Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-05
OSBORNE ANSWERS
5X-GOV. STOKES.
Tells Progressives at Dollar
Dinner It's Politician Prov
ince to Enforce Golden Rule.
Especial 10 the Newark start

! HACkaSNSACk, n. j., feD. b.---4A
speech by Edmund B. Osborne.
taking sharp issue with ex-Goyernor
stokes's recent assertion that the
politician is struggling with prob
lens that belong to the church, and
letter from Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt were features of the dollar
dinner of the Bergen County Progress
sives here last night. Mr.. Osborne
said in part:
"a distinguished New Jerseyman,
who calls himself a Progressive, but
who continues a member of the same
party as Barnes and Penrose, and
Franklin Murphy and David Baird,
has recently made a speech that
marks him as very radical, if not
dangerous, reformer. Despite his
well-earned reputation as a discreet
politician, Governor Stokes throws
caution to the winds and comes out
boldly for the golden rule in politics.
Christian Citizenship Can Solve 1t.
"'Our great fundamental difficulty,
says the governor. is that the poll
tician is struggling with the prob
lens that belong to the work Of the
church. The political reformer too
often attempts to prevent ill-gotten
gain by legislation. He is
outside of his jurisdiction Christian
citizenship can solve the same prob
lens through the golden rule. No
lasting benefit will come from legis-
lation that prevents men from doing
things
II assert that this teaching is ut
terly opposed to progressive princi-
pies, contrary to the lessons of his
tory--an opiate calculated to still
the civic conscience of every Chris
tian who swallows it. Its general ac-
ceptance by the Progressives would
mean the end of the Progressive.
fight for definite reforms by law.
AN the bosses viii agree on the
golden rule in politics if the politi-
cal reformer' will just take Governor
Stokess advice not to get outside of
his jurisdiction by mixing the golden
rule into the laws: all the agents and
beneiiciaries of special privilege will
throw up their hats for the golden
rule so long as it isn't enforced; all
the criminals, big and little, rich and
poor, will shout for the golden rule,
IL it is optional; all men that prey
on their kind win applaud the Pro-
gressive craftsmanship Of Governor
Stokes when he proclaims that no
lasting benefit will accrue from legis-
laton that prevents men from doing
things.'
''rhe church is our great hope for
raising the moral quality of our citi-
euship. but it never has been able
o accomplish any big reform deeply
affecting the lives of the people,
until it could get definite laws en-
acted and enforced against definite
evils.
Church Has Awakened Conscience.
THE church has never been able to
| break down special privilege by per-
suading its beneficiaries to give UP
| their privilege; it has succeeded only
| by making Christians hate special
| privilege enough to fight against it.
and pass laws to overthrow l..
/ 1.-THE influence of the Christian
! Church destroyed slavery in America,
| but not by moral suasion-the infiu-
| ence of the church didn't induce the
| Shareholders to free their slaves
| Slavery would have continued q
thousand years in America If the
aroused Christian conscience had moi
warred against it and abolished ii
by law.
Half "a million little children arc
enslaved in the textile mills of the
South; the mill owners will defy the
| Golden Rule and keep them there
Just as long as the law allows.
There is no hope of solving the
problems that grow out of monopoly
and special privilege, except by laws
to destroy or control them; you cant
stop the extortion of monopolists by
! moral suasion any more than you
can stop robbery by distributing
marked copies of the Bible among
thieves. You cant reduce the price
of hard coal by hanging, Love thy
| neighbor as thyself' notices over the
| desks of Mr.. Baer and the Other
| hard coal magnates, but we can re-
duce the price of hard coal by laws
that will break up the monopoly anc
| restore competition.
"Over against Governor Stokes''
futile proposition to solve the grea
problems of our day by teaching mel
to do things right we present thu
definite program of the Progressive
party to control monopoly for thu
common good and destroy specia
privilege by law
| Colonel Roosevelt's message sait
in part:
Sooner or later our people vii
come to realize how vitality necessar!
to the future welfare Of this countr!
is the adoption of the principle!
enunciated in the platform of thu
Progressive party. They will alsc
come to realize that neither of tn,
old parties may be able to carr!
through the program of social anC
Industrial reform for which we stant
and which the needs Of the countr!
So,iroantIv demand"