The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-07-22
The People Must Get Together

p,onle of Other Parts of the Country.
az recently received pamphlet copy
III. address by the Hon. Elihu Root
tb- Union League of Philadelphia at
reception in his honor held March
,u'5 On this occasion Mr.. Root re-
,si the gift of the medal of the
.-.- OF which he made due acknowl-
,-T.et. On reading this address we
,r8 ii so devoid of partisanship. so
.ri5rc, and giving so clear and logical a
- of the existing conditions in this
,-ty that we present it herewith,
4ng that it will both interest and in
.srr those who read it:
t,st been thinking, as came over in
rain this afternoon, of my associa-
,rs with Philadelphia, and l found,
.,ofely enough, that of all the dear
,i. / have known here, my mind
a.. sack constantly to Mckinley. l
a.. now, eighteen years ago, | came
ll1u a telegram to meet him, to
4 a5,lt the condition of things in
..a remember how he said. "There
5erl Of war; there must not be war
nj nm; there shall not be war with
.r j. must be and it shall be pre-
-.-. all hazards" Then | thought
.. title any one man can do. The
rS of the mighty eighty millions
...e moved on along the path of
my, and even that great and
M lsn with all the power of his
RI. 5 could not prevent it. And |
--m.-r how, a couple of years after,
e s uy first journeys as a member
his Dlnet was to come here to this
e-I with him in one of those great
.-.J. for which you are so famous.
lra5 led to reflection, not upon spec
TTerences between President Nc
~ and this administration, between
.rIslation or the policies of that
, a. this, but to reflection upon what
m, retrospect can be seen to have
.rs rreat nationwide movement along
usrb of the nations unconscious pur-
3se1 we elected Mckinley in 1896 and
8ir m 300, it was the business men of
7ited States who controlled the
cr1a 1t was the general, the almost
r5rsa. awakening of judgment on the
r. Ut men who carried on the great
,uetl0n and commerce and transporta-
If and finance in the business of this
g5t- and prosperous country which
cr= Mckinley and inaugurated and
,jrta.aed the policies of his admins
Iu1n.
H5w great has been the change. The
.1u- has passed from the business
en- The distinguishing characteristic
recent years has been the conduct of
goyernment of the country by men
10 have but little concern with the
sa4ss of the country, by men who
,t-ast the man of business, who sus-
Ell The man of business. Measures
slng to the great business and the
.s.l and multitudinous business of the
MIry have been framed and put into
'est under influences which have re-
,ls3 the voice of those whom they
ost Immediately affect. The railroad
irs testimony of what legislation
ere should be affecting railroads has
EN- elected, because he was party in
grest. The bankers testimony about
aacs has been rejected because he was
1arty IN interest. The manufacturer
stimony about manufacturing has been
iscted because he was a party in in
rest. The merchants testimony about
umerce has been rel ected because he
IS a party in interest. The ship-own-
5 testimony about the merchant ma
It has been rejected because he was a
rty n interest. knowledge of the
sness affairs of the country has dis
allied men from taking any part in
E conduct of the increasing participa-
if Of the government in the control
d ERECTION of business affairs. APP
Vow, This has not been accidental. 1t
aJ. a matter Of individuals. 1t has
cone because particular men have
-r elected to Office and other particu-
. M-H nave failed. 1t has been de-
g aH Mt of the feeling of the whole
EtrF 1t has been to some degree
go.a. but not in the old way. The
I'll saHcerned in agriculture, in the
sa, have come to suspect and misun-
T:4U! the men concerned in business
h= main. This is the distinguishing
s--sa Of this great change which has
Cured since we elected Mckinley.
!; has lad several causes. 1t has been
I ~ brcause of the old hatred of
sat- Those parts of the country in!
aca alb of the people have been of
n atyely small means have been
sith men who came to hate the
.r d the great industrial communities
the North and East. Of course l
~ a-t tell you that this hatred of
Faith IS more than half mere vulgar
rsrp of wealth. God knows that too
1ca money does no man any good; too
gct money is more apt than not to ruin
y children and invite for him kidney
seas or hardening of the arteries.
Laughter.
But TO he poor farmer on the prairies
The West or the cotton fields of the
llih, It seems as if the rich men of the
i;teru cities were living in heaven at
Is expense.
another element of this change has
Ell al entire or an almost entire failure
Outstanding of the processes, the
ni'tons, the requirements and the re-
l'ls Of the vast and complicated business
Which the wealth of the country is
'eated and maintained. Under simple
Editions we all understood each other.
Very man of the community understood
general about the life, the business
DC atalrS of the other men in the same
immunity. But life is SO complicated
wv tie affairs Of this great country
ls 20 involved. that there is very little
Va lgaerstanding by one community of
If ailairs of another. How can the
-s "lo raises a crop of wheat in Da-
o'a -ealIy understand the complicated
.acaiHery by which his wheat goes onto
" prsakfast table in Europe, and the
Ag- comes back to him? So. through a