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meeting? Hero ho can surround, his house with
a largo yard and station some one at the gate to
Iccop out intruders, but he may begin to doubt
his ability to secure an exclusive lease of one of
tho "many mansions" what then? Yes, what
then?
The approach of death has made many a
man ponder, and it may be that Rockefeller has
reached the pondering period. His recent dona
tions indicate that he is beginning to put his
affars in shape for the inevitable change. But
he can not find peace by continuing his exploita
tion and then giving a percentage of his ill-gotten
gains to subsidize colleger and churches. Re
pentance must come first. If he is a Bible stu
dent he might find some instructive reading in
the sixth chapter of Micah:' "Wherewith shall
I come bofore the Lord and bow myself before
tho high Cod? Shall I come before Him with
burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
"Will tho Lord be pleased wit'.i thousands ut
rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil. Shall
I give my first born for my transgression, the
fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
"He hath showed thee, O man, what is good;
and what doth tho Lord require of thee but to
do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God."
If Mr. Rockefeller reads the chapter a little
farther he will find other verses which may strike
him as personal:
"For tho rich men thereof are full of violence,
and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies and
their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
. "Therefore also will I make thee sick in smit
ing thee, in making thee desolate because of thy
sins.
v That I should make thee a deso
lation, arid the inhabitants thereof an hissing;
therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my
people." '
Nothing would be more calculated to bring
Mr. Rockefeller to repentance than a refusal by
Christians to help him to spend the proceeds of
his 'rivers of oil." Even the discussion of the
subject has worked upon his mind and brought
him, glimpses of the sentiment of the public.
If- he is at last led to see the wiokedness of
his trust methods and reforms he may prove 'a
powerful factor in the overthrow of the "trusts.
But Is he willing to try the recipe: "To do justly,
tc love mercy and to walk humbly?'
JJJ
TARIFF REVISION AGITATION
The tariff revision convention recently held'
at Chicago was very significant: It was attended
almost entirely by. republicans and many of
these republicans are prominent in their party.
Governor Cummins was easily the leading spirit
In the convention and ho presented; the Iowa idea
with great force'nand earnestness.'
The resolutions adopted by the convention
have been printed in The Commoner, but the im
portance of the gathering is to be found, not so
much in the resolutions or in the legislation sug
gested, as in the fact.that the delegates were will
ing to admit the imperfections of the Dingley law
and recognize the necessity for reciprocal trade.
The standpatters seem to assume that we can
sell to every one -and buy of no one. Absurd
as this docjtrine is it has had many supporters.
The recognition by republicans , or a different
doctrine is almost hopeful sign. As the Chicago
Record-Herald suggests the tariff revisionists
have a fight before them but it is,, to be hoped
that they haye the courage of their convictions.
With Cummin? leading a tariff' revision fight
and LaFollotte leading an antirranroad fight
and Rosewater leading a fight for, the popular
election of senators, the next republican na
tional convention promises to be almost -as in
teresting as a democratic convention. Who will
doubt now that democratic principles are being
vindicated?
- JJJ
TAFT TO TILIPJN03
Secretary Taft tells the. Filipinos that our
nation has no desire to extend its territory by
conquqst but that having taken, charge of the
Philippine islands the nation's purpose is to fit
-the Filipinos for self-government. If this means
that the Filipinos are to have independence it
Is approaching the democratic position. There
Is, however, an important difference, namely
that the democrats assume a sufficient capacity
for self-government as a starting point while
the republicans think that it is something that
has to be developed or cultivated by aliens
That there are degrees of capacity in nations is
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The Commoner
tirely incapable and need alien government is
the basis for all the exploitation that is going
on throughout the world. If we are in duty
bound to govern the Filipinqs because "we are
far ahead of them in capacity for self-government,
how can the gap between them and us
be closed unless they make more rapid growth
than we do in capacity for self-government?
If we must govern them until they catch up
with us the promise of self-government is a
delusion. If we assume that they are capable of'
governing themselves then, having overthrown
the Spanish government, we need only stay there
m long enough to help them to establish a form of
government and then leave them to administer
it. This was the policy followed in Cuba and
Cuba is governing herself very , satisfactorily.
If, however, the republicans distinguish between
self-government and independence and propose
to hold the islands permanently as a colony then
their position is an attack on our theory of
government, for a colony is inconsistent jwith the
basic principles of a republic.
All reasonable things rest on reason and the
reasons which underlie a republic can not be
reconciled with the reasons which support a
colonial system. A republic rests upon the doc
trine that governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed, while colonies
are governed on the theory that might makes
right.
The republican leaders refuse to discuss tho
principles involved in an imperial policy because
those principles are indefensible. '
"ENOUGH"
The newspapers are now discussing the state
ment made by Mr. Otto Young when he retired
from The Fair," to the effect that he had enough
money and did not care to increase his wealth.
As his profits from The Fair amounted to over
twelve millions during the last nineteen years
he doubtless has saved a sum sufficient to make
him comfortable during the remainder of his
life but the question raised by the discussion is
an interesting one. How much is enough?
Several measures may be employed. .The ,
man who cares only fpr himself and has only
himself to care for finds that a comparatively
small sum will be enough. If he takes an en
lightened view of his own well-being he finds that
fwojy does better on simple food than upon
that which is high priced. His clothing account
need not be larger in fact, if he consults only his
own physical- comfort he will prefer a moderate
income to a large one. He can with a few thou
sand dollars buy an annuity which will give him'
a sufficient income during life.
If he has a family, "enough" requires a
larger definition. It requirea twice as much to
buy an anjiuity for himself and wife as to buy '
one for himself, and if he has children their ed
ucation and establishment in .life require further
expenditure. Just how much a child should be
helped is a question that can not be settled by
a?Xiarl&tr?ry orinula much depends mpon the-
child. It is safe to say, however, that parental
affection is such that the child' is apt to have the
benefit of the doubt, and often the indulgence
is so great that the child is weakened rather than
strengthened for life's w.ork. But no one should
confine his sympathy to the members o? his ow
family. Educational, iOligious and charitable en
terprises appeal to all of us and are entitled to
support Not only do they claim a part ; of oS
SfJiyi1nC0,?,e'.but. tbey ought not to be forgotten
when, in anticipation of death, we give directions
for ,he distribution of our estates. mrectIon9
A man's will is a pretty good indox nf hiQ
character for his real self is fort most cfearlv
portrayed. The man who leaves a large eatete
and confines his bequests to his relat ves bltravs
a lack of interest In the humanities and benevol-
Se7nno0rer wor a iack f isssrSt
ar!w hHnt 22L:
in giving, for there is a limit to the aS
that a man can make honestly even l whS hi
devotes all of his time to money maldnn ! 1 he
man should devote all of his nS K ? nd ?
tion. The world calls Tor per seXT
well as for benevolent contributions Thi t? -.
society and the church, all ca 1 foi-' seTvice and"
the person who can ignore thH ,Tm!S? .
the sake of money making ts nTukSto'L!?
a benevolent use of the money made tLS?
one line that can be drawn without' aJrS0 I
misteke. Whenever one has as mUQn l 2
ho can wisely use he has enough and ! 82SL f
no doubt that one has too much-whethei hJ J
much or little-when he becomes the servant
.
31
VOLUME 5, NUMBER
rather tlan the itfaster of his domo
even the wise use of money made ?8, But
complete absorption in SniMl
no father can afford to neglect Ms 5hn iU8t as
order to make money for them so n w drcn ,n
afford td neglect public in&s whilfhMiCaa
iorder -to leave .money to the public X?g ,
There is a crying demand toflnv f
public service. The county needs ne KfiSh
and brain who will place at on , c S
tions-who after securing a competency 3
vote themselves' to the bettermen? nf ??
economic and political conations U &
fruitful cause of craff let tn Q ,..: 1 , most
that political acWandce' h5 in, ! '& g
too largely to those who are in pol fts or ,
money thoy can make out of it. The s "roll SivS
purify politics is for all 'the people to gve
hTtnnnLniy t0 the stU(ly of Political ques on
but to attendance upon primaries and convent os
and elections. There Is enough honesty ZZ
the people whenever it is expressed but at T
ent reforms come by spasms rather than by per
sistent and consistent effort. The man who
leaves to his children the blessings of a good
government leaves them something more valu
able, and more permanent than a fortune, and
the man who gives time, thought and heart
energy to the problems of the day is more help
fully generous than the man who chases the dol
lar day and night and then reluctantly surrenders
his hoard to the custody of the public when
death releases his grip upon it.
It is to be hoped that an increasing number
of the well-to-do will say "enough" and then de
vote themselves to- altruistic effort.
JJJ
THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE
The prominence of Mr. Segius Witte, the
head of Russia's peace commission, has brought
out the story of his rise. He was born in southern
Russia, of Dutch ancestry, and graduated from
the University of Odessa. Beginning at the bot
tom of the railway service he worked his way
up to his present position. He has risen above
the dukes and members of the aristocracy until
he stands next to 'the czar in "political influence.
How1 did he do it? When a young man he read
the writings of Frederick List and conceived the
idea of applying to Russia the railroad scheme
that List worked out for America and Germany.
The railroad development of his native land was
the dream of Witte's life and his persistence in
carrying it Out has given him the great dis
tinction which he enjoys.
The results' of. psrsisten!; effort are often
credited toF ability, but there is no ability that
yields a larger dividend than the ability to do
hard work. This is" a form of genius which can '
be cultivated "and ho other form of, 'genius can be
relied upon. ,
It is astonishing what patient, persevering
effort' can accomplish The great work of the
world has been done by those who", attempted the
seenoingly impossible and refused to be discour
aged. A negro preacher once illustrated faith
by saying "If the Lord tells me to butt my
head through a stone wall, I butt that is my
part. Going, through the wall is the Lord's
part." As "constant dropping wears away tho
stone," so constant attack at last breaks the wall.
At New Ulm, Minn., there is a beautiful
monument erected to Hermann, one of the earli
est of the German warriors. It- cost more than
$30,000 and is admired by all who behold it.
It was conceived by a German of that little city
named Julius Berndt. He devoted years to the
advocacy of the plan and at last saw his plan
carried out,
Persistent effort is the out-growth of faith.
Only those who believe will labor. The farmer
must have faith in the soil and the seasons and
In his skill; the toiler must have faith in his
brain, his muscle and his machinery. The young
man must have faith in his strength and pur
pose and the reformer must have faith in man
kind. Faith and then work constant and pei sist
ent. JJJ
HERE IS A CHANCE
At Shelbyvillet . 111., a few public spirited in
dividuals have- built a swimming' pool for the
boys. It is about thirty feet wide by one hun
dred long and has sides and bottom made of
concrete. It only cosT about five hundred dol
lars, Here is a chance for some friend of the boys
in every, city to render a real service. What a
vast amount of comfort such a pool would bring
to the hoys of any community? Who does not
remember the boyhood delights of the swimming
pool? -
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