New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-21

the law. Our aim is TO help every honest nlsil
every honest corporation, and our policy means
in its ultimate analysis healthy ana Pr tl,ee+
Gus expansion of business activities, Oh lioli'0'
business men and honest corporations ,,..
I very earnestly hope that the leglsla a!
which deals with the regulation OF corporalsoa77
engaged in interstate business will also deal
with the rights and interests of the WageWoih ,
employed by those corporations. AculOn We &c
taken by the Congress last year limiting tle
number of hours that railway employees shouiu
be employed The law is a good one; nut II IN
practice it proves necessary to strengthen H. II
must be strengthened. We have now secured u
national employers liability law; but ultimately
a more far reaching and thoroughsolng law
must be passed. is monStrOuS that a man OF
woman who is crippled in an industry, even rs
the result of taking what are the necessary RISKS
of the occupation. should be required TO pear tie
whole burden of the loss That burden shouid
be distributed and not placed solely upon lle
weakest individual, the one least able TO carry -
tt BY making the employer liable the loss VIII
ultimately be distributed among all the pehe-
fciaries of the business.
also hope that there will be legislation In
CreaSine the power of the national government
TO deal with certain matters concerning the
health of our people everywhere; the iederai
authorities for instance should join WIN Ill
the state authorities in warning against the
dreadful scourge of tuberculosis Your own
state government, here in Massachusetts: De
serves high praise for the action it has taken
I'm these public health matters during the last
seyv years: and in this. in some other matters,
hope the national government stano
abreast of the foremost state governments
CHARACTER AN L
have spoken of but one or two laws which.
in NV Judgment IT is advisable to enact as part
of the general scheme for making the interior
ence of the national government more e1fectlVe
I'm securing justice and fair dealing as between
man and man here in the United States Let me
add. however that while it is necessary TO nave
legislation when conditions arise where we can
only cope with evils through the joint action
of all of us vet that we never afford to for
get that in the last analysis the all-important
factor for each of US must be his own individual
c,a
laws. good institutions: but the most necessary
of all things is to have a high quality of fndi-
viduaI citizenship This does not mean that we
can afford to neglect legislation. II will be
highly disastrous If permit ourselves TO be
misled by the pleas of those who see in an un-
restricted individualism the all sufficient pana-
Cea for social evils; but 1t will be even more
disastrous TO adopt the opposite panacea of any
socialistic system which would destroy all In
dividualiSm which would root out the fiber OF
whole citizenship In any great movement,
such that in which engaged. nothing
is necessary than sanity, than the refusal
10 be led into extremes by the advocates or the
ultra course either side. Those professed
friends of liberty who champion license are the
worst foes of liberty and tend by the reaction
their violence causes to throw the government
back into the hands of the men who champion
corruption and tyranny in the name OF order.
So 1t is with this movement for securing justice
toward all men and equality Of opportunity so
far as It can be secured by governmental action.
The rich man who, with hard arrogance de-
clines to consider the rights ana the needs Oh
those who less well off, and the poor man
who excites or INDUCES in envy and hatred Of
those who are better off, alike alien to the
spirit of national life Each of them should
learn TO appreciate the baseness and degrade
ton of his point OF view, evil in the one case
as I'm the other There exists more sOrdId
and unlOvely type of social development than
plutoCracy, for there is a peculiar unwholeSome-
ness in a social and governmental ideal where
wealth by and Of itself IS held up as the great
est good. The materialism of such a view.
whether II finds its expression in the life Of
who accumulateS vast fortune in ways
that repugnant TO every instinct of gener-
osity and of fair dealing or whether II finds its
expression in the vapdy useless and self-in-
contemplate in the eyes Of all capable Of
thrill OF lofty feeling. Where the power of
the law be wisely used to prevent or TO
minimize the acquisition business employ
ment Of such wealth and TO make il pay by in
come or Inheritance tax It's proper share Of the
burden OF government I would invoke that
power without a moments hesitation.
But while accomplish something by
legislation. legislation can never be more than
part and often more than small part. in
crude vindictive legislation may any time
bring such progress 70 halt Certain socialistic
leaders propose 10 redistribute the worlds goods
by refusing 10 thrift and energy and industry
their proper superiority over folly and idleness
and sullen envy. Such legislation would merely.
in the words OF the president of Columbia Uni
versity, wreck the worlds efficiency for the
purpose of redistributing the worlds discon-
tent" We should all of work heart and soul
for the real and permanent betterment which
will lift democratic civilization to a higher
level Of safety and usefulness Such better
ment can come only by the slow, steady growth
Of the spirit which meteS a generous but not
sentimental Justice TO each his merits
as a man. and which recognizes the fact that
the highest and deepest happiness for the indi-
vidual lies not in selfshness. but in service.