The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-29

perity OF any part of the country. 1t
is not progressive to be against
railway corporation because it is
railway corporation. 1t is progressive
to take measures BY statutes which
shall regulate railways and prevent
their recurring to evils of which they
have been guilty in the past; but as
Stunning them TO be engaged in lawful
bosiness. 1t is of the highest interest
that we should secure to them rea-
sonable rates. SO that their share
holders may have a profit, and that
We should not enact legislation in a
spirit of hostility and think that mere
ly because we have hit a railway cor
poration and injured 1t we have done
something for the public good. Any
other view is lacking in sanity, and
II Is that spirit OF unreasoning and
unreasonable antagonism which poll
teal exisency seems to develop and
against which the complaints of bus
mess men may with propriety and
good reason be directed
"Of course. we are all anxious to
prevent the acquisition of undue
profits by anybody. whether in the
form of discriminating rates and re-
bates or by u combination In restraint
of trade. or by any other means which
is unlawful or improper; but we
ought not to allow our fear that
something of that sort may happen
to lead us on to a general attitude
of enmty toward the accumulat ton of
money by thrift and foresight and to
its lawful investment iE great enter
prise for reasonable profit.
THE misfortune of the situation I
perfectly realize. It is one OF the In
evitable consequences of deep-rooted
evil. You can not eradicate 1t by popu-
lar movement without the movement
becoming so strong as to be carried
for the time beyond the median line
of common sense and into the ex-
tremities of unrensona bleness.
Must Call Halt.
I'VE have reached point where
we can call halt, not in the pro-
gressive movement to keep business
free from these abuses, but where we
can call halt against appeals to
spirit of pure hostility to prosperity
on the theory that no one can be pros
porous without being dishonest or a
violator OF law In securing the profits
OF his business.
Let us put our shoulders together
In movement to promote the bus
mess prosperity of the country by
frowning down those attacks that are
engendered not by a real desire to
eliminate abuses. but by wish to
arouse In the people an unjust preju-
dice and take away from them their
clear perception to their real in
terest In encouraging the investment
Of capital in commanding its thrifty,
wise and lawful use TO secure good
and reasonable profit. and to enjoy
the widespread influence of the pros
perity that business thus encouraged
is bound to shower upon the people
at large.
I'VE must have investments from
which to secure a large wages fund,
which is needed to support the wage
earners. We must inspire in the bus
mess men who control those invest
ments the confidence that they will
not he driven out of business. II rail
roads arc unjustly legislated against
by State legislation to the point where
they cannot do Il profitable business.
the injury is more direct to the wage.
earners of the railway than 1t is to
the shareholder. because the share
holders presumably are people who
lave some other means of livelihood
than the dividends from the stock.
" aile the wage-earners are entirely
dependent on a continuance OF condi-
tons which make the wages fund
large and supports the wage-earner
ni.d his family.
lie, us reason together Let us be
charitable and kind. Let us not be
SO suspicious and ascribe corrupt mo.
tives to every one In the community
but our particular friends and political
associates. Let us do team work in
the community. Let us have legisla-
ton that helps or an absence of leg
isiation II 1t be unne ,essary And
let us approve and praise the great
business enterprise and genius that
honestly and by proper methods AZ
cnmulates property and puts 1t into
productice industries, supports the
thousands OF workmen. and furnishes
profit to those whose savings have
gone into the shares and bonds of the
enterprise.
This is the hope have for the flu
ture. Business is hating now. TIL ,re