Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-08
SPEECH AT WHEELING, W. VA.
President Discussed the Trusts and
Their Economic Conditions.

In his speech at Wheeling Saturday after
noon President Roosevelt said in part
My Friends and Fellow Citizens: 1t is
a pleasure to come to your city. l wish
to thank the mayor and through the
mayor all of your citizens for the way in
which, upon your behalf. he has greeted
me- and I wish to state that it Is special
pleasure to be introduced by my friend
Senator Scott because when he gives you
his word you don't have to think about it
again.
Il am glad to have the chance of saying
a few words here in this great industrial
center, in one of those cities which have
felt to a notable degree the effect Of the
great period of prosperity through which
we are now passing. Probably never be-
fore in our history has the country been
more prosperous than 1t is at this moment,
and it is a prosperity which has come alike
to the tilers OF the soil and to those con-
nected with cur great industrial enterprises
Now, gentlemen, every period has its own
trouble and difficulties.
"A period of adversely of course, troubles
us all but there are troubles In connection
with the period Of prosperity also When
all things flourish it means that there Is a
good chance for things that we do not like
to have flourish, just exactly as there is for
things that we do like to have flourish, and
a period of great national material we'll
being is unavoidaby one in which human
minds are turned to the way in which those
interested in the management of the gigan-
tic capitalstic corporations, whose growth
has been so noted period Of the past half
century, flourish. We have grown to speak
OF certain corporations rather loosely as
trusts using the WORD in It's usual and
common significance of a big corporation
usually doing business in several states at
least besides the state in which it is in
cCrporated. 1t seems to me that in dealing
with this problem of the trusts (perhaps it
would be more correct to cali it group of
problems), we have to class all Of our fell
loW-cItizens One is composed of those men
who refuse to admit that there is any ac-
ton necessary at all. The other Is COM
posed Of those men who advocate some non
effective action, or, If effective, would be
effective only by destroying everything good
and bad connected with our Industrial de-
velopment.
Evolution, Not Revolution.
I'm every governmental process the aim
that a people capable of self-government
should steadfastly keep in mind is to pro-
coed by evolution rather than by revolu-
ton On the other hand. every people that
has self government must beware OF this fos-
Situation of mind, which refuses to allow
of any change asneonditions change Now,
In dealing with the7problem of a change in
our great industrial cisilization; in dealing
with the tendency which has been accen-
tuated to an extraordinary degree by steam
and electricity and byuthe Tremendous up
building of industrial1 misunderstanding
with these problems. b think we must set
before ourselves a-desire not to accept less
than the possible, and at the same time not
to bring ourse,ves-to complete standstill
by demanding the impossible.
1T is good deal like taking care through
the engineers of the lower Mississippi river
No one can dam the Mississippi If the
nation starts to dam It it's time would be
wasted. 1t would not churt the Mississippi.
it would only damage the population along
the banks You cannot dam the current, so
you can build levees and keep the current
within bounds and shape it's direction Now.
/ think that is exactly what We can do
with these great corporations known as
trusts We cannot dam them, we cannot
reverse the Industrial tendencies of the age
If you succeed in doing 1t, then the cities
like Wheeling will have to go out of bust
ness: remember that. You cannot put a
stop to or reverse the industrial tendencies
Of the age. You can control and regulate
them so that they will do no harm.
"A flood comes down the Mississippi river
You cannot stop it; you can guide be-
tween levees SO as to prevent its Going in
jury, so as to insure its doing good. An
other thing, you do not build these levees
In day or q month. The mar who tells
you that he had a patent device by which
in sixty days he would solve the whole
question of floods along the great rivers
would not be wise man, but he would be
perfect miracle of wisdom compared to
the man who tells you that by another
patent remedy he can bring the millennium