The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

state commerce. this superintendence and control not to be exercised in a spirit of malevolence toward the men who have created the wealth. but with the firm pur- pose both to do justice to them and to see that they in their turn do Justice to the public at large.
 First Requisite in Public Servants.
 "The first requisite in the public serv- ants who are to deal in this shape with corporations. whether as legislators or as executives. is honesty. This honesty can be no respector of persons. There can be no such thing as unilateral honesty. The danger is not really from corrupt corporations; it springs from the cor ruption itself whether exercised for or against corporations.
 '"Fhe eighth commandment reads, Thou shalt not stea It does not read, Thou shalt not steal from the rich man. It does not read, Thou shalt not steal from the poor man.. It reads simply and plainly. Thou shalt not steal No good whatever will come from that warped and mock morality which de- nounces the nisdeeds of men of wealth and forgets the misdeeds practiced at their expense; which denounces bribery, but blinds itself to blackmail; which foams with rage if corporation secures favOrs
  with hideous mirth if the corporation is itself wronged. The only public servant who can be trusted honestly to protect the rights of the public against the mis- deed of a corporation is that public man who will just as surely protect the corpo- ration itself from wrongful aggression. If q public man is willing to yield to pop ular clamor and do wrong to the men of wealth or to rich corporations, it may be set down as certain that if the oppor- tunity comes he will secretly and furtvely do wrong to the public in the interest of corporation.
 Sanity Is Needed.
 But, in addition to honesty. we need sanity. No honesty will make a public man useful If that man is timid or fool ish, if he is 6 hot-headed zealot pr an impracticable visionary. As we strive for reform we find that it is not at all merely the case of a long uphill pull. On the contrary. there Is almost as much of breeching work as of collar work; to depend only on traces means that there will soon be a runaway and an upset. The men of wealth who today are trying to prevent the regulation and control of their business in the interest of the pub lie by the proper government authorities will not succeed, in my Judgment, in checking the progress of the movement But If they did succeed they would find that they had sown the wind and would surely reap the whirlwind for they would ultimately provoke the violent excesses which accompany a reform coming by convulsion Instead of by steady and nat ural growth.
 Are Dangerous to Real Reform. "On the other hand, the wild preachers of unrest and discontent, the wild agita- | fnrG afr1et f men who act crookedy whether because of sinister design or from mare puzzle headedness. the men who preach destruc- ton without proposing any substitute for what they intend to destroy, or who pro- pose a substitute which would be far worse than the existing evils-all these men are the most dangerous opponents of real reform. If they get their way they will lead the people into a deeper pit than any into which they could fall under the present system. If they fail to get their way they will still do incal- culable harm by provoking the kind of reaction. which in it's revolt against the senseless evil of their teaching, would enthrone more securely than ever the very evils which their misguided followers believe they are attacking
 More important than aught else is the development of the broadest sympathy of man for man. The welfare of the wage worker. the welfare of the tiler of the soil upon these depend the welfare of the entire country; their good is not to be sought in pulling down others; put their good must be the prime object of all cur statesmanship.
 Materially we must strive to secure a broader economic opportunity for all men, so that each shall have a better chance to show the stuff of which he is made Spiritually and ethical ye must strive to bring about clean living and right think ing. We appreciate that the things of the body are important; but we appreciate also that the things of the soul are im- measuraby more important. The founda- tion stone of national life is. and ever must be, the high individual character of the average citizen"