The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-18

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ago 81 Il
her han 81 III i gso /, standardl
and plunge the c6untryf Into disaster
and dishonor. Va
IN these latest years. as tini the most
remote we Il have been true to orr
traditions. IN The process of develop
lrient al point was reached where the
country was fronted by a situation
more perilous than any at has ever
faced except in the: Civil War, and
we; Republicans were. therefore, oblig:
ed to deal with problems Of the most
complex and litIicult Character
fTo our honor. be. It said We have!
not shrunk from sthe task Much has
been done much. no doubt, still re
mains to debut the great underly:
ing principles have been established.
and upon them we can build. as ne
ccssity arises. carefully and del.ber-
ately.
i ii have spoken of the u seriousness
of the situation It'll which the country.
was confronted. Its gravity can hardly
be oyerestimated. 1T grew out OF con;
litions and was THE sresult of forces
beyond the control of men Science and
Invention. the two great factors in
this situation, have mot only altered
radically human environment and our
relations to nature, but, in their ap-
lplication, they have revolutionized
economic conditions. These changed
economic conditions have in turn, af-
fected profoundly, society and politics.
They have led among other things.
to combinations of capital and labor
on a scale and with power never be-
fore witnessed. They have opened
the way to denominations OF wealth
in masses beyond the dreams OF ava
rice and never; before contemplated
/ Ly men. 4. Il J555ss II;
4 The social and political problems
!; thus created are wholly new. 81 Tits a
fallacy to suppose the elements are
, old the problem itself must, there:
i fore. differ only in degree from those
, which have gone before. he dement's
I may be. old ,lbut the problem presented
J by change in the proportion or; the
: elemnts' may be, and In this case Is
!, entirely new. 81: Nj
i Great individual = fortunes and rich
E men are,s It is true, as old as record
( edShistory. Nearly two thousand years
c ago the. tax farmers Of Rome formed
J. a trust" for their own profit and pro
! lection: the English people, thu ee5 cen
i turtles ago. revolted against the pat
r ents and monopolies granted by Eliza
/ beth anu James to their courtiers
/ and nlonopolists. forestaliers ard spec
s Iulators In the necessities or life were
z curse in our Revolution ana bitterl,
Q denounced by Washington. Yet it !.
J. none the less true that the same thing.
; today present questions different Ii
J, kind as well as degree from the pre-
/ Edecessors. < 81 g
t 1T is the hugh size of private for
j. tunes. the vast extent and power O
il modern combinations OF capital. mad,
J. possible by present conditions, which
O have brought upon us, in these late
e years, problems portentous in the pos
o s.biltties, and threatening not on1,
' our social ana political welfare, bu
]. even our personal freedom. II the,
$ are not boldly met and wisely solved
il The great body OF the American
Y people. neither very rich ncr very
!. poor; the honest. the thrifty, thu
t hurd-working: the men and womel
n who earn and save, have no base en-
Il vy-no fanatical hatred OF wealth
q whether Individual or corporate, i
i it has been honestly gained and Il
il wisely and generously employed witt
!. a sense Of responsibility to the pub
+ lie. But this great body OF our pee
"a Pile, by habit and instinct alike, wise
. ~ Observation-Disclosures people. who ar
the bone and sinew OF our country an,
upon whom It's fortunes and its safe
= ty rest-began to observe, with dee
!, alarm, the recent manifestations o
, the new economic conditions. Nor
:. and more. they came to believe thu
these vast fortunes and these hug
:. combinations Of capital were forme,
and built up by tortuous and dishor
est means and through a cynical dis
:. regard OF the very laws which TIL
;, mass OF the. people were compelled t
:. obey. They began to fear that polit
: cal power was being reft from thei
. hands md put into the possession Q
Is - 80 - !. 4, e :,