The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-05-02

70 develop on behalf of the people a CO.
herent and powerful movement a genuine
and representative nationality.
Two generations passed before the sec
ond great crisis in our history had 10 be
faced. Then came the Civil Var. terrible
and bitter in itself and in rs aftermath
but a struggle from which the nation
finally emerged. united in fact as well a.
name, united forever. Oh, my hearers, my
fellow countrymen. great indeed has been
our good fortune, for as time clears away
the mist that once shrouded brother from
brother and made each look .as through .
glass darkiy' at the other we can all feel
the same pride In the valor, the devotion
and the fealty. toward the right as Ii was
given TO each TO see the right. shown alike
by the men who wore the bhie and by the
men who wore the gray.
.sPrcpare to Meet War;
We cannot afford to forget the maxim
that Washington insisted upon. that the
surest way TO avert war is to be prepared
to meet 1t. Nevertheless the duties that
most concern us of this generation are not
military but social and industrial Each
community must always dread the evils
which spring up as attendant upon the
very qualities which give Ii success We
Of this mighty western Republic have to
grapple with the dangers that spring from
popular self-government tried on scale
incomparably vaster than ever before in the
history OF mankind, and from abonnding
material prosperity greater also than any
thing which the world has hitherto seen
At The moment. the greatest problem
before us is how to exercise such control
over the business use of vast wealth, In
dividuaI. but especially corporate. as viii
insure 1t not being used against the inter
est of the public, while yet permitting
such ample legitimate profits as will en-
courage individual Initiative 1t is our BUSH
ness TO put stop TO abuses and to pre-
went their recurrence. without showing
spirit of mere vindictiyeness for what has
been done in the past
This is the exact spirit i'm which this
country should move 10 the reform OF cor
porate wealth. The wrong-doer, the man
who swindles and cheats, whether big
hands mercy as scant IL he committed
crimes OF violence or brutality. We are
unalterably determined to prevent wrong
doing in the future. but we have no inten-
ton of trying to wreak such an indiscrimi-
nate vengeance for wrongs done In the past
as would confound the innocent with the
guilty. Our purpose is to build up rather
| than TO tear down. We show ourselves
the truest friends of property when we
make 1t evident that we VIII not tolerate
the ABUSES of property
We are steadily bent on preserving the
Institution of private property. We combat
| every tendency towards reducing the peo-
| pie to economic servitude. and we care
not whether the tendency is due TO SIMS
| ter agitation directed against all property.
or whether IL is due TO the actions Of those
members Of the predatory classes whose
anti-social power Is UNNECESSARILY increased
because of the very fact that they possess
wealth.
| ssDeeds Not Profcss:ons.''
We base our regard for each man on the
essentials not the accident We judge him
not by his professions. hut by his deeds. By
| his conduct. not BY what he has acquired
| of this worlds goods. Other republics have
| fallen because the citizens gradually grew
| to consider the interests OF class before