Nearly one-tenth of our population consists of the Negro race.  The progress which they have made in all the arts of civilization in the last 60 years is almost beyond belief.  Our country has no more loyal citizens.  But they do still need sympathy, kindness, and helpfulness.  They need reassurance that the requirements of the Government and society to deal out to them even-handed justice will be met.  They should be protected from all violence and supported in the peaceable enjoyment of the fruits of their labor.  Those who do violence to them should be punished for their crimes.  No other course of action is worthy of the American people.

Our country has many elements in its population, many different modes of thinking and living, all of which are striving in their own way to be loyal to the high ideals worthy of the crown of American citizenship.  It is fundamental of our institutions that they seek to guarantee to all our inhabitants the right to live their own lives under the protection of the public law.  This does not include any license to injure others materially, physically, morally, to Incite revolution, or to violate the established customs which have long had the sanction of enlightened society.

But it does mean the full right to liberty and equality before the law without distinction of race or creed.  This condition can not be granted to others, or enjoyed by ourselves, except by the application of the principle of broadest tolerance.  Bigotry is only another name for slavery.  It reduces to serfdom not only those against whom it is directed, but also those who seek to apply it.  An enlarged freedom can only be secured by the application of the golden rule.  No other utterance ever presented such a practical rule of life.

CONCLUSION

It is apparent that we are reaching into an era of great general prosperity.  It will continue only so long as we shall use it properly.  After all, there is but a fixed quantity of wealth in this country at any fixed time.  The only way that we can all secure more of it is to create more.  The element of time enters into production, If the people have sufficient moderation and contentment to be willing to improve their condition by the process of enlarging production, eliminating waste, and distributing equitably, a prosperity almost without limit lies before its.  If the people are to be dominated by selfishness, seeking immediate riches by nonproductive speculation and by wasteful quarreling over the returns from industry, they will be confronted by the inevitable results of depression and privation.  If they will continue industrious and thrifty, contented with fair wages and moderate profits, and the returns which accrue from the development of oar natural resources, our prosperity will extend itself indefinitely.