The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-04
TRUSTS ARE
 DISCUSSED Theme of President at
 Milwaukee. DRGES MIDDLE COURSE Laws Should Be Neither Feeble Nor Drastic. In Another Address Says Glass Nor Greed Lines Should Be Drawn, Lest Woe Beset the
 Country.

Milwaukee, April 3.-President Roose- velt was tonight the guest of the Milwau- kee Merchants and Manufacturers Asso- riation at banquet at the Plankington the Presidents ten-hour visit to Milwau- kee. Covers were laid for 53O represen- tative citizens.
 The President sat at the center of long table with other guests. Senator Quarles rat on the Presidents right while E.. A. Wadhams, President of the Milwaukee Merchants and Manufacturers Associa- hon, as toastmaster of the occasion, sat Dn the left Extending in opposite direc- hons from the Presidents table were sev- eral other tables at which the members of the Merchants and Manufacturers As sociation and their friends sat.
 After the banquet had been served. toastmaster Wadharns introduced Presi- dent Roosevelt. who responded to the toast The President of the United States" The President took this occa- sion to give his views on the subject of Trusts"
 Speaks on Trusts.
 MT. Postmaster, Gentlemen-Today I wish to speak to you on the question of the control and regulation of those great corporations which are popularly. al- 3hough rather vaguely, known as trusts; dealing mostly with what has actually been accomplished in the way of legisla- ton and in the way of enforcement of legislation during the past eighteen months, the period covering the two ses- sions of the Fffty-seventh Congress. At that I do not approach the subject either from the standpoint of those who speak of themselves as antitrust pr anti-corpo- ration people, nor yet from the standpoint of those who are fond of denying the ex- lstence of evils in the trusts, Anr who ap- parently proceed upon the assumption that if a corporation Is large enough it can do no wrong.
 I think I speak for the great majority of the American people when I say that we are not in the least against wealth as such, whether individual or corporate; that we merely desire to see any abuse of corporate or combined wealth correct ed and remedied ;that we do not desire the abolition or destruction of big corpo- rations, but, on the contrary, recognize them as being in many cases efficient eco homie instruments, the results Of an in- evttable process of economic evolution, and only desire to see them regulated and controlled so far as may be neces- Bary to subserve the public good. We should be false to the historic principles of our government If we. discriminated either by legislation or administration, either for or against a man because of either his wealth or his poverty. There Is no proper place in our society either for the rich man who uses the power conferred by his riches to enable him to oppress and wrong his neighbors. nor yet for the demagogic agitator who, instead of attacking abuses as all abuses should be attacked wherever found, attacks prop erty. attacks prosperity attacks men of wealth. as such, whether they be good or bad. attacks corporations whether they do well or i'll, and seeks, in spirit of ignorant rancor, to overthrow the very foundations upol which rest our national well-being.
 Problems Hitherto Unknown.
 In consequence of the extraordinary in dustrial changes of the last half century, and notably of the last two or thred9dec- ads, changes due mainly to the rapidity and complexity of our industrial growth, We are confronted with problems which in their present shape were unknown to our forefathers. Our great prosperity. with its accompanying concentration of specialization of faculties, and it's devel- opment of giant industrial leaders, has brought much good and someeevil. and it is as foolish to ignore the good as will fully 10 pima OuTSelVeS lO tHo Stil'
 The evil has been partly the inevitable accompaniment of the social changes. and where this Is the case 1t can be cured neither by law nor by the adminiskra- tion of the law, the only remedy lying in the slow change of character and of economic environment. But for portion of the evil at least, we think that rem edies can be found. We know well the danger of false reme dies, and we are against all violent, radical and unwise change. But we believe that by proceed ing slowly, yet resolutely with good sense and moderation, and also with firm de- termination not to be swerved from our course either by foolish clamoP or by any base or sinister influence, we can accomplish much for the betterment of conditions.
 Nearly two years ago. speaking at the State fair in Minnesota, l said:
 Tt Is probably true that the large major ity of the fortunes that now exist in this country have been amassed. not by in- turing our people, but as an incident to the conferring of great benefits upon the community. and this, no matter what may nave been the conscious purpose of those amassing them. There is but the scantiest Justification for more of the outcry against the men of wealth as guch: and it ought to be unnecessary to ttate that any appeal which directly or Indirectly leads to suspicion and hatred among ourselves. which tends to limit op portunity and therefore to shut the door pf success against poor men of talent, and, finally. which entails the possibility pf lawlessness and violence, is an attack upon the fundamental properties Of Amer lean citizenship. Our interests are at bottom common; in the long run we 70 down together. Yet more and more if is evident that the State. and if necessary the Nation. has got to possess the right of supervision and control al regards fhs great corporations which are its creae lures, particularly as regards the great business combinations which derive portion of their importance from the ex istence Of some monopolistic tendency The right should be exeCcised with eau ton and self-restraint; but it should ex ist, SO that 1t may be invoked if the need arises.
 Last fall in speaking at Cincinnati, eAid:
 His Cincinnati Utterances.
 '"The necessary supervision and con trol, in which 1 firmly believe as the only method of eliminating the real evils of the trusts. must come through wisely and cautiously framed legislation. which shall aim in the first place to give definite con- trol to some sovereign over the great cor DoratiouS, and which shall h0 SolloRad.