Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-07-12
TASK OF GOVERNMENT
RIGHTS OF PEOPLE MUST COME
THROUGH CONGRESS.
PRESIDENT TELLS OF WORK
Efforts to Restrain Corporate Of Indi-
vidual Greed Must Be Approached
in Spirit Of Fairness and
Justice to ALI.


Oyster Bay, N. Y.-President
Roosevelt delivered remarkable
Fourth of July address here Wednes-
day. 1t was an address against the
aemagogue, against hatred and rancor
an public officials and in private citi-
gems and plea for charity in the ad-
ministration of all duties.
The president spoke as follows:
Gives Account of Stewardship.
Mr.. Chairman and you, my old
friends and neighbors. you among
whom. was brought up and with
whom have lived for SO many years
1t is real and great pleasure to have
the chance of being with you to-day,
to say few words of greeting TO YOU
and in sense to give an account OF
my stewardship. l say in sense
friends, because after all the steward
ship really has to give an account OF
Itself. IL man needs to explain over
much what he has done, 1t is pretty
sure proof that he ought to have done
1t little differently and so as regards
most of what have done l must lei
1t speak for itself.
But there are two or three things
about which | want to talk to you to-
day, and If In the presence OF dominies
l may venture to speak from text
shall take as my text the words OF
Abraham Lincoln, which he spoke In
remarkable little address delivered
! to a band of people who were serenad-
Ing him at the White House just after
his rejection to the presidency. lie
said.
In any great national trial hereaf-
ter, the men OF that day as compared
with those OF this will be as weak and
Is strong, as silly and as wise, as bad
and as good. Let us therefore study
the incidents of this, as philosophy
from which to learn wisdom, and not
IS wrongs to be avenged" and he add
ID later in the speech a touching and
characteristic expression of his, say
ing 80 long as have been here,
have not willingly planted a thorn in
any mans breast"
Says Iniquity Exists.
We have heard great deal during
the past year or two of the frlghtfu
iniquit.es in our politics and our bust.
ness, and the frightful wrongdoing in
our social life. Now there is plenty
of iniquity in business, in politics, in
our social life. There is every war.
rant for our acknowledging these great
evils. But there is no warrant fol
growing hysterical about them.
This year in congress our chief tasl
has been to carry the government for
ward along the course which / thinl
1t must follow consistently for mum
Der Of years to come-that is in the di
rection of seeking on behalf OF tn,
people as whole, through the nation
al government which represents tn,
people as a whole, to exercise a meas
ure of supervision, control and re
straint over the individuals, and espe
cially over the corporations, of grea
wealth, in so far as the business use
of that wealth brings 1t within the
reach of the federal government. We
have accomplished a fair amount ant
been in the first place because we have
not tried to do too much, and in the
next place because we have approached
the task absolutely free from any
spirit of rancor or hatred.
In any such movement a man will
ho oil xuhn he
not like. You cannot protect property
without finding that you are protecting
the property of some people who are
not very straight. You cannot wal
against the abuses OF property with
out finding that there are some people
warning beside you whose motives you
would frankly repudiate. But in each
case be sure that you keep your owl
motives and your own conduct straight
Will Defend the Oppressed.
When it becomes necessary to curb 6
great corporation, curb it. l will dc
my best to help you do 1t. But | will
do it in no spirit OF anger or hatred Il
the men who own or control that cor
poration; and If any seek in their turn
to do wrong to the men OF means, t.
do wrong to the men who own those
corporations, will turn around anC
fight for them In defense of their right!
just as hard as / fight against then
when | think they are doing wrong.
Distrust as a demagogue the mar
who talks only OF the wrong done BY
the mean of wealth. Distrust as dem
| agogue the man who measures iniquit.
| by the purse. Measure iniquity by thu
heart, whether a mans purse be full
or empty, partly full or partly empty
If the man is decent man, whetheI
we'll eff or not well off, stand by him
If he is not decent man stand agains
him, whether he be rich or poor. STAND
against him in no spirit Of vengeance
but only with the resolute purpose t
| make him act as decent citizens mus
act If this Republic is to be.
Crew Is Saved.
St Johns N F. - The Boston