The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-10

tares. Science has learned amazing
truths OF things in past ages and has
almost been able to foreteli the Ia.
ture; 1t has approached to the very
holy of holes OF the processes OF life.
and has all but uncovered the mystery
OF animate things: fits wonderful dis.
coveries OF the x-ray, OF radium, and
other similar discoveries, have upset
the old ideas of the constitution of
matter, and put the books on physics
that vol and I studied in our school.
boy days out OF date. The progress In
medicine and surgery has been wonder.
full, too. Almost the whole of the for.
mer theory Of the causes OF disease
has become obsolete. Sare specifics
for diseases which yesterday we're In
durable, have been discovered; and
we are apparently on the eve Of the
finding out certain cures for such
dread diseases as cancer tuberculosis
and the like. And In the field of sur.
gerry perhaps greater advance has been
made than in the domain of medicine.
The knife in antiseptic surgery has
successfully cut into the human heart
Itself. In the last year or SO one OF
the greatest discoveries and inventions
Of the world has been made. refer
to wireless telegraphy and telephony.
which is already a practical ucces
Messages without wires are success.
fully sent from as we'll as received by
fast running boats and trains. AS we
know so little OF the nature of cleo
tricity we can set no limitations to
wireless telegraphy.
Never before was there greater &C.
tivity along practical lines than now
In the work of churches, and of relig.
ious, humanitarian and philanthropic
societies, This Is true, whether we
consider the superior organization, the
wider field covered, or the amount OF
money given and spent.
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activity 1t is perfectly natural that
some things should be overlooked or
neglected. In the exploitation Of our
natural resources, in the production of
material wealth we have reached Il
high degree of efficiency. But have
we kept pace with 1t in the distribu.
ton of wealth? Have we as nearly
solved the problem of the distribution
3 nf u,An1th--frar, Ito ,otnrn tha rna,a
difficult probiem-as we have solved
the problem of the production OF
wealth? 1t would seem not. A recent
writer says that our national wealth
Is 1O6 billion dollars. There are IS
million families, or an average OF ma
tional wealth of $4,000 per family. But
I 200 900 families own so billions of the
JOG billions: 2,ooo.O 900 other families
own 30 billion more; OF the remaining
f6 million families one-half on the av.
GRACE are worth between two and
three thousand dollars per family,
while the other half own less than five
hundred dollars each. OF the total ma.
tional income. oRe-half goes 10 one
tenth OF the people: the other half is
divided among the remaining nine
tenths. OF the total national wealth
more than IS percent. is owned by less
than n per cent. OF the population,
leaving but IL per cent. Of the wealth
for the remaining ninsty-nine per cent,
of the people. One man controls 30,
900 miles OF railroad. reaching from
ocean to ocean, and controls 81. 0O0.'
n0O.OO of capital. Recently two very
itch men died. One vas worth $50.
600, 1000. which he left to n single hei..
The other was worth 500, coo, 900,
which vas left In trust for fifty years
for the single child heir. 1t is es'
timated that at the end of the fifty
years this fortune left in trust will
amount TO more than $4,000, 600, 600
more than three times MS much mon
ey as there is In the United States,
nearly one-half the aggregate of rail.
road stock and bonds. and more than
the total capitalization Of the wage.
paying industries" Such facts rs
these, and others that l have no par,
purse to recite here, are the causes
OF the great unrest and the mighty
movement among the people. They
are such as should canse every
thoughtful mar to pause. This move
ment of the people is n broad, deep
yearning for better things. Properly
directed 1t will result In good to all;
but scoffed at or baffled-if the stone
of injustice is given when the bread
OF justice is %fervently asked-we may
endure worse things before We obtain
better. Justice Brewer, the eminent
member OF the Supreme Court. lately
in a public speech, took a. hopeful
view of the outcome, but he asked,
J ,KN y "a a