The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-09
President Roosevelt Responds
TO Toast "Tht Nation"
TALKED ABOUT RAILROADS
Trip From Hunting Grounds Made
Without ncident-School Chill
dren Shower His Path
With Lilacs.

Denver, Colo. May S.--'rhe entertain
ment of President Roosevelt by the citi-
zens of Denver tonight was fitting con-
clusion of day of royal welcome as
he journeyed through the state of Colo-
rado from Glenwood Springs. All the
towns along the Denver and Rio Grande
railroad over which the presidential
party Travelled, centered their population
at the stations to greet the President and
every evidence of hearty good will was
seen and heard.
The erowning event came tonight in a
form of a banquet rendered President
Roosevelt by the Denver chamber of
commerce at the Brown place hotel. This
was perhaps the most sumptuous affair
ever held in the state and the President
was visibly pleased by the picture that
unfolded itself to his eyes as he enter
ed the banquet hall.
Everything known to the decorators art
was called into use to emblemize the
enormous banquet hall. The reception be-
gan at o'clock and continued until II
O. clock when the President was escorted
to his private car Rocket where he al
most Immediately retired to await his
departure for Chicago at o'clock in the
morning.
Promptly at $3.50 o'clock the last course
of the elaborate menu was finished and
President J. s. Temple of the chamber of
commerce called the guests to order and
introduced Chief Justice William II. Cab
bart, who acted as toastgaester. In &
brief speech Judge Gabasr. introduced
the President, who aross GTnl5 cheers
and applause. He responded TO ths toast,
The Nation"
President Roosevelt Speaks.
After discussing various questions of
interest, particularly to Colorado, the
President took UP the subject of rail-
road rate legislation as folIows;
Il want 20 say word as TO a gog-
ernmentaf policy in which l feel that this
whole country ought to take a great in
terest, and which is itself but part of a
general policy into which l think our gov
ernment must go. l spoke of the policy
of extending the powers of the interstate
commerce commission and of giving them
particularly the power TO fix rates, and TO
have the rates that they fix go into ef-
feet practically at once. As l say that
this represents In my mind part of what
should be the general policy of this coun-
try. the policy of giving not to state, but
to the national government an increased
supervisory and regulatory power over
corporations.
1.-The first step. and to my mind une
most important step, is connected with
giving such power over the great trans
portation corporations of this country.
The necessity as regards that is peculiar
ly evident. / was going TO say when the
first pioneers came to Colorado, but that
would hardly be so. but in the days of the
fathers of the older among you the high
ways of commerce for civilized nations,
were what they had always been-that Is,
water ways and roads. Therefore they
were open to all who chose to travel
upon them.
Conditions Have Changed.
within the last two generations we
have seen a system grow up which, under
the old methods, were completely revo-
lutionized and now the typical highway of
commerce Is of course the railroad. Where
fore under this changed system, we see
highways of commerce grow up each OF
which is controlled by a single corpora
tion or individual system, several of them
being controlled by corporations, or a
few individuals. When such is the case,
in my Judgment. it is absolutely necessary
that the nation. for the state cannot
possibly do II. should assume a supervis-
ory and regulatory function over the
great corporations which practically con-
| troll the highways Of commerce.
Now, fix clearly in your minds two
facts at the outset AS with everything
else mundane. when you get that super
visory and regulatory power on behalf
| of the nation, you will not have cured all
| the evils that existed and you will not
equal expectations of the amiable but ill
regulated enthusiast who thinks that you
will have cured al those evils. A meas
ure OF good will come. Some good will
be done, some injustice will have been
prevented but we shall be a long way
from the millennium. Get that fact clear
in your mind, or you will be laying up
for yourselves a store Of ncalculable dis
appointment In the future. That is the
first question.
Do Justice to All.
Now the second and more important
| When YOU give a nation that power, re-
member that harm and not good will
come from the giving, unless you give II
| with the firm determination not only To
get Justice for yourselves but to do JUS
| tice to others; that you will be as jealous
| TO do Justice the the railroads as to ex-
! act Justice from them. We cannot afford
| in any shape or way In this country to
| encourage a feeling which would do in
Justice to man of property any more
| than we would submit to injustice from
a man Of property, whether the man
/ owns the biggest railroad or the greatest
| outside corporation in the land, or wheth-
| or he makes each days bread by the
sweat of that days toll. he is entitled to
| Justice and fair dealing, no more and nc
| less.
| 1--WE must make up our minds that moth
| ing hut harm will come from any scheme
| IA exercise such supervision as that
| advocate over corporations and espe-
| ciaIlv over the common carriers. unless we
| have II clearly fixed In our minds that
| the scheme is to be one of substantial
| iustlce alike to the common carrier and
| 10 the public. II / have the appointment
| or retention of any commission, and pow
er to administer law of such Increased
nowers, | shall neither appoint nor retain
| tbe man who would fall TO do justice to
the railroad any more than l would ap-
| no,nt or retain the man who would fai
- exact justice from the railroad
VIII Get Square Deal.
understand. | want that as a prelimi
nary. that is II have the appointment oi