The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-08
THE MAN FOR THE HOUR

THE MAN FOR THE HOUR
New York Needed Roosevelt to Save
1t from Itself-That City Not in
Sympathy With the Aims and Inter-
ests of the American PeopIe-Capi-a
tai as the Exemplar of LaWlessness
and Labor as Its ImitatOr-Roose-.
yelts Three Years and Their Rec
ord Of Things Done.
w. d. Washburn, Jr., who has re-
Gently been In New York studying
political conditions there, writes for
4 he ourna the following obser-
vatfons on the situation. While Mr..
Washburn has not discovered anything
particularly new, he has stated the
| situation mighty well:
New York Is very dull these days. Two
years ago the newiy-rich filed every thee
alter, restaurant and club Money was
4 thrown about the streets in lavish profu-
lsion. Footnent Wore sables and 1t was
difficult to find vacant table at Sherry's
or the Waldorf. To-day the newly-rich
are back at work on their old salaries and
the town curses Schwab and Morgan for
/ all it's woes
/ A year ago these disasters were cur
| rently laid to Roosevelt. To-day the more
conservative are coming to the conclusion
that the shrinkage in Watered stocks had
/ to come. They are now inclined to blame
the makers of these fraudulent stocks and
not the president. To-day the anti Roose-
welt movement as a practical force, Is
/ broken squarely across the back.
1 It Is said that Roosevelt is not popular
4 in New York city. New York Is no longer
an American city. It is largely cosmo-
of
are foreign both in nationalities and senti-
ments. With nearly 100000 foreigners
from the slums Of Europe crowding yearly
into the East Side and the intelligent up-
per classes largely wallowing in the pur-
suit Of wealth, its public opinion is of lit
} tie moment or value. New York is moro
: provincial than Paris. It knows less about
the real United States than it does Of
London or Vienna. It is not matter Of
surprise, therefore, that the great metrop-
can who has red blood in his veins, talks
/ straight to the point and enforces the
law.
Public opinion in New York is largely
commercial It's views are based upon the
interests of New York. They are in no
wise connected with the interests of the
United States. The gigantic consolida-
tons of capital that are there centered,
: nre hernaphroditic These interests are
4 neither republican nor democratic. They
t are sexless and without civic virtue. The
financial giants who control them are
rarely patriotic Their influence Is liable
: to be thrown either for Tammany or the
q republican party if the success Of either
y seems the more likely to serve their COM
q mercial ends. New York city wants the
laws Of the United States made to suit the
interest of New York city and Wall street.
II It is, therefore, generally opposed to the
It stamp Of man who says that the law is
e made to be enforced and who enforces it,
: against all alike. whether illegal in corr
q porations of capital or lawless aggrega-
Z, lions of labor
Theodore Roosevelt appeared on the
n scene just in the nick of time. The great,
,, overshadowing evil of. American civiliza-
% ton is to-day the general contempt and
disregard of law which has permeated ali
ranks and conditions of American society
le This extraordinary degeneration of the old
ID law abiding, Anglo-Saxon people has pro-
e ceeded to a point where it threatens the
= foundations Of government. In this coun-
ir try one might almost say, no one any
II longer wants to obey the law. Corpora
) tons for a long time have evaded the laws
= by every ingenious contrivance that legal
Of wisdom could devise Legislatures and
ar courts have been carelessly brushed aside
I'd year after year until the people have now
< become accustomed to the disregard OF
law. Many working people apparently see
no reason why Labor should not live out.
l. side the law as we'll as capital.
i. This is an extraordinary social condition
TO and capital has itself largely to blame thai
IN labor has also finally fallen into the habit
Of disregarding the law.
It can hardly be supposed that men who
l. live by the sweat of their brow, will longer
rs obey the law when they see it broken witt
In impunity by men who live by their men.
N tai labor alone.
id It is time to Gala halt upon the univer.
e. sal contempt into which the law abiding
81 Init ELL L.
id zen to carefully inquire for himself wha
n. is going to happen if the law is no Longer
strictly to be enforced but is to be ig
nored or over-ruled as the passing ne
cessities Of the individual may demand
It is time for men who have accumulate
- large wealth to consider whether tl1i
~ wealth is to long remain secure, If the.
10 deride the law which is the only protec
he ton Of capital in The long run.
u, 1t is equally time for the laboring mai
10 to carefully consider whether it is vel
lie for him to throw down the stalwart bar
40 riers of the common law which protec
o. him from the extortion Of those who's
:, brains command his labor. The laborin,
90 man should well econsider that only Il
England and in the United States, doe
90 he really enjoy equal rights and the prod
az ucts of his own labor. He does this onl
hit because he has the protection of the Lax
In which he makes himself. and should kee
gu intact by the freedom of his ballot. What
!, ever the passing necessities of his ow
~ condition may appear to demand at tn
~ ~ time, he strikes at the very root of hi
-. - own prosperity when he ignores the Law
~ either as an individual or an organizat ior
Apart from capital and labor. is 1t nc
j.. also about time that the great rnajorit
. of American citizens who are neither cap
:, - ftalists nor workers for wages. shout
y - have some protection under the law?
~ is a standing reflection upon our syster
=. Of government that it is still possible fo
%, n great country to be held by the throa
IS thru the apparently irreconcilable inter
* ests Of capital and labor. Theodore sRoose
us = welt has been much assailed for his inter
ne ference in the coal strike. It is fortunat
is for the country as whole that he ha
lat the moral courage. to do this. Whateve
VI the rights or the wrong Of capital or labc
ne may have been in this case. the presider
oiy struck popular chord when he conclude
OF that the plain people had some rights an
icy that these destructive contests must L
is settled by arbitrat ton. if they cannot h
90 settled by the agreements between labc
and capital.
People of thin culture in the east ha,
much to say about the crime again!
Panama. Many gold democrats in I'll
TX east are long on international law, b,
OF short on common sense. They talk BIZ
* terly about imperialism. but. aside frol
Of abusing the president, they offer no otht
Of Isolution Of the canal problem. In fac
ng they invariably admit that the president
course was Inevitable and probably prope