llrfi ill 'i i-
'Che Conservative * n
of social institutions ho knows nothing
of the true inwardness of the struggle
for existence.
' 'Equal to the struggle for existence
is the progress of nso. "
Nonsense ! A part can never equal
the whole. Use , usefulness to others ;
ability to use others intelligently for
self-preservation in the struggle for ex
istence is the standard of fitness in the
social environment as it is. "Go to the
ant , thou sluggard ; consider her ways
and be wise. " The best thing the fac
ulty of such an institution can do is to
close its doors to the public and spend a
few years in removing the motes of ig
norance from themselves ere they en
deavor to remove its beams from others.
FRANK S. BILLINGS.
Grafton , Mass.
A TEACHEK'S VALUE TO THE PUKLIC.
"What the teacher is counts for much
more than what she knows. A love of
children , unlimited tact and infinite
patience are the necessary natural en
dowments , " writes Caroline B. Le Bow
in the September Ladies' Home Journal.
"Of course , the ability to teach implies
the possession of an education , though
no amount of education alone can make
a good teacher. While all teachers
must know more than they teach , the
power to impart to others is the
important matter , and the one in
which tnct or ingenuity is absolutely
the prime requisite. Moreover , she
should be personally a social , intel
lectual and moral force in the com
munity. The physician and the clergy
man have immense opportunities for
this uplifting of humanity , yet their
advantages are small when compared
with those of the teacher , which are
practically unlimited. Encouragement
and satisfaction in this field of labor
never can bo dependent upon results ,
for it is seldom that the teacher is
permitted to know what the years of
maturity owe to faithful care of the
youthful days. The teacher's time is
always one of seed-sowing , never of
harvest. "
OIL TKUST TO STAY.
[ Attorney-General Godard will not drive it
from Kansas. Says it will benefit no one. ]
The people of Kansas need fear no
anti-trust legislation for the purpose of
political buncome , such as was observed
under the last administration , while
Attorney-General Godard is at the
head of the legal department of the
state. Mr. Godard says that he is per
fectly willing at any time to bring pro
ceedings against any trust doing busi
ness in Kansas when he believes such
proceedings will bo of benefit to the people
ple of the state. When asked why he
did not commence injunction proceed
ings in the supreme court against the
Standard Oil trust , as many other state
attorneys have done , he replied :
"If anybody in Kansas can point out
one benefit which the people would se
cure by my driving The Standard Oil
Company from Kansas , thou I will go
into the supreme court and ask that it
be enjoined from transacting any fur
ther business in Kansas. Now , suppose
that I should drive this company out of
the state , what would bo the result ?
The smaller companies would handle
the oil business of the stnte and we
might expect to see the price of oil ad
vance. We want competition in trade
in order to give the people the best their
money will buy , and in driving out The
Standard Oil Company I would kill com
petition. Since I came into this office
I have not received a single complaint
from anybody in the state concerning
The Standard Oil Company. I have
seriously considered commencing pro
ceedings against the company , but have
come to the conclusion that it was not
for the best. Generally , when things of
that sort are done , it is for political ef
fect , and I am not built that way. I
don't believe in looking after the pee
ple's interests by making political is
sues.
"I believe that there should be a
change in some of our laws , regulating
the formation of legitimate trade com
binations. We have , by legislation ,
prevented any such organizations , and
it has had the effect of driving many
manufactories out of business in Kan
sas. Look at the wire manufacturers.
They were compelled to quit business
because they could not form combina
tions with other companies of that char
acter. This was wrong , as anybody
can see. The combination of wire com
panies would have enabled plants in
this state to live and would have done
the people no harm either. The trust
merely comes in and underbids and un
dersells the small manufacturer. He
can do nothing but shut down his plant.
"It is practically the same way with
regard to other manufactories in the
state. We , by law , have prohibited
them from forming combinations for
their preservation , and the trusts wipe
them out one at a time. This is not
right , and I believe there should be a
change. I believe the government
should regulate trusts and fix the prices
of their goods , just as it does railways
and postal companies.
"There has been some talk among the
fusion senators because I do not contin
ue the prosecution of some grocery
trust operating in this state. The pros
ecution is said to have been commenced
by my predecessor. I understand that
Mr. Boyle took testimony against this
trust , but he did not leave the testimony
in this office and I can do nothing with
out it. " Kansas City Journal.
The true conservative fears nothing
and reads all.
* rr
CONSERVATISMS.
Self-knowledge is the might to self-
confidence.
'
The true conservative is a thinker as n
well as reader.
True conservatism is the strength of
self-confidence.
Self-confidence is the ethical trust in
personal ability.
"In trusts wo trust" seems to bo the i
present business man's motto.
It is the man who knows not himself
who falls prostrate before the unknown.
The weak alone have no trust in them
selves , hence are afraid to trust others.
Don't kick against the trust but kick
yourself as unworthy of self-confidence.
The strong confide in themselves and
hence have no rational distrust of
others.
Watered trusts are liable to be en
gulfed in the torrent of inherent cor
ruption.
The opponents of trusts are generally
those who have uot the ability to trust
iu themselves.
The trust is in the line of individual
self-preservation and , so far , is an ethi
cal institution.
The ignorant alone are afraid of
knowledge and curse or ignore the ripe
fruits of the perennial tree.
Any institution or method which con
duces to the survival of the unfit is
barbaric and hence uncivilized.
The light of self-knowledge is the '
beacon light on the rock of freedom.
Ignorance alone founders on it.
Trusts are organizations of the self-
maintaining arising out of the nece < si-
ties of the struggle for existence.
A "watered" trust stands on a float
ing and unstable basis , and , hence , is an
immoral and dangerous institution.
It is the false and ignorant conserva
tive who cries in the anguish of self-
conscious weakness "atop my paper. "
There is nothing immoral in the trust ,
per so , any more than there is anything
wicked in the interest to self-preserva
tion.
tion.The
The intelligently organized and con
ducted trust represents the survival of
the fittest according to nineteenth cen
tury civilization.
The trust is in the line of business
evolution , the march of evolution hav
ing been from simplicity to complexity
in organic formation.
Civilization invariably embraces all
institutions or methods which have or do
conduce to individual preservation in
the struggle for existence.
No true conservative "falls on his
knees in the presence of anything felt
to be greater , nobler , better , than him
self. " True conservatism is not a wor
shipper at any shrine but its own.
FRANK S. BILLINGS.
