The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-04-16

washington, April 16.-In the pres
ence of distinguished assemblage,
with the president Of the United
States taking a prominent part, with
the supreme court, the senate, the
house of representatives and the dip
lomatic corps as spectators and before
a large concourse of people, the COR
nerstone of the Office building for the
house of representatives was laid with
impressive ceremonies.
The address of the day was made
by President Roosevelt, who spoke on
"The Man With the Muck Rake" Other
speakers included Joseph G. Cannon,
Representative Hepburn of Iowa and
James D. Richardson, former repre-
sentative from Tennessee and grand
commander of the supreme council of
the Scottish Rite
President Roosevelt's speech was a
criticism of magazines and newspaper
writer's. who have been attacking men
in public life. He said, in part:
"In Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress you
may recall the description of the man
with the muck rake, the man who
could look no way but. downward,
with the muck rake in his hand; who
was offered celestial crown for his
muck rake, but who would neither
look up nor regard the crown he was
0ff h11t fa t0
self the filth of the floor.
I'm Pilgrims Progress the man with
the muck rake is set forth as the eX-
ample of him whose vision is fixed on
carnal instead of on spiritual things.
Yet he also typifles the man who in
this life consistently refuses to see
aught that is lofty and fixes his eyes
with solemn 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 de-
basing. There is filth on the floor and
it must be scraped up with the muck
rake; and there are times and places
where this service is the most needed
of all the services that can be per-
formed. But the man who never does
anything else, who never thinks or
speaks or writes, save Of his feats with
the muck rake, speedily becomes, not
help to society, not an incitement to
good, but one of the most potent forces
for evil.
Many Grave Evils Exist.
*There are, in the body polite, eco
nomic and social, many and grave
evils and there is urgent necessity for
the sternest war- upon them There
should be relentless exposure Of and
attack upon every evil man, whether
politician or business man, every evil
practice, whether in politics, in bust
ness or in social life. hail as bene-
factor every writer or speaker, every
man who, on the platform, or in book,
magazine or newspaper, with merci-
less severity makes such attack, pro-
vided always that he in his turn re-
members that the attack is Of use only
If it is absolutely truthful. The liar
is no whit better than the thief and if
his mendacity takes the form of SIAN
der he may be worse than most
thieves.
Nov, it is easy to twist out of
shape what l have just said, easy to
affect to misunderstood it and, if it is
slurred over in repetition, not difficult
really to misunderstood it. Some per-
sons are sincerely incapable of under
standing that to denounce mud sling
ing does not mean the endorsement of
Whitewashing; and both the interested
individuals who need whitewashing,
and those others who practice mud
singing, like to encourage such con-
fusion of ideas. One of the chief
fusion of ideas. --..~
"Any excess is almost sure to invite
a reaction; and, unfortunately, the re-
action, instead Of taking the form of
punishment of those guilty of the ex-
cess, is very apt to take the form
either of punishment of the unoffend-
ing or of giving immunity, and even
strength, to offenders. The effort to
make financial or political profit out of
the destruction of character can only
result in public calamity. Gross and
reckless assaults On character, whether
on the stump or in newspaper, maga-
zine or book, create a morbid and
vicious public sentiment and at the
same time act as profound deterrent
to able men of normal sensitiveness
and tend to prevent them from enter
ing the public service at any price.
cat the risk of repetition let me say
again that my plea is, not for inn
munity to, but for the most unsparing
exposure of the politician who betrays
his trust, of the big business man who
makes or spends his fortune in IL.
legitimate or corrupt ways. There
should be a resolute effort to hunt
such man out of the position he has
disgraced. Expose the crime and hunt
down the criminal; but remember that
even in the case of crime, if it is at
tackled in sensational, lurid and un-
truthful fashion, the attack may dc
more damage to the public mind than
p The crime ifco1f III "a Inn..,e<> 7 R<,~,I