The Washington herald., 1907-05-01
WEpNEspAY. 80 ]. l9g7.
MaY Dav. and An Is WelI!

May Day shines upon a prosperous and
peaceful country. Political agitation is
active everywhere and is becoming fierce
in some localities, but it is not fraught
with danger. We are at last too firmly
knit together as one people 10 be menaeed
by partisan zeal or fractional rancoT. The
body polite is excited By multitude Of
imaginary ills. and its stomach is reich
ing with some actual maladies, but as a
whole the nation was never happier, never
stronger. never more certain of its Sc
curity, never more optimistic in its out
look upon the future than at present.
Material prosperity abounds throughout
the land. and the moral and intellectual
upllft Of the people is carrying them 10
plane of achievement unequaied in an the
history OF the world.
These reflections are inspired by reports
as 10 the condition of the countrys agri-
culture and labor. A few weeks ago
there were forebodings as 10 both of these
most potent factors in our wealth-prO-
ductiou and national contentment. May
Day is the day when industrial unrest
all over the civilized world is supposed
TO manifest itself most acutely. This
year it viii bring no disturbing element
into American industry. Only in San
Francisco Is there threat Of walkouts and
strikes. AT nearly all the other important
centers Of the country organized labor has
renewed its contracts for the ensuing
year, thus minimizing the probability of
any great struggles between labor and
capital in the coming year. The opening
Of --F
finds New York, Boston, Philadelphia
Chicago. St. Louis and all the other
large cities without apprehensious affect
ing the building trades. There is a large
and well-met demand Tor both skilled and
unskilled labor in the factories and in the
fields. This cOntenIment is generally re-
nected in all the manufacturing and in
dustTial centeTs, and beyond a few To-
called and sporadic strikes, the labor
situation is brighter than for years.
From widely scattered sections of the
great agricultural belts of the West come
reports of partial crop failures. but as a
whole the prospects favor normal Yields
in most sections and unusual Yields in
others. Cold weather and backward
spring have damaged some of the minor
crops of Nebraska, but wheat and corn
in that State promise abundant harvests.
a new parasite has attacked the growing
wheat OF Kansas Missouri. Oklahoma.
and Texas, but the damage appears not
10 be so heavy as was feared a month
ago. Seeding has been delayed in Min
uesota and the DakOtas by cold rains, bun
their cessation is being followed by re-
newed energy and determination on the
part Of the farmers ia the Northwest 20
raise bumper crops this year.
Altogether therefore, the season opens
most auspieiousIy. The railroads still are
taxed beyond their capacity 10 handle the
business offered them, and although there
is an cutlery from that quarter against
the uncheckable tendency Of the time 70
bring them under closer scrutiny of the
law, transportation managers are learning
that the way to Increase dividends is 10
keep abreast Of events, and we have no
fear that they will not adapt themselves
with all possible dispatch to the con
ditions of the period. Some Of them have
stopped work on extensions and physical
betterments. but they can be counted
upon to come around all right before this
somewhat puerile policy inAicts harm,
first upon their own interests and next
the public
In brief there is every cause for us an /
to look forward confidently to the coun- /
try's uninterrupted prosperity. as well as
its unchecked progress along the line of I
better juster, and less lopsided govern
ment. Verify are we the chosen Of the
Lord. Verify do we live in a land where 1
every prospect pleases and only man IS /
vile"