The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-24
ROOSEVELT SAYS TRUSTS
CANNOT BE ELIMINATED.
Continued From Page One.

Continued From Page One.
supply and the business world will suffer IT
consequence IT. in a spirit Of su;len envy; the,
insist upon pulling down those who have profted
TsE.SFnost by the years Of fatness they Will bur,
THEMSELVES in the crash Of the common disaster.
1t is difficult to make our material condition
hsNo obeter by the best laws. but is easy enough
by bad laws to throw the whole nation into ar
,f5ha abyss Of misery
Need for Prudence and SeIf-Restraint.
:, Ess Now. the upshot OF ell this is that It is pc
''@-~ e1iisrly incumbent upon in time Of such
material weii-being both collectively as a ma
ton and Individually. each on his own account,
70 show that possess the qualities of prudence
~ Eelf-knowledge and self-restraint In our Govern
nent need above all things stability. hxity Of
i economic policy. while remembering that this
fxlty must not be fcssIlization. that there must
II. not be inability to shape our course anew ia
- meet the shifting needs Of the people as these
needs arise.
There real and great evils in our social
and economic life. and these evils stand out
xod svith ugly badness during good times for the
wicked who prosper a pleasant sight.
:. There is every need OF striving in All possible
ways. individually and collectively. by combina-
tons among ourselves in private life and through
fnsthe recognized organs of government for the
/. cutting out OF these evils Only let US be
sure that we do not the knife with an
- ignorant zeal. which would make it more danger
.b-fo GUS to the patient than to be diseased
v1rss One of the dangers OF the tremendous indus
trial growth of the last generation has been the
very great increase in large private and espec-
qs Large Wealth an Actual Condition.
S9n- We like this not, just as we please but
u it is fact nevertheless. as far as We can
see 1t is an inevitable result of the working of
various causes. prominent among which has been
the immense importance steam and electricity
1feAave assumed in modern life. Urban population
has grown IN this country. In all civilized
countries. much faster than the population as a
he Last
SJare gathered together in great masses # ineyit-
ably results that they must far more large
t.ly By means of combinations among themselves
than when they live isolated from one another
Now. suppose that most Of US prefer On
many accounts. the old conditions Of life under
which the average lived more to himself
and by himself. when the average community
was more self-dependent and where even though
the standard OF comfort was lower on the aver
age. yet there less of the glaring inequality
in worldly conditions which We now see in our
sIngreat cihes.
s9nS9 The Poor Not Really Poorer.
Atus1t Is not true that poor have grown poorer
:, but some OF the rich have grown so very much
richer that where multitudes men are herded
together in limited space, the contrast strikes
the onlooker violent than formerly. on
the WHOLE people earn. more and live better
than sver before. and the progress of which
proud could not have taken place had It
not been for the great upbuilding OF Industrial
centers, such as our commercial and rnalufactur
ing cities
2D But together with the good there has come a
Aneasure OF evil. Life is simple as it was,
IL and surely both for the individual and the COM
~ munity the simple life is normally the healthy
life. There Is in the cities the same sense
OF common underlying brotherhood which there
in still in Country localities, and the lines Of
social cleavage far clearly marked
For OF the evils which have attended
SSupon the good of the changed conditions We can
=. at present complete remedy. For others
~ he m1s by NJ
~ themselves in their private capacity. whether
i merely individuals or by combination with
q arother. Fer yet others some other remedy
BE found in legislative and executive action
national, State municipal
Oh5&nch of the complaint against combinations
ts entirely unwarranted Under present day
* ditions 1t is necessary to have corporations
in the business world as it is to have organza-
toa among wage-workers But have a right
TO ask in each case that they shall do good and
snO. harm.
intelligently and in a spirit Of Justice and fair
play, of very great service, not only to the
=" wage-workers but to the whole community
the history 81 many labor organizations has con-
8 clusively sho'Vu: so wealth. not merely indivd-
ual but corporate. when used Alright. Is not mere
= " g benefit TO the community q whole. but
y indispensable to the upbuilding OF the country
under the conditions which at present the
try has grown not only to accept. but to demand
= as normal This Is obvious that It
n nom OF the arguments advanced against
and attacks made upon wealth such, it L.
TACT worth keeping in mind.
great fortune IL not used Alright makes its
n, possessor in peculiar to the
fcommunity whole. just great. intellect
- N>does II 1t is. unaccompanied by developed
science. by character. But obviously this no
more affords grounds for condemning wealth than
It does for eondemning intellect
Every man Of power, by the very fact of that
Epeower, is capable Of doing damage to his neigh
bors. but cannot AFFORD to discourage the de-
velopment Of such merely because It is pos
Hible they may their power to wrong ends.
= II did we should leave history a
hsi ffiank. for should have great statesmen
soldiers merchants, great Of arts.
.sof letters OF science
lC}JDoubtless the average the most useful man
to his fellow-citizens is apt to be he to whom
tfshas been given what the psalmst prayed for
~ Neither poverty riches: but the great captain
f5pmbinaton with his fellows drives through our
great business enterprises, is a factor without
~, e3vhich this country could possibly maintain
Sf1tss present Industrial position in the world.
Good. not harm. normally comes from the pill
q EfhF up OF wealth through business enterprises.
Probably the most serious harm resulting to Us,
= the people Of moderate means, is when harm
- ourselves by letting the dark evil vices OF
envy and hatred toward fellows into our
iiFatures.
Duty of State Toward Trusts.