Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-09-17
TRUSTS.
The Presidents Attitude Defined In
Speech at Fftchburg.

The Presidents Attitude Defined In
| Speech at Fitchburg.
| Perhaps the most succinct statement
yet made by President Roosevelt OF his
attitude towards trusts is contained In
bis speech at Fitehburg, Mass, on Sept. 2.
Ia substance he spoks as follows:
III some of those who have seen cause
| for wonder IN W hat / have said this fail
on the subject OF the great corporations,
which are popularity, although with
technical Inaccurscy, known ss trusts,
would take the trouble TO read my mes-
| sages when | was governor, what | said
| on the stump two years ago and what
1 put into my first message to Congress,
think they would have been less as
| tonished.
II said nothing on the stump that did
not think could make good, and l shall
not hesitate now to take the position
which / then advocated. am even more
anxious that you who hear what | say
should think OF 1t than that you should
applaud II. ] am not going To try to
deflne with technical accuracy what ought
to be m, ant wien we speak OF trust.
Bat II by trust We mean ioerety big
| eorporsticn, then ask you To ponder the
utter folly OF the man who either ia @
spirit OF raueor or la spirit II folly says
Destroy the trustsi without giving
you an Idea OF what be means really to
do. viii 20 with him u be says destroy
! thp sgil in the trusts. G.sdiy | viii try
30 tind out that evii, | will seek TO sppiy
| remedies, which have already outlined
TIA other speeches But IL MS policy,
from whatever motive, whether hatred,
Tear, pauie or just sheer ignorance, Is to
destroy the trusts tn way that viii
destroy all our prosperity no.
"fbose mel " no advocate Wild and fool
kafV tr Hs4 La
the disease are doing all ia their power to
| perpetaaia the evils against which they
/ nomipaily war, because II we are brought
/ face to face with tue naked issues OF
| either keeping or totally destroying a
| pruupeFiIy la which the majority share,
| out la " hieh some share improperly, why
- sensible men, we must decide that IL Is
I a great deal better that some people
/ should prosper too much than that 10 one
I should prosper enough. SO hat the msn
/ " no advocates destroying the trusts by
/ measures which would paraly ze the in-
dustries OF the country Is at best quack
aud at worse an enemy to the Repuogic.
Referring to the conditions which
existed in 1893, the President said
There was no trouble about any body
! making too much money then. Toe
trusts were down, but the trouble was
that We were ali OF Us down. Nothing
but harm to the whole body polite can
come from ignorant agitation, carried on
partially against real evils, partially
against imaginary evils, but In spifii
which would substitute for the real evils
evils Just AZ real aud infinitely greater.
"rhOse men, II they should succeed
cou d do nothing to bring about solu'
tion OF the great problems with which VI
sre concerned. IL they should destroy
certain OF the evils at tue cost OF over
THROWING the we'll betuR OF the entire
country, it sOu mean merely that there
would come reaction In wntco iuey anC
the,r remedies wou u he nopeiessty dis
credited.
Snow, 1t does not do sns body any good
and IL viii 10 most 81 us great deal OF
haraI. to take steps which wiii cheek any
proper growth In corporation. We
VISA NOT TO psnsiiZs but 10 reward great
captain OF Industry, or the men banded
togel her la corporation who have tue
I business foFethought and energy ni c.
esssry to build up great Industrial
/ enterprise. Keep thAt In mind,
"a Dig cot porstion may be doing excel
lent WORK for ths whole country. and you
want, above all things, when striving to
get p,an which Will prevent wrong doing
l by "a corporation which desires TO DC
! wrong, not at the same tine TO have 3
seheme - bieh will interfere with cor
| poratlon doing we'll, II thst corporation II
napdling itself honestly and squarely.
''Now, what / am saying ought to be
treated as simple, elementary truths
| The only reason II Il necessary to say
them st all = that apparently sone people
| forget them.
Il believe sOmet hing can be done by
national legislation. " hen ] state that
, / ask you TO note my wOrds-l say
believe. 1t Is act in my power to say
! that know.
Nv hen talk TO you OF my own execu'
tive duties can tell you definitely what
| viii and " hat will not be done. When
speak OF he actions OF anyone else car
only say that / believe something more
can be done by national legislation.
believe II will be done. | think we car
Get laws which will measuraoly increase
the power OF the federal government ovel
corporations; but, gentlemen, l BELIEVE
firmly that Ia the end there will have u
be an amendment to the constitution o.
tho nation comforting additional powel
upon the federal government TO deal witt
corporations. To get that will be mattel
OF difficulty aud matter OF time.
III want you TO think Of what have sale
because 1t represents all of the sincerity
and earnestness that | have, and / say tc
YOU here from this platform thing tha
/ have not already stated and nothing
that would not say at private table
with any OF the biggest corporation man
ayers OF the land"
I