Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-04-25
THE MUCK-RAKE MAN
President Roosevelt Draws Les
sons from BunYan

J. In his recent notable speech a
} the laying Of the corner stone o
i the office building for the Houee o
!. representatives in Washington
h President Roosevelt, among otheI
e things said:
: In Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress
you may recall the description Of
e the man with the muck-rake. the
e man who could look no way but
downward, with the muck-fake in
his hand; who was offered a
, celestial crown for his nuck.rake.
5 but who would neither look I'D nor
, regard the crown he was offered,
but continued to rake to himself
| the filth CT the floor.
In Pilgrims Progress the man
with the muck-rake is set forth az
the example of him whose vision
is fixed on carnal instead Of on
spiritual things. Yet he also
typifies the man who in this life
consistently refuses to see anght
that is lofty, and fixes his eyes
with rolemn intentness only on
that which is vile and debasing.
Now, it is very necessary that we
should not finch from seeing what
IS vile and debaslng. There is filth
on the floor, and il most be scraped
up with the muck-take; and there
are times and places where this
service is the most needed of all
the services thatca be performed.
But the man who never does any
thing else, who never thinks or
writes, save of his feats with the
muck-rake, speedily becomes, not
help TO society, not an incite.
mont to coed, but one Of the most
potent forces for evil.
There are in the body polite,
economic and social, many and |
grave evils, and there is urgent
necessity for the sternest wcr upon
them. | hail as benefactor every
writer or speaker, every mar On
the platform, or in book, magazine,
OR newspaper who with II erciless
severity makes such attack, pro-
vlded always that lie in his turn
remembers that the attack is of use
Only if it is absolutely truthful.
An epidemic of Indiscriminate
assault upon character does no
good, but very great harm.
Now, it is easy to twist out of
shape what have just said, easy
to affect to misunderstand il, and, If ,
it is slurred over in repetition, not ,
difficult really to misunderstood it. :
some persons are sHDisfsiTt that sfNH g
dencunce mud slinging does not I
mean the endorsement of white !
washing; and both washers,
and those others who practice Q
mud singing, like to encourage
such confusion of ideas,
The first requisite in the public q
servants who are to deal in this :
shape with corporations, whether .
is legislators or as executives, is
honesty. This honesty can be no b
'especter Of persons. The danger r
s not really from corruption itself, =
yhether exercised for or agsinst Il
:,
The eighth commandment reads, q,
TEcu shalt not steal" No
FOOD whatever will come from that
warped and Knocked morality which p
lenounces the misdeeds Of men of "
wealth and forgets the misdeeds =
'racticed at their expense; which :,
Ienounces bribery, but blinds itself % %
o blackmail; which foams with d
age If corporation secures favors !"
y improper methods, and merely n n
eers with hideous mirth if the y
is itself wronged. The a. ~
My public servant who can be =
rusted honestly to protect the ~
lights Of the public against the
lisdeed of corporation 10 that cd
hblic mau who will just as surely co
rOtect the corporation itself from "
4 ongful aggression. If a public 10
an is willing to yield to popular IN
Iamor end do wrong to the men CT or
saltE or 20 rich corporations it an
lay be set down as certain that 10
the opportunity comes he will cl'
,crotly and furtively do wrong to hi
he public in the interest OF cor co
Grafton. ol
But, in addition to honesty, we
eed sanity. No honesty will make of
public man useful If that man Is Tt
n id or foolish, if he is hot. on
FADED zealot or an impracticable by
Jiorary. AS we strive for reform we
e find that It is not at all merely OF
lie case of long uphill pull. On de-
lie contrary, there is almost ss Ul
uch of breeching work as of col $sI
r work; to depend only on traces ne
cans that there will soon be a an
naway and an upset. The men tn,
wealth who today are trying to be
event the regulation and control
their business in the interest of lv
e public by the proper Govern wi
ent authorities will not succeed, the
my judgment, in checking the Lo
cgress of the movement. Buff VIII
ey did succeed they would find Or,
at they had sown the wind end tv
,uld surely reap the whirlwind, GRE
r they would ultimately provoke Of
Q violent excuses which accom- bea
ny reform coming by cen me-
4 A. y