Evening star., 1902-09-02
President Answers Critics in
Speech at Fitchburg.
EXPLAINS HIS POSITION
ONLY WISHES TO GET AT THE
EVILS.
Has No Desire to Break Down Corpora
tions Which Are Beneficial
to People.

FITCHBURG, Mass, September 2.-The
first important stop of President Roosevelt
after he had resumed his travels through
Massachusetts, today was at this city
where he found the people keeping a gen.
eral holiday a stop of an hour was made
here and the President delivered an address,
thousands of people being assembled to hear
him The President had a restful night at
Mortified. He took his train promptly at
$50 am. The first speech of the day was
at MiIler's Falls, where a large crowd had
gathered. The President expressed pleasure
at meeting there members of the I'd Massa-
chusetts Regiment, which had served with
him IN Cuba. At Athol and Gardner speech
ss also were made. At the latter place fully
10000 people greeted him. Harvard flags
were everywhere in evidence, and as the
President asceuded the platform a number
of college boys gave the college cheer At
all of the places where stops were made the
President spoke upon the necessity for good
citizenship in order to be successful In life.
President Roosevelt in his address at
Fitchburg devoted himself almost exclusive
ly to the trusts, which he intended as an
answer to his critics. He said in part:
President on the Trusts.
"If some of those who have seen cause
for wonder in what have said this fall
the subject of the great corporations, which
are popularity, although with technical in
accuracy known as trusts, would take
the trouble to read my messages when 1
was governor, what l said on the stump
two years ago. and what put into my first
message 10 Congress, l think they would
have been less astonished. l said nothing
the stump that did not think l could
make good. and l shall not hesitate now to
take the position which l then advocated.
1 am even more anxious that you who hear
what l say should think Of 1t than that you
should applaud it. l am not going to try to
define with technical accuracy what ought
70 be meant when We speak of a trust. But
If by trust We mean merely a big corpora
ton, then l ask you to ponder the utter
folly Of the man who either in a spirit of
rancor or in spirit OF folly says, Destroy
che trusts. without giving you an Idea OF
what ne means really to do l will go with
him If he says destroy the evil in the
trusts, gladly. (Applause)
Will Seek the Evils
81 will try to find out that evil. I will
seek to apply remedies, which I have al
ready outlined in other speeches. But If
his policy. from whatever motive whether
hatred fear, panic just sheer ignorance,
is to destroy the trusts in a way that will
destroy all our prosperity, no. Those men
who advocate wild and foolish remedies
which would be worse than the disease are
doing all in their power to perpetuate the
evils against which they nominally war be-
cause II We are brought face to face with
the naked issue Of either keeping totally
destroying a prosperity IN which the ma
JoTtty share, but in which some share i'm
properly, why, sensible men must
decide that 1t is a great deal better that
some people should prosper too much than
that no one should prosper enough. So
that the man who advOca tes destroying the
trusts by measures which would paralyze
the industries Of the country is at best a
quack and. worse, an enemy to the re-
public.
Conditions in 1893.
Referring to the conditions which existed
in 1893 the President said:
There was no trouble about anybody
making too much money then. The trusts
were down, but the trouble was that we
were all Of down. Nothing but harm to
the body polite come from ignorant
agitation, carried on partially against real
evils, partially against imaginary evils, but
fII a spirit which would substitute for the
real evils evils just real and infinitely
greater. Those men, If they should succeed,
could do nothing to bring about solution
Of the great problems with which are
concerned. II they should destroy certain
of the evils at the cost of overthrowing the
well-being of the entire country, 1t would
mean merely that there would come a re-
action in which they and their remedies
would be hopelessly discredted.
Now, II does not do anybody any good
and 1t will do most of US great deal OF
harm. to take steps which will check any
proper growth in a corporation. We wish
not TO penalize. but to reward, a great cap
tain OF industry the men banded to-
gether in corporation who have the bust
ness forethOught and energy necessary &c
build up great industrial enterprise KeeI
that In mind. big corporation may be do.
Ing excellent work for the whole country
and you want, above all things, when striy.
Ing TO get plan which will prevent wrong
doing by a corporation which desires to dc
wrong. not at the same time to have
scheme which will interfere with a corpora
ton doing well. IL that corporation is han
ding itself honestly and squarely.
What tho pres;dap& pa1;o~a.
Now, what I am saying ought to b.
treated simple, elementary truths. Tn
only reason It is necessary to say them a
all Is that apparently some people forge
them ! believe something can be done b.
national legislation When / state that
ask you TO note my words. say I believe
II Is not In my power to say know Whe
i talk TO you of my own executive dutie
i can tell You definitely what will and wha
tions of any one else. / can only say tha
i believe something more can be done b
national legislation.
Il believe II will be done / think we ca,
g get laws which will measurably increas
the power of the federal government owe
corporations; but, gentlemen / beIiey
firmly that in the end there will have TO b
an amendment to the Constitution of tn
nation comforting additional power upo
the federal government to deal with COZ
porations. To get that will be matter @
difficulty and matter of time
Il want you to think of what have saIt
because IL represents all of the sincert
and earnestness that i have and / saw I
j.. you here from this platform nothing that
have not already stated and nothing
would not say at private table with an
of the biggest corporation managers of th
hand"