The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-11


 In the Fundamentals l have found American citizens to be just about the
 same everywhere. In whatever locality of
 the country we live, whatever our fortune
 or occupations in life, there exist just
 about the same essential good qualities
 and much the same shortcomings In any
 gathering of our citizens Of course, each
 community has it's especial temptations,
 it's especial shortcomings; and If 1t is wise
 each community will try to cure itself
 rather than. to cause heartburnings by
 railing at the shortcomings of sister
 community. There is ample field for the
 reform energies of every one of us in his
 or her particular sphere of home and
 neighborhood activity.
 Greed of the Rich.
 Not only is all of this true as between
 one community and another, but 1t Is just as true between one class of our citizens and another. Now and then we meet
 well meaning people who have a genuine horror and dread of all rich men and
 think of them as being set apart by pe-
 culiar vice and iniquity. Now and then we meet equally well meaning rich men who have an equally irrational dread of
 those whom they style labor leaders" In each case I think the hostility is in large part due to a want of sympathy caused by complete ignorance of the men who arouse such distrust or anger. We ought not to tolerate wrong. It is a sign of weakness to do so, and in its ultimate effects weakness is often quite as bad as wickedness. But in putting a stop to tile wrong we should, so far as possible, avoid getting into an attitude of vim
 dictive hatred toward the wrongdoer He may be morally to blame and it may be necessary to punish him. but on the other hand the wrong he has committed cff 1r1lx @ existing cOnni- tion of things to conditions under which he has been brought up; and in such case while we must apply the remedy, and see that there is no further chance of harm to the community, it is neither just nor farslghted to exact revenge for what has been done. In short friends, let us realize that in very truth we are. knit together in ties of brotherhood, and that while it Is proper and necessary that we should insist upon our rights, We should yet be patient and considerate in bearing with one another, and In trying, so far as in us lies, each to look at the problems that face us from his broth CTS standpoint as well as from his own. Astonishing Progress.
 During the last quarter of a century this nation has made astounding strides in material progress, and in no other sec ton has this progress been more note worthy than in the south. While her agriculture has grown faster than ever before, there has also been a new growth of her manufacturing industres-indeed, there has been growth of every kind. But of course there is ample room for fur ther growth. The south will be all the 1 better for new immigrants of the right | type, and I hope to see steamship lines carrying such immigrants established at ports like Savannah and Charleston, just as l hope to see ports like New Orleans connected by lines of steamers with the South American continent, the continent with which our relations should grow
 ever closer and mutually more advant- ageous. In the south, as everywhere through the Union, we need to see a good education given free to all children, no matter what may be their race or color. Nor can we wisely permit this education to be of a merely literary type. More and more we are growing to realize that there must be an education of the hand as