The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-07
CHEERFUL OPTIMISM.

HGfitFt W OPIINISM.
There Is something very attractive /
about Or James II. Day, tho chancellor
OF the University of Syracuse He is a
man with an arm and a voice, and he !
uses each to express his views and en-
phasize them. Cheerfully optimistic !
he walks whore certain kind Of an
gels fear to tread He has no sympa- |
thy with the ferocious attacks which
have been made upon capital during
the undertaking to make wicked capt
tai behave itself, and frankly says so.
He finds himself IN fact suspectng the
motives of those who make denuncla-
ton a principal part of their warfare
against the vicious and predatory.
Quite likely ne is the exponent of the
ushor extreme, but we confess to lik-
ing for the shrewd common sense Of
which he appears TO be the possessor.
(, In an address Sunday to the Harlem
branch Of the Young Mems Christian
association HI said good many things
which are timely and which can be re-
peated with entire safety during the
months ahead of us. For example:
This nation is too big to be ruined,
too big to stop long. The business Of
the country isn't going to stagnate or
wither. II Is going on. There Is too
much wealth IN the interior, too much
property on the surface, too much har-
vest on its broad acres, too many fac
tories. too much money that's got to he
invested to be safe for us to halt very
Long. We've had little scare. It Is
true: but nothing more. And It doesn't
take very long to recover from a scare.
If II was a disease instead o; fright
1t would be different. But the country
is sound This may be the language
of exaggeration, and to that extent to
be modified In its application to the
situation which confronts the country
but II has more hope In II than the
language which tells us in equally live
ly words that we are headed for the
grave which permits of no resurrec-
ton. Men will differ as TO the size
OF the scare and will bitterly complain
that 1t has had for them all of the
characteristics Of disease symptom.
but will they be as fortunate In deny
ing the essential truth of DR.. Days as
sertion that this country Is too big a
proposition from every point OF view,
too big In Its needs and too big in its
power to crafty them. to more than
temporarily stay submerged? TO have
man of his calbre, who has built IN
a great institution of education, and
whose very leadership Is a guarantee
of final success, stand up IN the mar
ket place and deal in homey truths
represents the economic value of a
fearless thinker and philosopher.
Nor does Dr. Days homely wit emo
with his consideration of the period OF
depression through which we are pass.
ing. He has no patience with the feat
that consumes so many men that few
men control with their immense riches
the rest of society. Says he: you've
heard the sublime, stupid nonsense
about half a dozen men putting thu
world into their pockets and not let
ting anybody else get any. Why. yol
may be one Of these half dozen mel
some day, These men are not going t.
live forever. # they had Methusslehi
prospects Of life, ii might be seriou,
matter. Men get rich and then get fat
and get dyspepsia and die. The Lore
takes care Of that" There Is a grea
deal of hard truth in this statemen
which does such violence to the cree
of the parlor socialists The man VIII
sees national decay In the accumua
ton Of great fortunes In the hands 0
the few overlooks the counteracting In
fuences which constantly work to re
distribute the dollars. LAS DR.. Da
says. There are thieves in all classe
of society thieves both big and little
But there are not as many to-day a
there were yesterday and there wi
be still fewer Tomorrow They ar
fast disappearing In other words tn
philosophy of Dr. Day Is the gospel &
horse sense based on a cheerful optin1
ism. His ordinary working iudgmen
will not let him give up In despair be
cause some Of the meaner characters
ties and traits Of human nature HAY
led the country into trouble. He know
that the ship will right itself and the
where work Is now difficult to find,
will be within easy grasp the momer
men regain control of their fears an
apprehensions. And it is to stimulat