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

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reservoir from which the country can
draw for education, or help in case
of distress, war, fire or other calam-
ity. Now, If attacks are constantly
made on property, If managers Of
great corporations are attacked, will
these. denominations be made, and
will these capitalists use their money
in new yentures2
Every man withIred blood in his
veins feels deeply for those who un.
dergo hard labor; but lit4isiwhat;the
Lord made us for?stst sss III, ri
Well-to-do men and women. are
helping their less fortunate fellows
more thalg' fo1periSTand are using
their means. freely for public iinstitu-
lions like galleries, Fairgrounds, con.
certs' and libraries. These things
cannot exist without subsidy. = .
Mutual understanding and trust
win foster kindly feelings. Ignor-
ance and abuse will chill them. II
business men and capitalists arc
pushed aside, who is to undertake
and carry on large works?
These are fragmsntary quotations,
but we are sure they fairly represent
the whole. The writer, even with
the New Haven scandal fresh in mind
is moved TO deplore criticism Of rail
road evils. So we think we can fair
ly state his philosophy in a few
words.
He believes that the great fortunes
which the public is now scrutinizins
have been made by the. industry and
brains of the. owners. He believes
that one mana banker, presuma-
bly--builds railroads, and ithat a few
men-capitalists again-opened the
west. He quite overlooks the men
ond women who went west in wag-
ons and started the towns for the
railroads to run to; and in his con.
cern for the risks of the carly rail-
road promoters he forgets that the
people gave them 1900 acres of lani
for every mile of road built, and per-
mttted them to load the properties,
with untold millions OF watered stoc;..
But more important thing is that
Major Higginson conceives 1t to be 4
satisfactory state of affairs wherein
few men amass vast fortunes, be-
cause, he says, they can be trusted TO
dole out some Of the money in works
of philanthropy and charity. Do not
our millionaires, he asks, always re-
spond handsomely when the less for
tunate suffer from calamity? Do
they not generously provide CALLER
les, Fairgrounds, concerts and IL
btaries?' Who will conduct our
great enterprises, who! will provide
these enjoyments forithee.people, ID
they are discouraged loraoffended eDsf
criticism ?ao,t Sjmo2 aAI 70 l'19t9 Sd'
The obvioussanswer'is that neither
those who work with theirohands,.Y
Eor the public npgeneral, are aware
that such a system is worthy Of civi!i-
cation or conducive to human prog
ress. Strange as it may seem, they
would rather have equality of oppor-
tunity and freedom from the invisible
government Of confederated wealth
than all the gratuities handed down
TO them from swollen fortunes. In a
word, they do not want to be cared
for even by benevolent trustees. They
do not want charity, but justice. Ali
but Major Higginson is ready for
them here:
Made as We are, can we expect
justice, and are we not foolish toJex-
rect it? Kindness, friendliness, help,
charity we may win, but justice is
difficult to get. -" No man, in his
senses expects full Justice in thisiI
@orld;swe can simply appropriate
H. ,s.7s Is 81
He has offered the only possible
defense of his philosophynthe people
cannot expect Justice. ! we arc mott
surprised that he'sliould hold such a
BELIEF but Chat afeS Nsliouid state! it.,|
Fo % 4, y, pc true, then IS this Sofgd iii
d bud way, indeed. i1tg.5 ssS% ] |
Once that is admitted, then govern
ment, and the social order. begin to
crumble. Belief in ultimate justice
is what holds mankind together. 1t
is the driving force behind human
evolution. The ideal that justice
can and shall prevail is the one. thing
that makes men endure and strive
and carry forward the standard of
civilization.
OF course he does not realize it, but
this high-minded banker is preacii-
-.