The Cairo bulletin., 1908-12-17
SCHURMAN SPOKE
ON SOCIALISM
CORNELL UNIVERSITY PREsl
DENT HAS NO FAITH IN
DOCTRINE.
REFUTED EVERY DAY
Is Claim That Stale Could Manage
Industrial Enterprises As Well
as ndividuals--Would De-
stroy Genius.

Omaha, Dec lG-The feature of tht
lday was the admirable address b,
President Schurman of Cornell Uni
yersity on Socialism. He had n large
audience ana close attention. He saij
in part:
Or. Jacob Gould Schurman, presi
dent Of Cornell University, Ithaca, N
Y, took as his subject The Problem
Of Great Fortunes" He said:
The great majority of problems
which today interest American voters
are economic problems 1t is economic
| problems which are transforming, re-
casting, and recreating our political
parties. And herein our history Is
but following the course of European
history. III we look over Europe, "
says Mr. Bryce In his American Com
mon wealth, we shall find that The
grounds on which parties have been
built and contests waged since the
beginning of free governments have
been in substance but few In the
hostility of rich and poor. or of capi
tai and labor, in the fears OF the
Hayes and the desires of the Have.
nots we perceive the most frequent
ground. though It Is often disguised ="
i In the United States the situation
Is. intensified by the existence Of
great aud increasing Inequalities of
economic conditions. 1t Is this phe.
lomenon which fosters socialism
amongst us, and the sociaistic spirit
S far more wildly difused than the
number of voters for the socialistic
ticket would Indicate, Many, minds
.tItr5nto "a ,furfsnr ny TGseHthl'hi a.
existing contrasts between our very
rich and our very poor. while thai
equality which Is the foundation OF
the socialistic state has something in
il akin to the sense of justice and fair
treatment which is the deepest ele-
ment in the moral nature of man.
The Socislistic Remedy.
While sympathize with the social
istic desire to improve the condition
Of our unpropcrtied classes | have no
faith In the socialists panacea. Tha'
forced. unjust and unnatural equality
FOR which he stands would destroy thf
genius. energy, and initiative Of the
individuals to which the progress Of
civilization Is In the last analysis due
And the socialists supposltion that
the state would mango great indus
trial enterprises as successfully a.
private individuals is rcfuted every
DAY by experience and observation OF
the manner in which IN all countries
business is conducted by the political
leaders and managers who constitute
government for the time being.
Nevertheless | am profoundly con
vlnced that a new and serious prob
lem is arising for Us IN consequence
of the increasing inequalities OF econ
omic conditions. And | suppose ne
one could deny that the contrast be
tween the rich aud the poor woula
conceivably reach a point AT which
there was no alternative but revolu
tion. That Is TO say. the number OF
ucoplc in the country without prop
erty might become so larse and
wealth so concentrated that II woud
not seem TO the voters worth while ic
porpetuate a form of government un.
der which such Inequalities had been
developed and were being maintained
And we must not for a moment lose.
sight OF the fact that the right t'
hold private property aud the right ie|
broueath Il. as well as the existence
of the Republic itself. depend entirely
ON the sentiments Of the voters ut The
country The majority must De- iea
-onably satisfied with our institutions
or our institutions will BE- modihed 'e
meet their views aud sentiments
The Maxim, of Equality.
have mo- faith DOB The sOcialistin
scheme Of state ownership of capital
and equal compensation Cor all Oh
the other hand { recognize the lesson
Of history that iu-4ual.'ie- OF fortune
when they have become very canspir
mons and firmly astatiish,i under 'he
aeais of existing institutions. lead O.
ravoIutior-.. 4 reasonable. f'fnailiA.
of economic condition seems TO b. ihs
lesson taught Hy ta. experience 90 me
ancient G-e.k R.rlhIic as their his-I
tory has baeu interpreted for us b.
the peueraHHE analysis and PRO
r,.grd reflections 90 Aristotle. Their
fs gra ufea and iue Obs nafiou Of
human ufe which the Greek lrama
contributed t0 cur New Testament
That -.tH rammuHications cCrrspi
eoof MANNER res a maxim oi Wen
,r8e- which Paul sieI to enforce his
evhr-tatiau- f0 fhe Corinfhians-
r,a-ton. recognize the truth ADD i'm
LII HasaH