The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-02
WICKED TRUSTS.
That Is the Kind the President
Is After.
Doesn't Favor an Indiscrimi-
nate Slaughter.
BACK in BAY STATE.
Found Fitchburg People Cele-
brating a Holiday.
Makes Them a Speech and Re-
Makes Them a Speech and Re-
plies to His Critics.

plies to His Critics.
Fitehburg, Mass, Sept. 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 general holiday. A stop on
an hour was made and the president
delivered an address. The president had
a restful night at Northfield. He took
his train at $50. The first speech of
the day was at Millers Falls. where
crowd had gathered. The president ex-
pressed pleasure at meeting there mem-
bers of the Second Massachusetts regi-
ment which had served with him in
Cuba At Athol and Gardner speeches
also were made. At the latter place
fully 10000 people greeted him. Har-
ward flags were everywhere in evidence.
and as the president ascended the plat
form number of college boys gave the
college cheer At all of the places whers
upon the necessity for good citizenship
in order to be successful in life
President Roosevelt in his address at
Fitchburg devoted himself almost ex-
clusively to the trusts. which he in
tended as an answer to hih critics. He
said in part:
IF some of those who have seen cause
for wonder in what have said this fall
on the subject of great corporations,
which are popularity, although with
technical inaccuracv. known as trusts,
would take the trouble to read my mes
sages when was governor, what said
on the stump two years ago. and what
put into my first message to congress,
I think they would have been less as
tonished. 1 said nothing on the stump
that I did not think 1 could make good
and 1 shall not hesitate now to take the
position which 1 then advocated 1 am
even more anxious that you who hear
what I say, should think of it than that
you should applaude it. 1 am not going
to try to define with technical accuracy
which ought to be meant when we
speak of a trust. But if by trust we
mean merely a big corporation, then I
ask you to ponder the utter folly of
the man who either in a spirit of ran
cor or in spirit of folly says: Destroy
the trouble without giving you an idea
of what he means really to do. I will
| go with him if he says destroy the evil
| in the trusts, gladly Applause).
| It will try to find out that evil. 1 will
seek to apply remedies which have al
ready outlined in ether speeches. But
| if his policy from what ever motive,
| whether hatred, fear, panic or 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 diseases, are doing all in their
power to perpetuate the evils against
| which they nominally war, because if
| we are brought face to face with the
! naked issue of either keeping or totally
| destroying prosperity in which the
majority share, but in which some share
| improperly, why as sensible men We
must decide that it is a great deal bet
| ter that some people should prosper too
much than that no one should prosper
| enough. So that the man who advocates
| destroying the trusts by measures that
| would paralyze the industries of the
| country is at best Quack and at worst
| an enemy to the republic
Referring tO the conditions which av.
| listed in 1893, the president said:
! There was no trouble about any
body making too much money then.
| The trusts were down, but the trouble
| was that we were all of US down.
Nothing but harm to the whole body
polite can come from ignorant agita-
| ton, carried on partially against real
evils, partially against imaginary 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 we are
concerned. If they should destroy Ger
tain of the evils at the cost of over
throwing the well being of the entire
! country, it would mean merely that
there would come reaction IN which
they and their remedies would be hope
| lessly discreditad. !"
Now, it will rot do anybody any
! good aid it will do most Of US a great
deal of harm to take steps which will
| check any proper growth in a corpora
| ton. We wish not to penalize but to
reward a great captain of industry or
the men banded together in corpora
/ tion who have the business forethought
and energy necessary to build up a
| great industrial enterprise. Keep that
il mind.
"a big corporation may be, doing ex-
cellent work for the whole country and
| you want. above all things when striv-
| wrongdoing by corporation which de-
sires to do wrong. not at the same time
| to have a scheme which will interfere
with corporation doing well if that
corporation is handling itself honestly
| and squarely. Now. what 1 am saving
ought to be treated as simple, elemen-
tary truths. The only reason it in nee
essary to say them at all is that papar-
emily some people forget them. 1 be-
lieve something can be done by nation
al legislation When I state that l ask
you to note my words. l say I believe
1t is not in my power to say 1 know
When 1 talk to you of my own execu-
/ tive duties I can tell You definitely
what will and what will not be done
When speak of the actions of any one
else can only say that l believe some
thing more can be done by national leg
| iSlation.
Il think we can get laws which vii
measurably increase the power of the fed
eral government over corporations. but
| there vii have to be an amendment to tn.
constitution of the nation comforting ad
ment to deal with corporations. To ge
| that will be a matter of difficulty and
| matter of time.
Il want you to think of what I hav
| said. because it represents all of the sin
cerity and earnestness that have and
| say to you here from this platform, moth
ing that have not already stated ant
, | nothing that 1 would not say at a prfvat
table with any of the biggest corporation
| managers OF the land"
Temperatures of Large Cities.