Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-30

we have done something for the public
good. Any other view Is lacking IN
sanity, and 1t is that spirit OF unrea-
soning and unreasonable antagon1sm
which political exigency seems to de-
lyelop and against which the COM
plants of business men may with pro-
priety and good reason be directed.
OF course, we are all anxious to pre-.
vent the acquisition of undue profits
by anybody, whether In the form OF
discriminating rates and rebates or by
combination in restraint OF trade, or
by any other means which is unlaW-
full or improper; but we ought not to
allow our fear that something OF that
sore may happen to lead us on to
general attitude of enmity toward the
accumulation of money by thrift and
foresight and to It's lawful investment
in great enterprise for reasonable
profit.
Should Call Halt to Pure Hostility.
The misfortune of the situation
perfectly realize. It is one OF the IN
evitabie consequences of a deep-rooted
evil. You can not eradicate 1t by
popular movement without the move.
ment becoming so very strong as to be
carried for the time beyond the median
lime of common sense and into the ex-
|tremities Of unreasOnableness.
| We have reached, a point where we
can call halt, not in the progressive
movement to keep business free from
these abuses, but where we can call
halt against appeals to a spirit OF pure
hostility to prosperity on the theory
that no one can be prosperous without
being dishonest or a v1olator OF law IN
securing the profits of his business.
Let lis put our shoulders together I'D
movement to promote the business
prosperity of the country by frown-
ing down those attacks that are en-
gendered not by a real desire to elm
mate abuses, but by wish to arouse
| in the people an unjust prejudice and
take away from them their clear per-
ception as to their real interest IN en-
couraging the investment OF capital,
lin commencing it's thrifty, wise and
lawful to secure good and reason
able profit, and to enjoy the wide
spread influence of the prosperity that
business thus encouraged is bound to
shower upon the people at large.
We must have investments from
which to secure large wages fund,
which is needed to support the wage
earners. We must inspire in the bust
ness men who control those invest
ments the confidence that they will
not be driven out of business. If rail-
roads are unjustly legislated against
| by state legislation to the point where
they can not do profitable business,
| the injury is more direct to the wage
earners Of the railway than it is to the
shareholder, because the shareholders
presumably are people who have some
other means of livelihood than the
dividends from the stock, while the
wage earners are entirely dependent
on continuance OF conditions which
make the wages fund large and sup
ports the wage Garner and his family.
Community Teamwork Needed.
Let us reason together. Let us be
charitable and kind. Let us not be SO
suspicious and ascribe corrupt mo-
| tives to everyone in the community but
our particular friends and political as
sociates. Let us do teamwork in the
community. Let us have legislation
that helps, or an absence Of legislation
| II it be unnecessary. And let us APP
prove and praise the great business
enterprise and genius that honestly
and by proper methods accumulates
property and puts it into productive
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 fu-
ture. Business is hating now. There
is doubt and distrust among investors
| due to fear OF blind enmity toward
successful enterprise. What is the
remedy? It is the restoration of con-
| fidence between the classes of persons
who have been opposing each other in
times past, who now, after the reforms
are initiated and are in process of be-
ling effected, ought to come together In
amity and make the best use of the
enormous resources we have in this
country for the promotion of general
prosperity and the securing and en-.
couragment of individual happiness