The Washington times., 1906-04-15
ROOSevelt'S Plea for Sanity.


Since the Cannon dinner, when
President Roosevelt spoke in '-execu-
tive session." as it were, of the Man
with the Muck-Rake, there has been
all manner of Misrepresentation con-
corning his utterance. Known as
something Of radical. certainly as
the forefront Of the reform which has
been felt in the commercial en-
deayors Of the American people. as
well as in the politics of city, State
and nation, the President has recent
ly been painted as the new leader of
a reactionary movement. Nothing is
further from the truth. If proof were
needed of this it is found In his
mastery speech delivered yesterday
The President deVotes some atten-
ton to the undertaking. "The man
who never does anything else, who
never thinks or speaks or writes,
save of his feats with the muck-rake,
speedily becomes" declares Mr..
Roosevelt, mot help to society, not
an incitement to good, but one of
the most potent forces for evil" Lest,
however, ne should be misunderstood
as advocating the suppression of
facts to which the public is entitled,
he speaks in this vigorous fashion:
There are, in the body polite, eco
nomic and social, many and grave evils,
and there is urgent necessity for the
be relentless exposure of and attack
upon every evil man, whether politician
on business man, every evil practice,
whether in politics in business, or in
social life. 1 hail as a benefactor every
writer or speaker, every man who,
on the platform, or in book, magazine,
or newspaper. with merciless severity
makes such. attack, provided always
that he in his turn remembers that the
attack is of use only if it is absolutely
truthful.
The attack INST be trU- hful. II
must not be overdrawn or exaggerat-
ed. 1t must be based entirely on the
facts. That ''hysterical sensational
ism is the very poorest weapon
wherewith to fight for lasting right
eousness," all fair-minded persons
will agree. In word. President
Roosevelt's plea is for a sane criti-
cism. 1t is just and irrefutable. And
writer's who will not subscribe to the
doctrine so effectively laid down
would better turn to some other pur-
suit.
To writers of this class, who cry
out in hideous rage at capital, yet
who cringe before labor, there is
food for thought in the truism that
I'VE can no more and no less afford
to condone evil in the man of capital
than evil in the man of no capital.
The President would have us remem-
Der that failure of justice in the
effort to bring some trust magnate
to book for his misdeeds, would bt
no worse than failure of justice
where labor leader is implicated II
murder. Exact justice for each is al
that can be asked.
But in considering the Man witt
the Muck-Rake we should not miss
new note which the President
sounds In his great speech. His atti-
tude toward wealth is stated with
his usual positiveness:
1t Is important to this people tc
grappie with the problem connected
with the amassing OF enormous fortunes
and the use OF those fortunes. both
corporate and Individual, in business
We should discriminate in the sharpes-
way between fortunes well-won and
| fortunes ill-won; between those gained
as an incident TO performing great serv.
ices TO the community as a whole. and
those gained in evil fashion by keepins
| just within the limits of mere law
honesty. or course no amount of char.
! ity in spending such fortunes in any
way compenSates for misconduct II
making them
AS a matter of personal conviction
and without pretending to discuss the
details or formulate the system, / fee
| that we shall ultimately have to con
slider the adoption of some such scheme
as that OF progressive tax on all for
| tunes, beyond certain amount. elthel
given in life or devised or bequeatheC
/ upon death TO any Individuals tax 81
| framed as to put 1t out of the power o.
the owner OF one OF these enormou
| fortunes To hand cn more than a Ger
tain amount 20 any one individual; tn
| tax. of course, 10 be imposed by tn,
| national and not the State government
Such taxation should, of course, b.
| aimed at the inheritance or transmits
sion in their entirety of those fortunes
swollen beyond all healthy limits
This is not an attack on wealth. /