New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-18
Justice for Rich and Poor.

Justice Tor hlCn ofio
According to our ability, We lntend 20
safeguard the rights of the mighty; pus
Sc ;nfand no less iealousIy to safeguard
-be rights of the ioUly- our IDEAL y eQ 9ii
Justice for all; justice anhc Iol IN -igIIt
man and for the poor man Who 40 llsn,,
and the same stern justice for the rlch Atali
and the poor man who 90 WIonSc
cordially believe in the rlghtS oI ~ IL Iang
run the rights OF humanity, the rights u
mankind coincide with the rights CT pfop
ertv and that the two sets of rlghts are
in LARGE mart ineXtricably interviewer 10
gether: and so would protect piopsel -
in all its rights But we feel tnai; t ~
exceptional cases there Is any conllct pc
tween the rights of property ana tiie rishts
Of man, then We must stand for the rlsiils
of man .v- t,as
accumulated in such masses that 1t ne
canes heaped up wealth. fairly fapuious
in its extent and power, then there dlIses
real reason not merely for safeguarding
the rights of wealth but for Safego ollls
the people against the wrongs ana buses
of wealth, and especially OF "eallll IN re
corporate capacity, of wealth funchonins
as corporate capital The great CAPTAINS ;s1o5 to
of industry do We'll and are enilllea- 70
great rewards only in SO far as they rem
der great service; they are TnNaluaple 20
long as they, in good faith act as the
come inteiesra bic when they behave as the
masters Of the public. The cofordloH -
the creature Of the people: and II mus liot
be allowed to become the ruler OF the
people
The Honest Public Servant
Let me aid q word of warning TO the
honest public servant, and especially 10
people who believe in the honest pubic
servant We cannot get honesty ana JUS
tice from corporations unless we 90 justice
J;T,hesitatingIy the public servant who fails
10 protect q corporation in Its rights as d
public servant who submits to OF a3els tIae
wrongdoing of corporation. II the PEG
pie permit dishonest men TO biackmal COZ
porations, they may rest assured that the
corporations viii first protect themselves
I,v paving the blackmail and then pro-
coed 10 hire the corrupt men who nave
blackmailed them, to render them IN the df
turn improper service at the expense oI
the public. ltd
1t is no defence for corporation guilty
OF bribery that il IS only submitting 10
bIackrlail for an honest business man
ought TO get out OF corporate management
II bribery IN any form ts q necessary instfG-
| lnent OF such management; But nelihef Is
the public to be excused If 1t permits It's
servants 10 force a corporal ton INTO the
position where it must pay blackrnali OF 20
out Of business, Not merely In the lntereo -
Of the corporation, but in the interest OF
that S oaP Serva2ts Tie ana executive
tions. but render full justice in return.
The Leader and the Boss.
Politically. We believe that the people
should act with Justice and moderation and
that IL is emirentIy necessary that they
should show sef-control But we also De
iieve that this should be literally seH-eon-
trCl and not control By outsiders; that they
should be controlled by themselves and not
by political bosses. or by the direct OF IN
direct use Of wealth, and least of all by
combination between political bossism and
big business. People are apt to say that
bossiSm IS merely another term for leader
ship. | do net think that this Is SO OF
course. there are all degrees in bossism;
AMI. Of course, the mere fact that a man
is a boss does not in the least JUSTIFY the
IL -
! made upon corrupt and unfaithful public
servant.
Nevertheless, We think that the bose is
q bad development in our politics 1t Is
necessary and desirable that there should
be leaders, but il Is unnecessary and IN
desirable that there should be bosses. The
leader leads the people; the boss drives the
people The leader gets his hold by open
appeal to the reason and conscience Of his
nipulation, by intrigue. by secret and furtive
appeals TO many forms Of self-interest, and
sometimes to very base forms of self-in,,
terest The leader wars on the crook and
seeks to drive him from power; the boss
too often protects the crook and seeks TO
profit by his existence. The leader treats
the unfaithful public servant the worst
foe of the party to which he nominally be-
longs and refuses entirely TO recognize him
as a party representative; the boss too
often uses and shields him. Leadership is
carried on in the open light of day; bossism
derives its main strength from what is done
under cover Of darkness
Worst Enemy of Progress.
OF course, leadership must not only be
brave and honest, but IL must be sober and
must accord with the dictates of common
sense. Exactly as the conservative who
favors abuses and connives at corruption
is In reality the worst enemy of conserva-
tism so the popular leader reformer who
acts in the spirit Of the dema gogue OF of
the wild-eyed visionary, who incites to ex-
cess and to rash action and stirs up class
hatred, is himself the worst foe of prog
resS the most dangerous enemy of the
popular cause which he processes TO cham
pion. There must be progress: q great de
mocracy which ceases TO be progressive
soon also ceases TO be either great or dem
ocratic; but the progress must be wise,
sober, moderate, IL ii Is to be permanent
II we attempt merely TO stand still we are
certain to go backward. II under the
theory that we making progress we
go in the wrong direction, we shall have
to waste much time in retracfns our steps.
A Lofty National Life.
But progress there must and shall be.
The past century has been one of gigantic