Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-07-19
FRIENDSHIP DAR3 the WAY OF
JUSTICE,

1t Ia q great virtue IN man that
he stands by his friends in their hour
of need. But 1t can be carried to ex-
tremes and become q grievous fault.
A man in public life has no right to
let friendship interfere in the dis
charge OF his public duties. II he lets
friendship stand in the way for justice
he deserves criticism.
Our tmpulstve president has lately
been guilty Of such conduct In two
such eaaes. He lightly dismissed the
gray charges made against Secretary
of State Loomis, and dismissed from
public service the complaining wit
ness, Minister Bowen. While this act
is regrettable it il not a. grave ~ the
second otfense. Former Secretary of
the Navy Paul Morton has been &C.
cusea OF violating the anti-reba.e law
while be was an official at the Santa
Fs railroad. TO shield this personal
friend the president decreed that the
officials Of road should not be held
responstble, but that \sll proceedings
should be against the corporations
Now, everybody knows that a oorpo.
ration can not be punished by any
thing more than foe. 1t Ia impossi-
bic to send q corporation to prison.
Furthermore, it Is always the officials
that are tho really guilty parties. The
maj ,rity OF the stookholt ers take no
part in the management of the road,
exceps 10 electlng the board of direct.
ors. The board elects the officials,
and leaves the traffic management in
their hands. So II there 10 any viola.
ttou of the law the officials are the
really guilty parties. II they were
held responsible, and were punished
by imprisonment it they violated the
law, the abuses would to q great ex
tent be done away with A small fine
on corporation will not act % de.
torrent, tor tho company can soon
make that up, as long az We have no
effective rate legislation.
1.-THE presidents idea 10 carried out
all the indictments sgainst the be- 1
trust officials will fail to the ground.
Carried to its logical limit it will also
release all the indi. ted labor leaders,
because they We're also acting in an
official capacity.
But far more important result will
follow. The action will to q great
extent hamper the president in any eff.
fort he may make to secure reform
legisl stitn. he had opposed TO him
all the big corpor atoms who make a
practice of violating The present inef'
dcient laws. H. was backed by the
great mass of the common people,
who had implicit confidence in his
sterling honesty and desire to enforce
the law. That confidence has received
q hard shock by these actioHs, and
the opposition has not been slow to
take advantage Of it. Some of the
strongest republican newspapers In
the country have been ?ery severe In
their comments on these actions. The
reason for this unusual stand taken
by papers that have formerly been al.
ways ready to apologize for any &C
ton taken by prominent republican,
must be plain to- any thinking man.
The papers are owned by large corpo'
rstions, and they take this stsnd In
order to weaken the presidents intlu'
ence and thereby defeat possible rail
road Legislation. The pre sident has
thoughtlessly placed in their hands q
most potent weapon and they have no.
been slow in using It.
President Roosevelt would hav.
done we'll to study the life of Gen. U
8. Grant before taking this action
he wou d have fould then that tn,
lus're Of the greatest military leader
of the United States was much be
dimmed by one + the most rotten id
administrations We ever had in Thu
country. No doubt could be cast o,
Grants honesty; his fault lay in poo
judgment In chousing his friends ant
10 too great reliance on their judg
mi Mt and honesty. He afterw srds los