The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1903-04-09
PRESIDENTS SPEECH
Meets With Great 0yatiens al All
Stopping Places.
A Big SPEECH IN MILWAUKEE.
he Addresses the Wisconsin Legisia
lure and Afterwards Speaks TO
Much Larger Audience.

Milwaukee, Special. - President |
Roosevelt was the guest Of the Mill |
waukee Merchants and Manufacture
ers' Association at a banquet at the
Plankington House Friday night the
occasion being the climax OF the day.
The President sat in the centre or a
long table with other guests or honor.
At his immediate right, sat United
States Senator Quarles, while +. a
Wadhams, president of the Milwaukee
Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation and toastmaster of the oc-
casion was seated at his left. After the
banquet had been served, Toastmaster
Wadhams introduced President RoOsc-
welt who responded to the toast The
President Of the United States" The
President took occasion to give his
views on the subject of trusts.
Mr.. Rooscvelt's speech in part fol
lows:
Mr.. Toastmaster. Gentlemen:
l wish to speak to you on the ques-
ton of the control and regulation Of
those great corporations which arc
popularity, although rather vaguely,
known as trusts; dealing mostly with
what has actually been accomplished
in the way of legislation and in the
| ing the past eighteen months, the
period covering the two sessions Of
| the Fifty-seventh Congress. At the
outset | shall ask you to remember
that | do not approach the subject
either from the standpoint OF those
who speak of themselves as antitrust
or anti-corporation people, nor yet
from the standpoint Of those who are
Of no jStn r,f lie
in the trusts, or who apparently pro-
ceed upon the assumption that if a
corporation is large enough it can do
wrong.
DESTRUCTION OF BIG CORPORA
TIONS NOT DESIRED.
[ think | speak for the great mas
jority of the American people when
say that We are not in the least
against wealth as such, whether in
dIVldual or corporate; that we merely
desire to see any abuse of corporate
Or combined wealth corrected and
remedi9d; that We do not desire the
abolition or destruction OF big corpora
tlonS, but, nthe contrary, recognize
them as being in many cases efficient
economic instruments, the results of
an inevitable process of economic evO-
tuition, and only desire to see them
regulated and controlled so far as may
be necessary to subserve the public
good. We should be false to the his
torlc principles of our government il
we Disseminated, either by legisla
ton or administration, either for OF
against man of either his wealth OF
his poverty. There is no proper place
in our society either for the rich mar
who uses the power conferred by his
lrlches to enable him to Cypress anC
wrong his neighbOrs, nor yet for the
demagoglc agitatOr who, instead of at
| tacklng abuses as all abuses shOult
J | be attacked wherever found, attrack:
, property, attacks prosperity. attacks
men OF wealth, as such. whether the,
; be good or bad, attacks corporation
whether they do we'll or ILL., and seeks
, IN spirit Of ignorant rancor, to over
, throw the very foundations upol
which rest our national well-being.
IN consequence of the eXtraordinar
industrial changes of the last hall
century and notably of the last two O
: three decandes, changes due mainl
, to the rapidity and complexity of on
: industrial growth. we are confronte
With problems which in their preser
G shape Wee unknown to our for,
!. fathers. Our great prosperity with it
+ accompanying concentration of popl
6 alton and Of wealth, its extreme spec
aliZation of faculties, and its develol
nent OF giant industrial leaders. ha
5 brought much good and some evi
0 and 1t is as foolish to ignore the goo
G as wilfully to blind ourselves to th
evil
" REMEDIES FOR A PORTION O
0 THE EVIL.
n The evil has been partly in inev
table accompaniment of the soci
y changes, and where this is the case
/ 26n be cured neither by law or by Il
s administration OF the law. the on
'emedy lying in the slow change
n | character and OF economic environ
l. nent, But for portion OF the evil,
s. cast, We think that remedies can
/ found. We know we'll the danger
aise remedies, and We are against q
f.oicat, radical and unwise chang
IL, We believe that by proceedil
s. ai2WlE. vet resoIutely. With good sen
ma moderation, and also with a fir
J. determination not to be swerved fro
n. our course either by foolish clamor
oy any base or sinister influence. ,
le can accomplish much for the bette
Of uent OF conditions.
FORMER SPEECHES RECALLED
II Nearly two years ago, speaking
j. The State Fair n Minnesota. | sal
1t IS probably true that the large d
O, joritv OF the fortunes that now ex
2 IN this country have been amassed, 4
by injuring our people, but as an in
dent to the conferring OF great benef
1e upon the community. and this, no n:
10 ter what may have been the console
ai purpose OF those ansassiEg them The
IS but the scantiest justification
Mt most Of the outcTy against the NJ
he OF wealth as such; and it ought to
or unnecessary to state that any app
Thich directly or indirectly leads
Nv suspicion and hatred among ourselv
~ which tends to limit opportunity, a
~ ! therefore to shut the door OF succ
against poor men Of talent, and fin
~, which entails the possibility OF la
!essness and violence, is an atts
upon the fundamental properties
American citizenship. Our interests
Hs at bottom common; in the long run
go up or go down together. Yet N
| ox,I -, a.