Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-02-04
ROOSEVELT A GUEST
Quaker City Union Leaguers
Banquet President.
CLUB FOUNDED TO UPHOLD LIECOLE
Great President Taught Lessons by
which We May Pront--FederaI
Government Should Control
Large Corporations.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 2. - Presf-
dent Roosevelt was the guest of honor
and principal speaker last night at the
forty second anniversary banquet of
the Union League. The president came
to this city over the Pennsylvania rail-
road from Annapolis. An immense
throng greeted Mr. Roosevelt
When President Roosevelt arose to
make his address he was greeted with
long continued applause. Then the en-
tire assembly stood and sang "The
Star Spangled Banner"
President Roosevelt In his address
said In part:
This club was founded to uphold the
hands of Abraham Lincoln when he
stood as the great leader in the struggle
for union and liberty. We have a
right, therefore, to appeal to this club
for aid in every governmental or social
effort made along the lines marked out
by Lincoln. The great president taught
many lessons which we who come after
him should learn. Among the most inn
portant of these was the lesson that
for veal or for woe we are indissolubly
bound together, in whatever part of
the country we live, whatever our So
cial standing. whatever our wealth or
our poverty, whatever form of mental
or physical activity our life work may
assume.
"The principles which Lincoln APP
piled to the solution of the problems Of
his day are those which we must apply
If we expect successfully to solve the
different problems of our own day
problems which are so largely indus
trial. Exactly as it is impossible to de-
velop high MOBILITY unless we have
as foundation those qualities which
give at least a certain minimum of ma
terial prosperity, so 1t is impossible
ity unless there is back of 1t basis of
right living and right thinking.
"Unquestionably, however, the great
development of industrialism means
that there must be an increase In the
supervision exercised by the govern
ment over business enterprises
"All great business concerns are en-
gagged in interstate commerce, and it
was beyond question the intention of
the founders of our government that
interstate commerce in all its branches
and aspects should be under national
and not state control.
"At the present moment the greatest
need is for an increase in the power of
the national government to keep the
great highways of commerce open alike
to all on reasonable and equitable
terms. 1t is in the interest of the con-
scientious and public spirited railway
man that there should be such govern
mental supervision of the railway traf
fic of the country as to require from
his less scrupulous competitors and
from INSCRIPTIONS big shippers as well
that heed to the public welfare which
he himself would willingly give and
which is of vital consequence to the
small shipper. Every important rail-
road is engaged In interstate commerce
Therefore this control over the rail-
roads must come through the national
government.
1.-THE details must rest with the law
makers of the two houses of congress.
But about the principle there can be no
doubt.
'In some such body as the inter
state commerce commission there must
be lodged in effective shape the power
to see that every shipper who uses the
railroads and every man who owns or
manages a railroad shall on the one
hand be given justice and on the other
hand be required to do justice. Justice
so far as 1t is humanity possible to
give and to get jnstice-is the founda-
ton of our government"