The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-09-06

Statesmen and SOCIALISTS carry on
their crusades in the form of literary
fiction. where possible, or deprived
of that method of presenting their
appeals. do II by contrasting types
Our sacred liberties, which our fore
fathers esteemed so highly, and never
attained in the degree in which VIC
enjoy them. are nothiug 10 W. as
hong as somebody else sleeps on a
softer pillow, eats more enervating
food or has the time AMI money TO
do things which will XII him, and
which kindly Providence has put out
Of our reach. We would cheek the
rapacity of the rich. Though the
courts would apply the same rule t.
deprive us of some cherished right.
We don't want free trade. or free
silver, or trust bustin"-we want
heaven, and we don't want TO die to
get II. We are the spoiled children
OF prosperity. God grant that we
shall not become the degenerate OF
springs of noble sires, and that the
sacrifices of the pioneers may not be
Knocked by the debaucheries OF their
progeny.
A mans IDEAS of personal rights
vary according to the relative pro
portion of property and manhood he
possesses. If he possesses one in ex-
ward protection or restriction, as the
cess of the other his theories lean to-
case may be, and IL he has little prop
erty and less manhood, his idea Of
man above property" is to put
himself on some other fellows well
earned possessions.
Yet, the student OF History and the
man who will take the trouble to
think, knows that human liberties
and property rights are indlssolubly
and the advance OF civiliza-
ton has been marked by the enlight-
ened recognition and protection of
property rights. Even those, who
most that the spirit of the
Declaration is being outraged by or
sanized industrial power, base their
claims. though they know 1t not. on
he theoretical inviolabIlity of their
'wn property right in the product of
heir labor or some other form of
EARNING capacity. Remove the
'hecks. which self-interest in the pre-
ervation of property rights imposes
IN human nature. and anarchy will
esult. The small property owner.
whose possessions consist only of the
of honest thrift. is
more concerned in the protection of
property rights. than even the great
because the weak and
are the fret to feel the
and of the despoiler.
The theory that government is a
eyeier and that by restraining the
proper activities of the more capable
I can impose and maintain an artifc-
al equality, is pernicious and fraught
with grave peril. Governments
functions cease where the common
interests of all cease. and the master
mind is equally entitled TO freedom
md protection with the mind OF
esser force. Equality means equal
ty of opportunity; but 1t does not
mean to put a hobble on the strong
and reduce his opportunity. That
would be depriving all society. in
,luding the weak members. of the
best that is in the strong.
Roosevelt didn't mean that; but
lie preached a generality with a
'ehemence that battered the vanity
u the "wild-orbed" reformers. and
hereby embarrasses the practically
statesman. who attempts
o make effective those very ideals
he speaker presented. Few would
Isten to. fewer understand, and no
ne would applaud Mr.. Roosevelt. II
e ~ iertook to tell in his speeches
ust low far he would go in putting
ian above property. and Mr.. Roose-
cit is making speeches on this trip. |