Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-10
MARSHALL HITS
USURIOUS PROFIT
CAPITAL EXACTS
Vice-President Tells Maine Stu
dents They Must Shape Sen
tinent Against It.

ORONO. Ne, June -Presi-
dent Marshall delivered the principal
address here today at the University
| Of Maine commencement exercises
He dwelt upon the need of education
for young man taking up the
business of life. The Viee-President
said in part:
Slight knowledge will not enable
the young man to assume the man
agement of life's affairs In the ire
pressible conflict between labor and
capital he cannot assume that either
property or labor is everything with
out tending to establish d peon class
in America or an oligarchy of wealth.
Complete knowledge may Convince
him that It will be better for the re-
public to be controlled by neither OF
these classes.
In 1850 we had a republic where
labor was satisfied, where respect for
religion and reverence for law and
order and a sincere attachment to the
Constitution were strong. In that
year tho proportion of the annual
wealth created in the country by the
joint efforts of labor and capital was
one-fourth to labor and three-fourths
TO capital. Sixty years later tar pro-
portion had changed to less thaa one
fifth to labor and more than four
f1fths to capital. This disproportion,
to my mind, has much TO do with our
present discomfort.
Usurious Profit Has Come.
luxurious interest is no more. but
usur1ous profit has taken its place
When our statutes regulating the
rates of interest were enacted. the la
boring man, generally speaking, was
I'd lak
a completed article. The advent OF
machinery took from him his tools
and put them in the hands of capital
Money no longer is borrowed By Ia
oorers to enable them to carry on
their trades, but money is crafty and
instead OF loaning itself to the labor
ing men Il Is now buying the laboring
man machinery, constantly enhanc-
ing It's own profit thereby and con-
stantly decreasing the laboring mans
snare OF our produced wealth.
Inc young man. in assuming
ieaoershp, must create a public opin-
ION ana develop q moral sentiment
against usurious profit as against u.s.
urlous interest. Evidence of a DISPOSE
ton on the part of corporate wealth 20
accept this view is not lacking. | oare
say the prediction that the railroads
OF the country would welcome a per
nanent per cent. or per cent. ac-
cumulative profit in exchange for
thelr greater profit and the doubr-
risk and abuse. which come with il.
The doctrine of States rights il
new seldom heralded save in OPPOSE
tlon to needed reforms. I must sub
scribe TO the doctrine, but I realize
that subjects which formerly were
purely Of State cognizance have be-
come of common interest between the
states and that the doctrine Of States
rights must be supplemented by this
| doctrine of States duties.
What States Duties Demand.
ITO control our corporations if hs-
comes States duty to place in Office
vigorous and honest officials who
VIII hale offenders into court and vim
dictate the honor of their State laws
Instead of elevating into Office men
who will quietly sit by and wait for
the general government to devise
some plan to prevent the evil and to
punish the wrong-doer. To conserve
our natural resources, it becomes a
states duty to adopt a system for the
wise and economic use of the re-
sources and the prevention of private
control by greedy SPECTATORS
If States rights are to be pre-
served, the young men of tomorrow
must take up this cry of States du-
ties; otherwise, our pleasing vision of
| Uncle Sam, rs q patriarchal GENTLE
man with a benefcent smile on his
face toward American manhod striv-
ing for success, viii change TO that
of a quack doctor placarded, When
others fail. consult me-
Many Are intellectual towards.
We Americans are not dishonest,
neither at heart or intellectually. but
I am fearful that many of us are
1 intellectual towards. When getting
on involves us with our consciences
and with the laws of the land. we
dc not fight the battle out with our
selves We throw ourselves into the
arms of the law and demand absolu
ton from sin and protection from
punishment The law, of course. has
defined neither fraud nor dishonesty
with that degree of certainty which
places our proposed conduct within
its terms.
THE old order of education has
changed. It furnished a philosophy
and taught men that happiness was
not in his material surroundings, in
position or power, but in his own pur-
I poses and conduct. The humanities
have been forgotten in the rush for
the successes. Our institutions OF
higher learning may not be expected
/ to furnish a philosophic view of life.
but they can be expected TO instill into
| the minds of young men intellectual
courage ] am visionary enough 10
believe that intellectual courage COM
! bined with honesty will solve what
/ ever social and economic problem
1 may arise May this institution send
/ no man into the world to be leader
! in thought who is toe cowardly TO
! fight error and too timid to embrace