Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-29
Tur pRrStnrNT ar YARvARD.

The address of President Roosevelt at
Harvard university should be carefully
read by all college men and indeed by
intelligent people generally. II is replete
with sound thought and valuable sug-
gestion, applicable to almost every phase
of life and especially timely In regard to
existing conditions. A college graduate
and a man of affairs, Mr.. Roosevelt is
peculiarly qualified and equipped to give
both the theoretical and the practical
counsel which the young men emerging
from their collegiate course need for cor
rect guidance and they may confidently
feel that III giving such counsel the
president is actuated by the highest mo-
tives and the utmost solicitude for the
welfare of those to whom his advice and
admonition is given.
Commenting a full perusal of the re-
port of what the president said to the in
teligent reader interested in the subject
of education, we make special reference
only TO one or two phases. The declara-
ton that this nation never stood in
greater need than now Of having among
its leaders men of lofty ideals. which
they try to live up to and not merely to
talk Of sounds like a reflection upon
our public men which may well chal-
lenge popular attention. Is it indeed
true that the leaders in the political and
the business life of the nation have no
lofty ideals? Is it a fact that the men
who are foremost in the conduct of pub
lie affairs and in the management of our
great industrial and commercial inter
ests are not guided by those elevated
moral principles and those high and
honorable aspirations which are essen
tial to a proper national upbuilding, ma
terially, morally and socially?
Manifestly this is implied in the un-
the president and it must be confessed
that there is ground for it. 1t would be
easy to cite facts and circumstances in
justification of what he said. Every
day there is brought to public knowledge
some evidence of a want of lofty ideals
among men conspicuous in public and in
business life. 1t is attested in the prose
cution of men prominent in national,
state and municipal affairs and in the
disclosures of wrong-doing by those en-
gagged in private enterprises. Senators
and representatives are arraigned before
the courts upon charges of fraud upon the
government. Railroad officials are ac-
cused Of deliberate and persistent viola
tions Of the laws. The heads of great
business and financial institutions are
pilloried before the country for betray-
ing their trusts and plundering the peo-
pie who had reposed confidence in them.
moralization in public and business af-
fairs that is greatly to be deplored, yet
it cannot be admitted that no lofty ideals
exist and that all sense of morality has
died out. There are honorable and up
right men still in public and in business
| life and it is a most encouraging fact
! that these are at work to eliminate such
persons as are not honest and trust
worthy. In national, state and munic-
| ipal administration a work of reform is
going on which promises to drive out
the INSCRIPTIONS and corrupt and re-
place them with men who have high
ideals of duty and responsibility In
the business world. also, visible change
is taking place which augurs decided
improvement in conditions. There is
nothing in the situation to cause despair,
but there is much to invite an earnest
effort for reform.