The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-05

sessing it were innocent. It would, of course, try to secure the conviction of the thief, but if he had escaped the jurisdiction of the law, it would heV- ertheless be impossible to let his inno- cent victims continue to pass his by no means innocent counterfeit money. We'll, just the same thing is true when it comes to enforcing the law against business men of great wealth who have violated it. People are always be- seeching me not to enforce it against them, because innocent outsiders may be hurt, or, only to enforce it with gentleness that would prevent anybody, good or bad, from being hurt. It is not possible to comply with such re- quests, even when they are made in good faith. This is a government of law, a law which applies to great and small alike. I am sorry indeed when it happens that big men who do wrong have involved smaller men with no bad intentions to such an extent that they suffer when we force the undoing of the wrong. But we cannot hold our hands for such consideration. The responsibility for the suffering of those innocent outsiders lies, not with us who put stop to the wrong and pun ish the wrongdoers, but with these wrongdoers who mislead their victims. In conclusion, friends, let me Impress upon you one thing, Good laws can do much good; indeed, they are often in I'd spensable. There Is urgent need that we should have honest and efficient | legislation and honest and efficient ac- tion by those whose province it is to put the legislation into effect But there is infinitely more need of a high individual average of character. The | only permanent way to help any man | is to help him to help himself. To teach him permanently to depend on anything save his own powers is to do him harm and not good. Let no man persuade you that laws by themselves, no matter how necessary and bene- flcial, will make any community hap | py and prosperous, or be even the chief factors in securing such happi- ness and prosperity In the last analy- sis the vital factor in each mans ef- fort to achieve success in life must be his own character, his own courage and uprightness and intelligence. Tn this audience are many men who wore the 1 gray in the great Civil war. In every audience I have spoken to on this trip there have been men who fought in either the Union or Confederate Army and often representatives from both armies. Now, you men know that while in time of war there is need of good generalship. need of good organization yet the determining factor in the regi- ment, the brigade, the army, Is, and must ever be, the individual character of the individual soldier; his prowess, i his hardihood his unyielding resolu- ton, his stern fidelity to duty, his ca pacity to act on his own individual re- responsibility when necessary. and yet to serve over O. under or with others in perfect harmony and obedience. II is the character of the man in the ranks which primarily determines the failure or success of battle and cam paign. Tn the great Civil war our
 
 armies, Northern and Southern alike won their high position forever and all time in the undying regard and admir- atlon of their fellow-citlzens because the average man in the ranks. the av. craze man who carried saber or rife had this high standard of personal quality. Just as 1t was in time of war so 1t Is now in time of peace. If ( man has not got the right stuff in hin then no law can possibly get 1t out oi him. because it Is not there to get out All that the law can do is to punisl evil, to encourage what is good, and tc secure. So far as is possible, an ,eduali ty of opportunity for all men to show their strength of body, mind, and sou in the hard struggle of life.