New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-27

az the same time destroying wellbeng itself
Ihis is an era Of combination alike in the world
OF capital and in the world OF labor. Each KIND
OF combination can do good, and yet each how
ever powerful. must be opposed when II does Ill
Al the moment the greatest problem before us
IL now TO exercise such control over the DuSl~
ness use of vast wealth, individual, but espe-
claIiy corporate, Will insure its not being
USED against the interest OF the public, while
yet permitting such ample legitimate profits as
VIII encourage Individual initiative 1t is our
business TO put a stop to abuses and TO prevent
thelr recurrence. without showing d spirit of
mere Vindictiveness for what has been done IN
me past. In John Morley's brilliant sketch of
burke he lays especial stress upon the fact that
DJtHe more tnan almost any other thinker or
poNtlcian of his time realized the profound les
son mat IN politics we are concerned not with
barren rights but with duties; not with abstract
truth but with practical morality. He especial
" euIoglzes the way in which I'm his efforts Tor
economic reform Burke combined unsuitable
resolution IN pressing the reform with pro-
found temperateness of spirit which made him.
While bent on the extirpaton of the evil system,
refuse to cherish an unreasoning and vindictve
III VIII toward the men who had benefited by II.
SaId Burke, If l cannot reform with equity. 1
VIII not reform at all. GThere Isl state
to preserve as well as state to reform"
This is the exact spirit in which this country
porate wealth The wrongdoer, the who
swindles and cheats, whether on a big scale OF a
niue one shall receive at hands mercy
SCdIt as IL ne committed crimes of violence OF
brutality. We unalterably determined to
prevent wrongdoing III the future; have no
intention of trying to wreak such indisCrimi-
nate vengeance for wrongs done in the past
would cOnfound the innocent with the guilty.
Our purpose is to build up rather than to tear
down. We show ourselves the truest friends
or property when make il evident that
VIII not tolerate the abuses of property. We
are steadily bent on preserving the institution
or private property; combat every tendency
toward reducing the people to economic servi-
tude; and we care not whether the tendency is
que to a sinister agitation directed against all
property, or whether ii is due to the actions OF
nose members Of the predatory classes whose
S'nti-social power is UNNECESSARILY increased
because Of the very fact that they possess
wealth
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.
Above all. we insist that while facing changed
conditions and new problems. we must face
them in the spirit which forefathers
showed when they founded and preserved this
Republic The cornerstone of the ReDur1ic lies
In our treating each man his worth
man, paying heed to his creed, his birthplace
or his occupation, asking not whether he is rich
or poor, whether he labors with head or hand;
asking only whether he acts decently and hon
orably in the various relations of his life,
whether he behaves we'll 10 his family his
neighbors. to the state We base our regard for
each man on the essentials and not the acct
dents. We Judge him not by his profession. but
by his deeds; by his conduct not bv what he
has acquired of this worlds goods other re-
pubhcs have fallen because the citizens gradu-
any grew TO consider the interests of a class
before the interests Of the whole: for when
such was the case It mattered little whether 1t
was the poor who plundered the rich the
Ileh who exploited the poor; in either event
the vtlh ~ me republic was at hand We
resOIute IN our purpose not to fall into such 4
PIT rms great Republic of ours shall never be-
come the government of a plutocracy and It
shali never become the government of a mob.
God willing, II shall remain what our fathers
who rounded II meant IL to be-a government
In which each man stands his worth as
man. where each is given the largest personal
liberty consistent with securing the wellbeing
or the whole, and whore. so far as In us lies
we strive continually TO for each man
SUCH equality OF opportunity that in the strife
or Ire he may have a fair chance TO show the
stuff that is in him. We are proud Of our
schools and OF the trained intelligence they
give our children the opportunity 10 acquire
But what We care for most is the character OF
the average man; for believe that IL the
average Of character in the individual citizen is
sufficiently high, If he possesses. those qualities
which make him worthy OF respect in his family
life and in his work outside. as well as the
qualities which ut him for success IN the hard
struggle Of actual existence-that II such is the
character OF our individual citizenship, there is
literally no height Of triumph unattainable in
this vast experiment OF government by. Of and
for free people