Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-29

there ever might be trouble but nv
safeguarding against it. And the best
possible safeguard for this nation is an
adequate and highly efficient navy. L
am glad to speak in the home of Tie
chairman of the Senate committee on
naval affairs. (Applause). l do rot
suppose it is necessary to tell any au-
dience which has had a thoroughly
good common school education that
YOU do not win victories merely on the
day OH which the battle IS fought. You
have got to prepare for them in ad-
vance.
When Manila and Santiago were
fought. great glory came to the men
aboard the ships who did the fighting.
but an equal need of praise belongs TO
those men who prepared in advance.
Dewey's ships won their great victory
un der the Presidency of Mckinley, but
they were built under Presidents Ar
thur. Cleveland and Harrison TIE
men and the officers aboard them We're
able to do what they did because
through months and years practice,
often under officers to whom it was de-
MED to De in actual battle, yet they
We're trained to point of efficiency VIC
saw.
The men in Congress, such as MY
host of this evening and his fellows
who saw the need, who voted for the
ships, who voted for the guns, who vot-
ed to allow money for powder which
could be used to best advantage by be-
ing used up in practice-those We're the
men who rendered that victory posi-
BILE Now it is the work that is being
done in the navy which will render that
navy fit to respond to any call that
may be made upon it, if war, which
Heaven forbid such CALL should ever be
made.
So much for what is our duty in ref
erence to matters without. Even more
important is it to deal well and wisely
with affairs within our own borders.
No great benefit can come without
bringing attendant problems of one
kind or another. We are rightly proud
of our great material prosperity, of the
wonderful material progress that we
have made. 1t is a great thing for this
country that it should have come, but
it has brought many problems in its
train. Now there is not any pet recipe,
any pet nostrum which you can take as
a whole and have all the problems of
the body polite solved. Fundamental
ly you must approach the new prob
lens in the spirit with which our faith
ers approached the problems of their
day, if you are going to get a satisfac-
tory solution. You have to do it with
patience. with resolution, with courage
and finally with common sense
Take the evils that come up to our
mi nd -b6I, Of
word trust is used very loosely. In the
ordinary significance it means simply a
large corporation created in one state.
probably doing business in other states,
and usually with an element of mo-
noply pertaining to it. Now some Of
the evils alleged are imaginary, others
are very real Certainly the change
produced along a number of lines by
the increase of the power of these cor
porations, by their increase in magni-
tude, is not a change that most of us
welcome.
There is every reason why we should
resolutely declare our purpose and put
into effect our purpose to take cogniz
ance of the evils and find out what of
the alleged evils are real and what are
imaginary. and to find out what legis-
be employed to minimize or to do away
with those evils. But the one thing
sure is that if we try to apply those
eXpedients which in any way border
upon the hystercal we are going TO fail
l want to see the knife used to cut out
any evil. but 1 want to see it used so
that it will be more dangerous to the
disease than to the patient
You can perfectly well reduce the
prosperity of the trusts by reducing the
prosperity of everybody. In 1898 no
trusts Notwithstanding 1ourished
But we want to devise some method by
which we can minimize any evil they
do without interfering with the general
prosperity which is "A benefit to all
(Applause). We wish to avoid trying
any solution of the problem which
would involve US all in a common dis-
aster-a disaster that would be felt
most severely by those least well off in
the worlds goods. On the one hand
believe that the men of great means
should understand that when we de-
mand some method of asserting the
power of the nation over all corpora
lions. we are acting not against their
interests, but in their interest.
When we make the law obeyed by
the man of means we are not acting
against him. we are acting for him.
His safety lies in the law, and the
worst of all possible lessons to teach
would be to teach our people as a
whole that the law did not reach him.
1t must reach him to make him obey i
exactly as it reaches him to protect
him from the wrong doing of others
On the one hand let men of great
wealth realize that in seeking for this
remedy we are both unaIterably bent
upon finding it and are doing it in no
spirit of hostility to them, but in Il
spirit TO find out what is best for them
and for all of US alike. That is what
they most realize. An on the other
hand let those who feel that there is
something wrong and they do not quite
know what, avoid above all things be-
ing led to act in spirit of ignorant
envy, of rancor. general or sectional.
If we are going to solve this prob
lem Alright. it will be because we APP
proach it with all the sanity, with all
the temperatures, the sound intelli-
gence that there is at our command
But the minute that we let our eyes be
dimmed by the mists of envy and
!, ar,I rancor we shall unfit n1Ir-