River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
SCORES
VICIOUS WRITER'S
Welcomes Honest Criticism of Public Officials.
But Declares Tactics Adopted by Sensa-
ton Mongers Detrimental to
Public Welfare.

| Washington.-Th Saturnalia OF
SANDER, mudslinging and libel which
is being carried on in the guise OF
moral reform was mercilessly exposed
and condemned by President Roose-
welt Saturday.
The sordid reckless, irresponsible
contributors, writer's and editors VINO
have been devoting their evil talents
to indiscriminate attacks upon men IN
business and in public life, were re-
buked in manner that is likely to
render their unworthy and menaclng
occupation less profitable in the future
than it has been in the past.
The president delivered the address
on the occasion of the laying OF the
corner stone of the new office build
ing of the house of representatives
The senate and house of representa-
tives were present and also a great
assemblage of public officials who live
in Washington and visitors.
Cannon Introduces President.
President Roosevelt was introduced
by Speaker Cannon, who as chairman
of the commission under whose aus
pieces the office building is being con-
structed for the house Of representa-
tives. was official master of ceremo-
MES.
The address in part follows:
cover a century ago Washington
laid the corner stone of the capitol in
what was then little more than a tract
of wooded wilderness here beside the
Potomac. We now find it necessary
to provide by great additional build
ings for the business OF the govern
ment. This growth in the need for
the housing of the government is but
proof and example of the way IN
which the nation has grown and the
sphere of action of the national gov
eminent has grown.
1.-The material problems that face us
| to-day are not such as they were In
Washington's time, but the underlying
facts of human nature are the same
now as they were then Under altered
external form we war with the same
tendencies toward evils that were evil
dent in Washington's time and are
helped by the same tendencies for
good It is about some of these that
wish to say word to-day.
Rakes Filth to Himself.
"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 AXE in his hands, who was
offered a celestial crown for his muck
rake, but who would neither look UP
nor regard the crown he was offered
but continued to rake to himself the
filth of the floor.
''In Pilgrims Progress the man
with the muck rake is set forth as 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 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 debasing.
There is filth on the floor and ii
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 OF
speaks or writes, save of his feats
with the muck rake, speedily becomes
not help to society, not an incite-
ment to good, but one of the most po-
tent forces for evil.
Admits Existence of Evils.
There are in the body polite, eco
nOmic and social, many and grave
evils, and there is urgent necessity fol
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 merciless
severity makes such attack, provided
| always IIldL u0 III LID LulA
that the attack is of use only if it is
absolutely truthful. The liar is nc
whit better than the thief, and if biz
mendacity takes the form of SANDER
he may be worse than most thieves
"One of the chief counts against
those who make indiscriminate as
sault upon men in business Or men
in public life Is that they invite re-
action which is sure to tell powerfully
in favor of the INSCRIPTIONS scoundrel
who really ought to be attacked, who
ought to be exposed, who ought II
possible to be put in the penitentiary
| If Aristides is praised overmuch as
just people get tired of hearing it, and
overcensure of the unjust finally and