narrow. 80
impracticable. as to cut themselves
off from communion with the men WAC
are actually able to do the work OF
governing the work Of business, the
work OF the professions. 1t Is a sad
and evil thing II the men with a moral
sense group themselves as lmpract!-
cal zealots, while the men Of action
gradually grow to discard and laugh
at all moral sense as an evidence oi
impractical weakness. Macaulay.
whose eminently sane and wholesome
spirit revolted not only at weakness,
but at the censorious folly which mas
querades as virtue, describes the con
dition of Ccotland at the end of the
seventeenth century in a passage
which every sincere reformer should
keep constantly before aim.
ut is remarkable circumstance
that the same country should have
produced in the same age the most
wonderful specimens of both extremes
Of human nature. Even in things in
different the Scotch Puritan would
hear OF no compromise; and ne was
ali