Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-04-30
THE DIAMOND field MANW|THM||CKRAKE|
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S Speech
CRITICISED In The PUBLIC.
Editor Post Calls it "a Strina of platj.
tudeS." The Economic Suuues.
fiOnS are Considered Superficial.
Line Should be Drawn Between
Freedom of Opportunity and
LegaIized Privilege.

Mr.. Il 'osevelts heralded speech on
the man with the muck rake" depends
Tor Its interest upon the fact thai he is
president of the United States, and de.
rives its significance from the fact that it
is timed to divert attention from recent
exposures OF crime in high places, and
energy from social reform. In itself it is
but string OF platitudes to which every
one assents. Who would deny, for in.
stance, hat there should be relentless
exposures, but they must be true. Who
would deny that it is wrong to steal from
poor men, but also from ich men? Who
would deny that bribery should be de-:
nounced, but also blackmail? Who
would deny that practical reform work
needs pulling forward, but also some
holding back? Yet the whole speech,
apart from certain economic recommend.
atlons, is composed Of just such platitu.
dinous observations expanded until they
are OF almost gaseous consistency. Why
all this careful balancing OF moral anti
theses at just this time? The organs OF
plutocracy refer to it not unnaturally as
an attack upon Lincoln Steffens; yet
Steffens exposures are without flaw in
their veracity. If he has attacked with
severity, his attacks have been absolutely
truthful. But whether or not the presi.
dent was slanting at Mr.. Steffens is Of
little moment. The only important
thing in this connection, and that is
not very important, is the fact that the
speech was made at time and with an
emphasis which warrant the assumption
OF the beneficiaries Of great graft that it
vas made in their behalf.
What interests us most in Mr.. Roose.
veft'sspeech in hiseconomic sugge stions.
With his objection to establishing line
cleavage dividing those who are we'll off
from those who are less we'll off, we are
i'll hearty sympathy. But his notion
that the line should divide good men
from bad is exceedingly superficial. And
what could possibly be more encouraging
to 1.-The man with the muck rake" than
such division? The nomialy good
would be forever at work raking out the
nominaIly bad. There would be nothing
else for them to do, except to admire
their own goodness. The true line OF
cleavage for society to draw is not be.
tween rich and poor, nor good and bad
nor is it between persons at all. 1t is
between natural freedom of economic
opportunity on the one hand and legal
lied privilege on the other.
At one point Mr.. Roosevelt seems to
recognize dimly the essential propriety
OF this line of cleavage, Tor he remarks
that materially we must strive to secure
broader economic opportunity for all
men," But whatever encouragement
might be drawn from this remark is
dampened by Mr.. Roosevelt's advocacy
OF progressive tax intended to prevent
the transfer of large fortunes beyond
certain amount to any one individual.
Curiously enough Mr.. Roosevelt proposes
this confiscatory measure for "aIl for
tunes," utterly regardless of how they
are won, in almost the same breath in
which he insists upon discriminating be.
tween fortunes we'll won and fortunes
i'll won"! This 'surd contrast suggests
the Fundamental, criticism OF Mr.. Roose.
vet's speech. The speech assumes that
fortunes not ill-wOn are we'll won. But
many fortune of which no one can saw
that it is ill-won is an unearned fortune.
Yet If it is unearned by its owner who
has it. it must have been earned bv
others who have it not. Such fortunes
are due to legal privilege, and they are
as burdensome to the dispoiled when
the despoiler is not as when he is a con.
scious CRATER. They are worse in their
effects upon society. Even Mr.. Roose.
welt defends these fortunes against what
he calls "the greed OF the have.nots,"
who contribute to them though thev
themselves 60 hungry. 1t is fortunes so
acquired, albeit they are moderate in
amount, rather than great fortunes
though ill.won or ill.used, that produce
the evil social conditions Mr.. Roosevelt
deplores.-The Public.