The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-05
ROOSEVELT SAYS GREAT
 WORK IS WELL UNDER WAY
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(ccntInued from First Paee) of that day as compared with those of | this. will be as weak and as strong as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us, therefore. study the incidents of this as philosophy from which to learn wisdom and not as wrongs to be avenged
 And he added later in the speech touching characteristic expression of his, saying:
 " So long as have been here I have not willingly planted a thorn in any mans breast"
 Lincoln Bore No Rancor.
 Now friends, remember that Lincoln l faced the greatest crisis that this na- ton has seen since the revolutionary war; for 1t was a crisis which accordingly as the result. went one way or the other, meant national life or national death; and yet with all his firm resolution of purpose, with all the unbending strength of hls will, with all the deep seated in- tensity and sincerity of belief which alone could have borne him up through trials such as those he had to face, 1t was yet possible for him to say with entire truth that he bore no rancor even to those who had gone hopelessly wrong. He treated the wrong as calling for a rem ] edy, not as calling for vengeance. It is In just that spirit that we as nation. if We possess the power of learning alright the lessons to be taught us by Lin- colns life, will approach our problems of today.
 We have heard great deal during the past year or two of the frightful iniqul- ties of our politics and our business, and f,srr Lott tY oi1r fol life. Now there Is plenty of iniquity in business, in politics, in our social life. i But there Is no warrant for growing hysterical about them. It is a poor trick to spend nine-tenths of the time in saying there never was such iniquity as is shown in this nation and the re- maining tenth in saying that we are the most remarkable nation that ever existed.
 All Are Americans.
 Let us remember that many the men who do the things of which we com plain, even among those who do the worst, are American citizens with much the same tastes temperaments and characters as we have, but who have been exposed to special temptations. Of course there are some men who are inherently wicked and for these only drastic punishment will avail But very many wrongdoers, es- pecially when the wrongdoing is commit ted by whole class, are wrongdoers only through force of circumstances. Try to remove the cause of their wrongdoing; remove as far as may be both the power and the temptation to do wrong. but do not cultivate toward them spirit of rancorous hatred which in the end will react most surely upon ourselves. War with the evils but show no spirit Of malignity toward the man who may be re- sponsible for the evil. Put it out of his power to do wrong, if necessary punish 1 him where he has done wrong, but do not let this nation ever get into the frame of mind which under infinitely greater provocation Abraham Lincoln strove to prevent it's falling into at the time of the civil war
 Congress Has Begun Work.
 This year in Congress our chief task has been to carry the government for ward along the course which l think 1t must follow consistently for a number of years to come-that is in the direction Of seeking on behalf of the people as a whole through the national government which represents the people as whole | to exercise measure of supervision con- trol and restraint over the individuals, | and especially over the corporations of great wealth. in so far as the business | use of that wealth brings 1t within the reach of the federal government. We | have accomplished a fair amount, and 1 the reason that we have done so has been in the first place because we have not tried to do much. and in the next place we have approached the task ab- solutely free from any spirit of rancor or hatred.
 "In any such movement a man will find that he has allies whom he does not like You cannot protect property without finding that you are protecting l 4l.. ,.c vrhn a app m very straight. You cannot war against the abuses of property without finding that there are some people warning be- side you whose motives you would frank ly repudiate. But In each case be sure that you keep your own motives and your own conduct straight.
 Not In Anger or Hatred.
 When it becomes necessary to curb a great corporation, l will do my best to help you do it. But l will do it in no spirit of anger or hatred to the men who own or control that corporations: and if any seek in their turn to do wrong to the men of means. to do a wrong to the men who own those corporations. l will turn around and fight for them in defense of their rights just hard es l fight against them when I think they are doing wrong
 | "Dstrust as a demagogue the man wha talks only of the wrong done by the men of wealth. Distrust as a demagogue the man who measures iniquity by the | purse. Measure inquity by the heart whether a mans purse be full or. empty | partly full partly empty. If the man is decent man whether we'll off or not well off, stand by him, if he is not a decent man stand against him whether he be rich or poor Stand against him in no spirit of vengeance but only with the resolute purpose to make him act as de- cent citizens must act if this republic is to be-