New-York tribune., 1903-04-04
PRESIDENTS lfDDRESS.
Equality of Rich and Poor Before
the Las asserted.

milwaukee,. April &.-Presideut Foosevelrs
speech on the trust question here tonight was
as follows.
Mr.. Toastmaster. Gentlemen: To-day I wish
TO speak To you the question of the control
and regulation OF those great corporations " hl'h
are popu,arly. although rather vaguely. known
as trusts, dealing mostly with what mas actu-
ally been accomplished IN the way OF leSlslallon
and in the way Of enforcement OF legislation
during the last eighteen months. the period COW
eTing the two sessions OF the LNlItR congress-
At the outset / shall ask you 10 remember that
do not approach the subject either from the
standpoint of those who speak OF themselves as
er+5 ,-,,r+ ~ arri-- --orrora-inD naorIe nor vet
from the standpoint of those who are fond %
denying the existence Of evils in the trusts. or
who apparently proceed upon the assumption
that if a corporation is large enough II can do
no wrong
NOT AGAINST WEALTH. AS SUCH
I think I speak for the great majority Of the
American people when 1 say that We are not IN
the least against wealth. as Such. WnetneT lndl-
viduaI or corporate; that we Eerely desire 70
see any abuse Of corporate or combined wealth
corrected and remedied. that do l0t desire
the abolition or destruction Of big corporations
but. the contrary. recognize them as beng
| in many cases efficient con e. instruments.
| the results of an inevitable process Of economic
evolution. and only desire 70 see them regulated
and controlled so far as may be necessary 70
| subserve the public good We should he false
/ to the historic principles of government II
/ Disseminated either by legislation or ad-
mnistration. either 1r or against man be-
cause of either his wealth or his poverty There
| is proper place in our society either for tn"
| rich who uses he power conferred by his
| riches TO enable uln TO oppTeSS ana "EonS Ms
| neighbors yet for the denaSoSic asitator
/ who. instead Of attacking abuses as all abuses
4 should be attacked wherever found. attacks
1 property. attacks prosperity. attacks men or
| wealth. as such whether they he good or bad.
attacks corporations whether they do well l.l.
| and seeks in a spirit of ignorant ranC0r. 70
| overthrow the very foundations upon which
| rests national weIlheing-
! FACING NEW PROBLEMS
| In consequence of the ,rdinary indus
! trial changes of the last half century and 1"-e-
/ bly, of the last two or three decades. changes
due mainly to the rapidity and comQeNlty ~
| our industrial growth. We are confronted with
I problems which in their present snap" We're Hn-
/ known 10 our forefathers. our great prosperity.
( with It's accompanying concentration "t p"ru.'-
| tion and of wealth, its extreme STeraizatiHr ~
| faculties and its development Of Giaut indus
| trial leaders has brought much good and +Fr'-
! evil and il is as foolish to ignore the coa.. IS
vilfully to blind ourselves to the evil
The evil has been partly the Inevitable .t"-
| compartment of the social change. and H-"~'
/ nor by the administration Of the law. che "1iF
| remedy lying in the slow change 0f character
/ and Of economic environment But for q portion
Of the evil at least, we think that r@l1efles can
/ be found. We know we'll the danger Of false
| iVIil ilV4iVS- an - - r.1f---a +-,+ 80
| and unWise CnanSe- bu' We u-ilele yNdl '
| proceeding slowly. yet resoiutely. with good
/ sense and moderation. and also with a firm de-
/ termination not he SVerved from our course
| either nv foolish ClamOr by any base or sin
| lister influence. we en- accomplish much for the
| betterment Of conditions
SUPERVISION OF CORPORATIONS.
Nearly two years ago. speaking at the stats
I Fair in Minnesota ! said
It is probably true that the large majority OF ne
| fortunes that now exist IN this country have been
anassed not ny inJuIi.S cur peo,s, Pc w aS an -
cident 10 the C0nteTrnS OF great DeEerJS upon tAs
| community. and this matter what may have
TLre % E bIIt me saltfest i1.ztiicon for most o.
the o;Itcry against the men Of wealth aS shch ana
rea which directly or indirectly leads suspicion
/ and hatred among ourselves which tends 70 limit
/ lor1uO md
cess against poor men Of talent and finally :" nlch
Ience is attack upon The fGnd9I1en5al @ pToPer
( bottom common. in the long run we GO up or 90
/ down together. Yet more and more Il IS evident
/ cot 70 rosSass the right OF supervision and con
! troll regards the great corporatlons Wnicn are
/ business combinations which derive portion o.
nonopoStic tendency. The right should be eNer-
Cised with caution and se1-restTaint Dut lJ snn-l
exist so that it be invoked If the need arises
| PUBLICITY AS a REMEDY.
/ Last fall. in speaking at Cincinnati. I said:
/ The necessary supervision and control in which
| 6rmIy believe as the only method OF eliminating
| the real evils of the trusts. must come through
shaIL ann IN i iIe n,S | a. FTsst - eorgaraforS and
has been conferred. BY system giving 70 the GOV
for satisfactory action Then. wlen THIS kno" eo-e
one Of the essential features o1 which is pEoper
sHV kind are necessary can be taken with the con.
I
With the subject and OF A tnoroG-h AnoNte'-V VI
what should and be done in the matter.
We need additional power, ana We neNi hloNi-
edge Such lation-w neither ootalnaoIS
I observation-disclosures provide for reaSonaais super
%ision the most prominent feature OF which at
/ both the government 3utnorlties, ana le -
people at large. the essential facts IN which tne
knowledge Of many points which are nov not ony
i'm doubt. the subject Or ueTce controveI1s,
MOI Mpg@,Sg r5s ,arv grave evils for the light OF day
deter WTOugGO1nE- u Would douotlr~S
disclose other evils with which for the time oelng
y.oud disclose others which could be grapp.ed With
and cured by further legislative action
In nv message to Congress for 1901 said.
In rbe interest Of the whole people the nation
sb0uId without interfering with The power "t ne
states in the matter itself also assume power -
supervisiou and regulation over dA 90. t'.'l''.'
doing Interstate business
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE
The views thus expressed have no" received
effect by the wise. conservative ana Vet liE-
reaching legislation enacted by Congress az ~
last session - -.. IN,
In its wisdom Congress enacted the Ne'E E, nn
rortant law providing a department OF No',l
r7erce and Labor. and further proVldinS ihrTt'h
nm der the Secretary OF Commerce duG LdDoT TOT
a commissioner Of Corpora tIons. charSed Win
~ drIty Of supervision OF and or making inteih-
cent Investigation INTO the organization ana con-
- - corporations engaged in interstate com
T,erce His powers tC expose Illegal or hurtIuI
nrac+fces and 10 obtain all information needful
Eor-R TRACK NEWS FOR APRIL
INST out full OF interest. 6eautiully lhCstrated-
eents copy at news deaiers--AcNt
CORRUPTION IN RHODE ISLAND
. .,,,nsr of striking anecdotes about the way