The Ordway new era., 1905-05-12
(SIDENT ROOSEVELT AT Denver

with giving such power over the great
ansportation corporations Of this
country. The necessity as regards that
is peculiarly evident. was going to
say when the first pioneers came 70
Colorado but that would hardly bs SO.
but in the days of the fathers of the
older among you the highways of COM
merce for civilized natiorS were what
they had always been-that Is. water
ways and roads. Therefore. they were
open to all who chose to travel upon
them.
within the last two generations
we have seen n system grow up under
which the old methods were com
ple;ely reiolutionized. and now the
typical highway of commerce Is. of
course. the railroad. Compared to the
railroad the ordinary road for wheeled
vehicles and the waterway. whether
natural or artificial. have lost all their
importance, Here in Colorado. for in
stance. 1t Is the railroads which. of
course. are the only highways that
You need take into account in dealing
with the question OF commerce in the
state or outside of the state. There
fore. under this changed system we see
highways of commerce grow up each
of which Is controlled. by a single cor
poration or individual: sometimes sew
eral Of them being controlled in COM
bination by corporations or by n few
individuals. When such is the case in
my judgment IL Is absolutely necessary
that the nation. for the state cannot
possibly do 1t. should assume n super
visory and regulatory function over
tho prpnt finng which nrac-
tically control the highways Of COM
merce.
Not Cure All Evils.
Now fix clearly in your minds two
facts at the outset. AS with every
thing else mundane when you get that
supervisory and regulatory power on
behalf of the nation you will not have
cured all the evils that existed. and
you will not equal the expectations of
the amiable but ill-regulated enthusi-
asst who thinks that you will have
cured all those evils. A measure OF
good will come. some good will be
done. some Injustice will have been
prevented. but we shall be long way
from the millennium. Get that fact
clear In your minds or you Will be lay
ing up for yourselves n store OF meal
That Is the first thing.
Now the second and even the more
important: when you give nation
that power remember that harm and
not good will come from the giving IL
| unless you give II with the firm deter
mination not only to get justice for
yourselves but to do justice to others;
that you will be as jealous to do JUS
tice to the railroads as to exact JUS
tice from them. tCheers and ap-
plause.)
I'VE cannot afford In any shape or
way in this country to encourage a
feeling which would do injustice to n
man OF property any more than We
would submit to injustice from man
of property. Whether the man owns
the biggest railroad or the greatest
outside corporation in the land. or
whether he makes each days bread by
the sweat OF that days toll. he Is en-
titled to justice and fair dealing. to no
more and to no less. (Cheers and ap-
plause.) A spirit of envy on the part
Of those less well of against the better
OFF is as bad and no worse than n
spirit of arrogant disregard for the
rights Of the man of small means on the
part OF the man of large means. The
ferent qualities. they are the same
quality shown by men under different
circumstances.
Would Bring Harm.
Eve must make up our minds that
nothing but harm will come from any
scheme to exercise such supervision as
that I advocate over corporations. and
especially the common carriers. un-
less we have II clearly fixed In our
minds that the scheme Is to be one OF
substantial justice alike to the COM
mon carrier and to the public. ZAP
plause.) II have the appointment or
retention Of my commission and power
to administer law OF such increased
powers I shall neither appoint nor re-
tain the man who would fail to do jus
tice to the railroad any more than
would appoint or retain the men who
would fail to exact Justice from the
railroad. I want that understood as
preliminary. that is. II I have the ap-
pointment Of any of those men or their
retention, they will give a square deal
all around or else there shrift will be
short. But with that statement as
preliminary, 1 wish to urge with all the
earnestness / possess not only upon
the public, but upon those interested In
the great railway corporations the alb
solute need of acQuiescence In the en-
actment OF such law. AS has been
well set forth by the attorney general.
Mr.. Moody, In his recent mastery
argument presented to the committee
of the Senate which is investigating
the matter. the legislators have the
right. and as believe. the duty Of con-
ferring those powers upon some execu'
tive body. II cannot confer them upon