The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-09-14

-. as1zsE1.k-s4Se IOilNt III d Itttul
speech. Mr.. RooSe-
MISS IDA NJ. TAR ve.r in this address
RGLL. did not wholly dis
courage and dis
countenance the muck rake man" He
acknowledged that he has done much
good and that there is sometimes i'm
perative need of his services, and he
condemned him only when, like the
man with the muck rake in "Pilgrim's
Progress he can look no way but
downward and refuses to see that
which is lofty and indicative of the
good i'll mankind, perceiving only the
bad and the evidence of degradation. 1t
was curious succession of events that
eliminated in the presidents speech
on this subject. One of the pioneer
wielders of the muck rake in an eco
monte sense was Miss Ida NJ. Tarbell.
whose virile description of the opera
tons of the Standard Oil company has
Gone so much TO influence public opin.
ION on the subject Of that great trust.
She is the most notable instance of the
woman with the muck rake Following
TO some extent in her footsteps came
Lincoln StcticnS, now editor of Nc
Clure's Magazine, with his articles
about the alliance between the corpo-
rations and The politicians in many of
the states of the Union Then Tom
Lawson came along with his contribu-
ff1rls a f'y-pt,t-1,,1t's
"FrcnZied Finance" and close on the
heels OF the alleged exposes given by
him came the Insurance investigation
with its revelations as to the methods
of men high up in the financial world
Toward the close of this inquiry oc-
Cured the crusade of Golfers Weekly
against Town Topics.
Some writer's went to extremes In
their comments upon the insurance in
vesti%atiOn. in the opinion of District
Attorney William Travers Jerome Of
New York, and he voiced Il sharp note
of protest in Il speech ut Il dinner
which preceded by only few days the
utterances of the president on the same
SutJtNt. vi. btI bllit lpOh eAttDllOl ~
the phraseology of series of articles
by David Graham Phillips in a current
magazine entitled The Treason of the
Senate" Mr. Roosevelt also con-
demned what he termed "indiscrimi-
nate assault upon men in business or
men in public life" The presidents
utterance is said to have been sug-
gested in part by an investigation he
has been conducting into the truth or
falsity OF Upton Sinclair's new book,
The Jungle" wherein are described
the alleged evils and abuses Of life in
the portion of Chicago known as Pack
ingtoWn. Mr.. Roosevelt determined to
get at the facts as to the charges made
in this book and if he found them
meaSUrably true TO institute methods
to change the conditions so forcbly de-
scriDed 10y this remarkable young writ
er. In pursuance of his plan he sent
to Chicago two experts OF the bureau
of animal industry to Investigate the
inspectors appointed by the Govern
ment and on duly in Chicago. They
made Il report to the effect that the
book told the truth only in patches.
Not satisfied with the extent OF this
inquiry, the president next ordered
Charles L. Neill commissioner of labor.
TO make an investigation of the condi-
tons under which men are employed
in the packing houses of Chicago. Still
another phase of the investigation he
intrusted to the care of James Il. neyn-
olds, who is to ascertain the facts as
to tenement house life.
Charles Edward Russell was one of
the first to expose TO public view In
the columns of the press alleged de-
pIora the COZ. -, -. c.-:""r -" with
the packing industry. David Graham
Phillips is another writer of the same
type. He has done other things be-
sides WELD the muck rake. but he has
made his greatest fame from his Wig
orOus turning up of muck in places
where it is fair to ask that things he
pure and sweet. He generally uses fic-
ton as his means of expressing his
views on political and social problems.
Mr. Phillips is about thirty-nine years
of are and is Princeton graduate
His first notable success was a stor.
entitled The Great God Success"