The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-05-27

GOV. ROOSEVELT STATES THE TRUTH.

Your politician. who is the agent OF
those corporations seeking special
privilege or exemption from equal tan
alton, is shrewd enough to earn the
pay that corporations give him.
The favorite method of gaining a
hearing is to seek to destroy every
man who believes that a corporation
ought to be given no privileges or inn
munities, is to call him "a dema-
gogue," declare that he is counting
popularity by assailing corporations. :
and to cry out against driving CAPT
tai out of the State by restrictive leg
islation." These corporation tools APP
ply these methods with great tact and
success, often actually destroying the
public confidence in a disinterestei
public man who is seeking only to
compel corporations to do what is re-
qllired of private individuals. These
fellows sometimes on the musings cry
out against corporation wrongs in or
der to get seat in the Legislature TO
secure the corporations and keep them
i'm possession of all their special pr.vi-
leges. Governor Roosevelt has found
these fellows out, for in speech {. few
nights ago he said:
II believe that it requires greater
pressure to go for anything that is
labelled ali attack on a corporation
than to defend a corporation. The
very man who will on the stump APP
peal to you against the money power
with big M and a big p is the one
of whom you have most to fear Of net
ing with corporations. There is moth
ing good or bad in standing for OF
against corporations.
II earnestly hope never to see a
party make campaign on the issue
that it is for or against corporations.
Make the campaign on the issue of
Righteousness"
We want no campaign against cor
porations as such, for they are essen
tial to modern business development.
They are entitled to the fullest protec-
ton of the law. But, on the other
hand, we do want ceaseless cam
paign against those unscrupulous cor
porations that abuse the powers
granted them, Systematically refuse
to pay their just share of the burdens
of government, and debauch politics
by methods that have come to disgrace
legislation.
81 believe" says Gov. Roosevelt,
that it requires greater pressure to
go for anything that is labelled an at
tack on corporation than to defend
a corporation OF course it does.
When you defend a corporation. all
the organs of the Money Power laud
you as IAN honest statesman who Is
brave enough to do right When you
attack the wrongs and robbery of cor
porations. the same organs always
label it IAN attack on a corporation"
and declare you are "a demagogue,
trying to get office by driving capital
out of the State
Gov. Roosevelt has recently had a
good school in which to learn. He
joined in with others to advocat, put
ting franchise tax on ouasi-pablic
corporations. The bill passed The
New York Legislature. Since then the
pressure" has been SO great that Coy.
Roosevelt yielded sufficiently to call
an extra session of The Legislature.
He now declares he will not yield the
principle, but will accept any amend
ments that do not destroy The prin-
ciple. If he sticks to that, the hodr
of separation between him and platt
has arrived. Platt does not want fran
chises taxed by the Legislature. lie
wants to tax them for big campaign
contributions and to get their assist
ance by giving them immunity from
taxation. The Governor has irrevo-
cably committed himself to tn, princ
pie of franchise taxation for the pub
lie treasury. 1t is a conflict i'm which
there can be no compromise. Dnc or
the other must surren,ier. Ne Eupe
that Gov. Roosevelt will withstand The
pressure of those who falsely label
Il demand for a franch.S" tax IA, at
tack on corporations 1t is no more
ah dttdck vi CoI poIutiouS thti II ~
an ATTACK on theatres" to levy tax
for the privilege of giving a perform
ance. But it seems the purpose Of
those paid politicians and organs OF
corporations to label it IAN attack
and try to down its advocates by iyias
about them.
If Gov. Roosevelt stands Up against