New-York tribune., 1909-06-10
DOLLAR ABOVE ALL
cor H4DLEY DECLARES.
Sans Those Best Fitted to GOCern
U7W Not assume Burdens.
rBr Telegraph to The Tribune.l ]

-,-.,.rc J1,1e a-Capable men Of to-day care
-,ore for the dollar than they do for their coun-
e. according TO Governor Herbert 5. Hadley
e Missouri who delivered the commencement
address before the graduating class Of North
,,esrer,l University at Evanston to-day
.,-rbe Duties Of Citizenship" was Governor
.,.51ev-s subject. and he scored leaders in the
business world charging that they hold beliefs
contrary 70 the law Of the land. and that their
Indifference TO the needs Of the country was
,re cause Of ineficiency and graft in public
Office.
IN his address Governor Hadey deplored the
g. -rs- The makers and executors Of our laws
- -,,b1i, office as q source Of reward instead
:. 4or the purpose of unselfsh public service
e -efarred to railroads and corporations and
de,larad there was urgent need Of change IN
,le laws Of men TO conform to the laws OF trade
~ IF rre laws Of trade TO conform TO the laws
Of men.
The duty Of citizenship-the duty Of dealing
,7 q rracticaI way with the problem Of govern
-,arr-is question that has confronted every
epe and eve-v. people since civilization began
said Governor Eadley-
The work Of government has seldom been
regarded as the special duty Of those best able
70 perform 1t. And in our country during the
last half century those who should have been
sbor15 have written. executed and interpreted
mr. Laws. have been more often conspicuous by
,heir a5sance from than by their participation IN
che working out of these important problems.
The result has been that those who have
made and executed our laws have often looked
N nr,bljc Office as a source Of reward and not
sor the purpose Of unselfsh public service
..0uring the last half century Of American
bistorv the dominant idea in our national life
has been the desire for gain the spirit Of com
,1erctalisn. Particularly during the last fifteen
or twenty years have we as a people burned in
cense Al the altar Of commercial success This
rroduced a situation that was not only danger
ous 10 The continuance Of representative gov
ernment hut threatened the security Of our
institutions themselves
whether this evil was due to the evils and
oorruption Of our public service, which were
largely due to the use OF official power for pri-
yare gain. or whether il was due 10 the fact that
other fields Of activity and endeavor offered
larger and more attractive rewards to men Of
education and ability it is unnecessary now to
inquire
From the early days Of the common law
down 10 the present time any combination or
agreement In restraint Of competition or which
tended to the creation Of a monopoly was not
only illegal in the sense that it was unenforc-
able but il was also criminal offence
Though the law upon this question is clear
and unequivocal there still exist confusion and
uncertainty. both in public and business affairs,
as the result of this conflict between the laws
Of business and the laws of men. The business
world regards free and unrestricted competition
rs the ruination Of business. while the law says
that competition is the life Of trade and that
anything that prevents and restricts it is Illegal
ard unlawful. This condition cannot continue 20