The Washington herald., 1910-09-01

the most g.. OF course, Lincoln. Part OF
our debt 70 him Is because he forecast
our present struggle and saw the way out
He said:
I hold that while man exists It is his
duty 20 improve not only his own con
ditions. but 10 assist in ameliorating man
kind" And again. Labor is prior 10 and
Independent OF capital; capital is only the
fruit OF labor and could never have ex-
listed but for labor. Labor is the SUI
perior OF capital. and deserves much the
higher consideration. Capital has its
rights. which are as worthy OF protection
as any other rights. Nor should
this lead to a war upon the owners of
property. Property is the fruit OF labor;
property is desirable: is a positive good
In the world Let not him who is house
less pull down the house OF another. but
let him work diligently and build one
for himself. thus by example showing that
his own shall be safe from violence when
built" II seems TO me that IN these
words Lincoln took substantially the atti-
tude that we ought 20 take: he showed
the proper sense OF proportion in his rela-
tive estimates Of capital and labor OF
human rights and property rights. Above
all. In this speech. as IN many others, he
taught a lesson In wise kindness and
charity. an Indispensable lesson TO US Of
to-day. But this wise kindness and
charity never weakened his arm or
numhed his heart. We cannot AFFORD
weakly to blind ourselves to the actual
conflict which faces us to-day. The issue
is joined. and We must fight or fail
Opposed to Special Privilege.
In every wise struggle for human bet
terment one Of the main objects. and
often the only object, has been to achieve
in larger measure equality OF opportuni-
". In the struggle for this great end,
nations rise from barbarism to civiliza-
ton. and through Il peoples press for
ward from one stage Of enlightenn snt
TO the next. One OF the chief factors
in progress is the destruction Of special
privilege The essence Of any struggle
for healthy living has always been and
must always be to take from some one
man or class Of men the right 10 enjoy
power. or wealth. or position, or immuni-
". which has not been earned by service
10 his or their fellows.
At many stages In the advance OF hu-
manity this conflict between the men who
possess more than they have earned and
the men who have earned more than they
possess IS the central condition Of prog
ress. In our day It appears as the strug-
gle OF freemen TO gain and hold the right
Of self-governemnt as against the special
interests, who twist the methods OF
free government into machinery for de-
feating the popular will. AT every stage
and under all circumstances the essence
Of the struggle is to equalize opportunity.
destroy privilege. and give to the life
and citizenship OF every individual the
highest possible value both to himself
and to the Commonwealth.
Practical equality of opportunity for
all citizens, when we achieve it. will have
two great results. First. every man will
have a fair chance to make of himself
all that IN him lies, TO reach the highest
point to which his capacities, unas-
sisted by special privilege Of his own
and unhampered by the special privileges
OF others can carry him. and 10 get for
himself and his family substantially
what he has earned. Second. equality OF
opportunity means that the Common
wealth will get from every citizen the
highest service Of which he is capable.
No pan who carries the burden of the
sped privileges Of another cen give to