The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-02-22

When your foreiathers threw the
British cargoes OF tea into the Boston
Harbor, they gave to the world an
example OF 4 new spirit in commerce
"a spirit that placed patriotism above
profit and public veal above personal
gain. They gave concrete expires
sion to that cardinal American prin'
cipal, Taxation without representa-
ton is tyranny"
The forms OF tyranny change from
age to age-from the militarism OF
Rome to the ecclesiastical tyranny
that brought about the Reformation;
then followed political tyranny, which
produced our Revolution; then came
economic tyranny--the oppression OF
the masses-which brought about the
French Revolution.
can not take better text for the
necessarily brief remarks that this
occasion permits than the pregnant
sentence from Governor Guilds re-
cent Lincoln Day proclamation. he
said, Equal rights were won by the
generations that have gone before
us; equal opportunities are to be our
gift to posterity" Yes, equal oppor-
tunities politically, economically, and
individually, whether those equal OPP
portunities are abridged by the auto
cratic power OF government, OF by
corporate power in the greedy hands
Of private individuals, or by lawless
bands OF labor agitators-it is but
different form OF the same tyranny,
alike inimical to the power of the
State and the rights and privileges OF
the individual, be he employer or
laborer, and to the extent that this
power is permitted to exist it closes
the highways of opportunity to the
individual man, be he a graduate from
| Harvard or the son OF a motorman on
your street cars.
Now, my friends, | have not come
here to talk politics, but to talk bust
ness; but the first requisite OF good
permanent business conditions is
good morals-not one kind OF morals
| for the farmer who drives his cart oi
| produce to market and another kind
i of moral for the railroad which brings
the products OF the farms and fac
tories from distant points. Equality
OF opportunity and rights is as neces'
sary on the one highway as on the
4 other. No unreasonable condition:
or restraints must be placed upor
either. There are combinations
which promote trade and combina
tions which restrain trade; to checl
both is harmful, to permit both IL
i more harmful. To adjust our laws tc
perserve corporate industrial and in
dividual rights, and by all means in
diyidual rights, and to curb wrongs
whether corporate or individual, /:
OF the highest concern, not only t.
commerce, but to the stability Of thu
commonwealth.
= | understand that the purpose tina
:. you, who are the foremost merchant
and business men OF Boston, have il
view is to form more effective work
ing body, to the end OF promoting
: the commercial and civic welfare o
this ancient and honored municipality
: AS the executive head Of that Depart
e ment OF our Government charged wit
ithe administration of affairs pertain
ing to commerce and labor, | hav
!. come here mot only to signify m
deep interest in your purposes, but t
lend whatever encouragement tha
may be in my power to this import
ant movement for the protection {
business and civic interests. | tru:
you will extend your sphere OF us'
fulness beyond the limits of you
city and your Commonwealth, an
cooperate with the Departments {
Commerce and Labor, in order tn;
the activities of that Department ma
be placed in closer touch with tt
commercial interests OF the countr
In December last conference W;
3 held in the Department, at Washing
ton, for the purpose Of organizing
3 National Council of Commerce,
order to bring about closer relatio
ship between the Government Depar
ment having to do with commerce
affairs and the various boards Of trad
chamber Of commerce, and tra'
organizations Of the country. II
rapid extension Of British and Ge
man trade throughout the world
due in no small degree to the helpf
cooperation Of trade bodies wi