The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-01-07
SCORES PARASITIC
AND PREDATORY
WEALTH
BISHOP WILLIAMS SAYS TRUSTS
AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES MUST
eo-PREslDENT HAS QUICKEN
ED PUBLIC CONSCIENCE.

neutrality-suspicious.. predatory and
parasitic" was the topic OF a most
carefully prepared and interesting ad-
dress ey Bishop Charles u. Williams,
in the Church OF Our Father. Monday
evening In which the speaker fiayed
meHePelies. and denounced predatory
and parasitic wealth in no uncertain
/ terms. besides paying his respects 10
certain social conditions that exist in
the slums and among the -four hun
dred.''
The bishops well-known attitude to-
wards the trusts and his deep study
OF questions, social. political and econ
omic. make the address of more than
usual moment He said in part:
The day OF Judgment we are told
viii be day OF surprises. for The
first shall be last and the last shall be
first That is. the ordinarily prevail
ing standards and estimates OF men
shall be very largely reversed Many
who shall come crowdnE TO the bar,
displaying complacently and confident
~ their ella inns 10 superior credit and
commcndation, shall be told TO 20 way
back and sit down, and that. too, IN
not altogether comfortable seats.
Every now and then we have an
anticipatory day of Judgment One has
OF late. particularly here in America.
Era of Great Fortunes.
THE period since our civil war has
been distinctly -tffe-efe-..f-s -faF-
tunes. Nearly all our swollen fortunes
have been accumulated during that
period. Before the war, millionaircs
were as scarce as hens teeth. Now
they are as plentiful as blackberries in
August And up 10 very recent day
they have been regarded as not only
unmitigated blessings. but as the one
source Of all our blessings. They have
been described, particularly by profess
sors of economies and college prest-
dents IN privately endowed institutions,
in picturesque geographical and me-
neurological figures
And III the ways OF our particular
providences seemed at any time dark
and inscrutbale. we must not question
or ctiticise, still less murmur and re-
bel, but Just trust and obey. We are
to look up 10 them reverenuy. in trust
full expectancy, with the grace on our
lips For what we are about TO receive,
be IL little or much. the Lord make us
duly thankful Indeed, the world was
very evidently upside down. Tt rested
upon tile skies and these same noun
tains were the pillars that held IL up
These swollen fortunes, these immense
aggrcgations OF capital and monopolies
OF privileges in few hands, were alike
the sources or our fertility and the
strong foundations OF our security and
stability So Chancellor Day and many
others still assure us. and Bourke
Cochran, true 10 his Hibernian blood,
tells us that mutltudes Of mouths
look 10 the trusts only for their bread.
That has been the accepted attitude to-
ward the multi millionaire until very
recent day, a.-
Partners with Providence.
Now il must have been a',post de-
lightful role to play. this OF being a
special providence and partner with
God Almighty, at least so long as God
Almighty continued to be the silent
mn ~ ms n pal or htr-
ur~fnutti- mflliOnaires Strutted in com
-placent majesty before an admirinS,
adula' ~ and even rcverent audlencc,
composed chiefly or ceclesiastics. col
lege presidents, bankers and. other de-
pendcnts and vassals. with large fol-
lowing or simple folk.
But quite suddenly of late there has
come a decided change OF atmosphere.
The popular mind seems To have shift
ed 10 n new viewpoint. The plain un-
sophisticated people have begun TO sus-
pect THAT Some OF these ayslittering
peaks NAV be the concealed volcanoes
which every now and theu devastate
our common prosperity, with TIE erup-
lions called panics and hard times;
that Instead OF being the pillars OF the
earth that hold us up, they may be the
burdens that hold MS down Or II they
do hold us up now and then, II is not
In the sense Intended.
God has ceased TO be a silent part
ner IN the firm OF privilege. He has
begun to speak and He speaks in omin-
science. Public opinion is aroused.
The common sense OF justice and in
Justice, Of right and wrong. is growing
moro and more sensitive. And for that
we owe much to our strenuous presi-
dent Whatever mistakes he may have
made. fand they are doubtless many,
however, often and much he may act
on mere impulse instead Of clear head
ed reason however, few tangible and
practical achievements there may be
To set down In catalogue or res
r~AG "a slf
done: He has quickened tremendously
the public conscience on these matters.
Vices OF Rich and Poor Identical.
IF you want 10 find the dangerous
classes I'm our civilization. dehumanized
and deI>oralized and possessed OF the
devil you will find them In two places
the slums Of our great cities and the
villas OF Newport. The vices or both
are identical. only the one is clothed
in purple and fine linen and the other
In rags and tatters. For the despair
Of poverty and the madness OF wealth
commonly bear the same fruits and So
ciety rots at the top and at the bot
tom The only difference lis that you
will frequently find more humanness
and WholeSomencSs lett in the Sums
than IN the villas.
what Is the remedy for these, vari-
Gus Ills? 1 answer. First stimulate
and encourage productive activity In
every possible way, opcn-fvery natural
resource to Il that Is now withheld by
the greed OF monopoly and private
speculation and give IL its full reward.
the whole OF it's earnings. Let none OF
its product be diverted by special
privileges into tire Golfers OF tho pre-
dacious parasitic. Make II frfc, lay
tax on any product of human energy,
skill or industry,
And second. abolish all special priv
ileges. legal and Illegal Tax them out
OF existence There's where the bur
den ought 10 rest. not on industry. but
on privilege. Then will privilege cease
TO he privilege. sptcia! advantage
OF tho few. and viii become the com
mon property OF all
Common Wealth for Common Veal.
And. lastly use the common wealth
for the common veal Claim Tor All
the natural resouFccs Of tho earth
which God hns given to- HH.-iet ma
lures bounties belong to natures chill
drcn; let each community control anu
retain the wealth which that commun-
ity creates. franchise values. land
values and ground rents. That VIII
give an ample fund for all the er-
penscs Of government without burden
ing industry. or building up tariff IN
iuuitles. lt will also furnish and sup
port the institutions OF public wei
fare which We So sadly need. IL Will
also free and open -nultitudcs of OPP
portunities now shut : and locked
agalaSt +hn-Tnany by the few. u VIII
give a chance 60 every man who can
use a chance. " viii abolish involun =
tary poverty and involuntary crime
And then the Incompetent and un-
fortunate can he handed over TO the
state as its natural wards. and the dis
eaSed criminals TO Nthe experts In
psychological pathology for treatment
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