The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-02-25
Candy Special

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law. 1T is'a doctrine which, If gem
orally held, would strip Major Hig!
ginson het only, Of his financial
power but Of his fortune: II 4. 8 doc!-
trine that, universally accepted,
would fling up barricades in the
streets of Boston and arm mobs with
the faggot and the torch.
But, happily, it is false. Men do
expect Justice; they are moving
steadily toward It: they will have it.
They got some of IT in 60, and Ma
jor Higginson was one of those; who
risked their. lives to Prove that JUS
tee could prevail even against the
special privilege of that day. Did he
say then to the shackled slaves, you
cannot expect justice, but we will
see that your masters treat you kind
lly@
And what are the unrest and criti-
cisp which the writer deplores but u
manifestation Of the conviction that
Justice can be and will be attained?
Another belief of the banker is
that the people "have the. rich man.
Nothing could be more untrue.
People are tolerant of and kindly dis
posed toward the rich man, particu-
larry If his riches represent real Elm
Gnstry and BRAINS" the actual deyel-
orment of new ideas or natural re-
sources. Even where the wealth
comes largely from tribute wruns
from the people by the exercise of
monopolistic power or the initiation
Of securities, it is not the man who
70 hated. but the system that builds
up his unjust fortune.
Was there any hatred Of. A.. T.
Stewart or BENJAMIN Altman or Ste
phen Girard? Do men cxecrate the
names of Baldwin or Stetson or Wan
smaker or Disston or Clothier? Is
there any one who resents the for
tunes that those names represent?
But there is cutlery, says our
friends, against Rockefeller. Why?
Because his. vast wealth was founded
ppens, secret fayors from railroads,
upon hefwrecka geS OF competition,
upon crimes against the public.
There IS resent mentS against the Car
nesie9nill lions. why? Because most
ofthem rep esent sno industry and no
brain. but "a tax upon the people in
tie form OF wateredi steele trust
S! ocks. I'll ~ 81 n
Carnegie the ironmaster, Carnegie
the world'ssleaders in great indus
try-to this man the nation paid
honor: is far otherwise with Carr
negie the posscssor of scoscs of mil
lions OF securities which represent M
intrinsic value, but merely the power
of the financial interests Of which
Major Higginson is member, to col
lcct dividends upon inflated values.
This is the secret of the hatred o:
Morganism-that group OF men
should stamp a piece of worthless pa
per and forthwith make its dividends
a perpetual charge upon the public:
this is the secret of the resentment
against Harrimanism, that rolled up
q private fortune of $50, 100000 in
a few years by manipulating illegal
ly the railroad systems the people,
must support. !, And all this, dear
Maiors is no blind, unreasoning, per-
sohal hatred: it is a discriminating.
purposefui hatred. born Of. that belief
in final Justice which you are pleased
te, flout. Il, ~, .s,ss "a
I We have not space to discuss the
bankers third curious theory, that
rrincely benefactions should cancel
economic crimes. But we would re-
mind him and his kind that the pub
lie thought about great fortunes is
progressive, like everything else.
There vast time when the popu-
lar question about a rich man was
merely, How much has he got2p
Then came an era when the public
demanded, and would not be denied
an answer, How did he get it2f, To-
day wehaye gone a step; further. The
people are in 1arge measure satisfied