The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-05
ROOSEVELT On PROPERTY.
HIS TALK 20 A BC7FALo Clue ON
TTs SSE AND IT'S ABUSE.


BUFFALO. May Gov. Roosevelt
spoke at the Independent Club dinner to-
aisht on Property. Its Use and Its
Abuse" The banquet hall was crowded
Of western New York. Most OF the JUS
ticeS % the Eighth judicial district, rep
resentasives In congress and state anc
Federal officers were present. The gov
ernor said
Although I suggested the title for the
remarks that l was TO make tonight. did
not express. and IL is not In four or Eve
words 10 expreSs. exactly the subject 10
which I will speak. for I want TO speak
TO you more Of the attitude held by our
public men and Of the public opinion which
these public men must and do represent
and Of the attitude that the men OF means
themselves take toward the social and
political problems Of the day. / do not
mean TO talk merely OF the use or abuse
oe private property rs II does not afYect
the public. want To talk 10 you Of what
concerns all OF us. particularly concerns
those Of us who for the moment occupy
public position and what Is the attitude
that should properly be observed by iegIs-
lators by elective officers toward wealth,
and the attitude that should be observed
In return By men of means. and especially
By the organizations o< men OF means
which We distinguish as corporations. to-
ward the body polite and toward their Eel.
low citizens.
I'VE have one entire branch OF our state
government directed solely TO the consid-
eration OF questions of property. and Buf-
falc has for some time monopolized that
branch. first In the person Of Comptroller
Roberts, and then In that OF his successor
Comptroller Morgan. But wish to speak
To you not 80 much upon the material side.
though what have TO say must be largely
based upon our relations with the material
side. but upon what may not improperly
be called the ethical side OF the relations
OF property 10 the state and At the state,
In return. to property.
Now. d course. a great DEAL Of what
l have 10 say must be trite. All OF the
great truths UP to which we try to act
arc trtte. ] certainly have not yet found
any new principle Of Importance in public
hfe. and. 30 far as have been able to
get have become more and more a con-
WINGED believer In the doctrine fiouted
few years ago by then eminent states
man. that. after all. the decaloGue and the
golden rule are the two guides to conduct
upon which we should base our actions
in political affairs. do not mean to speak
tn spirit Of can't and am about the last
person who would advocate holding up
To any body 0 men an impractical theory
OF life, for l grow steadily 10 feel more
and more that II you make your theory
Impractical you Will make your practice
imperfect. and that II you set up theory
which no man can live Up TO you win In
practice condone course Of life on the
part OF your public men which falls far
snort OF what II II your right and duty
to insist upon.
II ask that you put into practice the
doctrine to which ! listened some years
ago when ] attended In this city OF Buff
falo. at dinner somewhat similar 10 ,hi.
ana neara speech from then eminent
citixen OF your city who has now become
citizen Of mine. the Rev. Mr.. Slicer
who phrascd. in a way that I have aIwavs
remembered. a doctrine that IL seems to m.
All OF US ought to take TO heart, when he
stated that what We needed at this time
In our political life was not genius. NOT
briliiancy. so much as We need the ordi
nary humdrum qualities and. virtues OF
common honesty. common sense. courage.
integrity. In other words we need that
our public men. that the representatives
tiles which We value in the home and the
counting house: that they should show
az pubic men the same type OF value
mat we expect from the community. I
utterly aistrust the men OF whom II IL
continually said. oh. he's a good enough
fellow. but of course IL politics he plays
politics. II he does more you can't az
ford 20 trust him. am going TO elabor.
ate that principle a little later when /
speak Of wha, people sometimes approve
Of In their public servants in reference
70 the problems OF immediate and press
ing moment,
Before I speak of that want TO dwell,
upon this point which I have already
raised with yon. and that II the vital inn
portance Of making profession go with
performance. And now let me explain
that that has two sides: II not only means
that your performance must be pretty
high, but that your profession mus, not
be too high. II IL about as bad for a man
To profess. and for those that listen TO
him, by their plsudits to insist upon his
protesting something 10 which they know
he cannot live up 10, as II IL for him 10
so below what he ought to do. because
II he gets into the intoierable habit OF
lying tn himself and 10 his audience an
90 what no intends to do, IT is absolutely
certain that he won't he able 10 stand up
20 what he knows ough, to be done
The temptation Of the average politician
IL To premise everything 20 the refornsrs
ard then 10 do everything for the ar
gsn:xaiion. think I can say tina, what.
ever have promised. m the stump or Of
the stump either promised expressly or
fnapllediy, 10 either organization or re-
formers. have kept the promise: and
should keep II Just as much II the rev
formers sl!saprroyed as n the organixa
ton dlsapproved and vice versa Ana
NJ any rate. that gives you the comfort.
able feeling. you know, that you can stay
put You do not have 10 take back any-
thing or apologize for anything.
But seriously. gentlemen II il sure to
produce bad results IL the people exnsc.
professions which they do not expect 10
see lived up 20: issst exactly as We will
gradually in this country have TO make
aH Our minds so the fact that II is thor.
oughiy eva 10 get a law pat on the stat.
ute books - please somebody else IL Ia
Sp&vx 20 take 10 several decades 70 get
back Il tia; point, eat We must get there
~ the end II we DO not. ne Will see urs.
~erssiy what We now see locally As re-
CARDS certain crimes, what We now sse
locally SIS regards the mos, heirouS OF
all crimes, the crime ~ murder Fer n
YOU take tbs states wAsy. tUrses are
most reluctant - convict a man for nun.
der aad see HIM punished according IN
tire forms ~ las. ySu viii ind the very
states whore the people are most ready
20 cnndore TIRE punishment OF criminals
outside 81 fhe pale % the law where
ihsy are nss<t ready - eandnna
IRE inakc;son % csatt. and even ~ ,ov.
t'rc. under the process os lynch iaw
without regard 70 law. and he two pre.
esssss are s.Ge BY side When vsa lad
the senk s@aI2vaentaikty that viii nsx'-
saEs - hcai TIRE teks~ az asts the MOS,