The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-14
he HAS HIS PLACE
Roosevelt Discusses s'The Man
With the Muck Rake"
In His Speech at the Corner
stone Laying by MasOns.
MUCH WORK FOR HIM.
But He Should Not Give His
Whole Time to 1t
And Become Blinded to the Good
There Is in Life.
MUCH WORK FOR HIM.

There Is in Life.
Washington. April 14-In an adj
dress at the laying of the corner stone
of the new Office building which is be
ing erected for the use of the members
of the house of representative Presi-
dent Roosevelt spoke as follows:
over 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 buildings
for the business of the government
This growth in the need for the hous-
ing 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 government has
grown We now administer the affairs
OF a nation in which the extraordinary
growth of population has been out
stripped by the growth Of wealth ana
the growth in complex interests ne
material problems that face US today
are not such as they were IN w asnllB
tons time but the underlying facts OF
human nature are the same now as
thew we're then Under altered exter-
nal form we war with the same ten
denotes toward evil that were eNlQeht
In Washington's time. and are heIpeu
by the same tendencies for good II IS
about some Of these that i Wlsh 10 say
a word today
In Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress YOU
may recall the description OF the Man
with the Muck-rake. the man VINO
could look no way but downward. with
the muck-rake in his hand; who was
offered a celestial crown for his muck
rake but who would neither look up
11., rff o.
but continued to rake to himself the
Nth of the floor.
In 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 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 when Is VIE
and debasing. Now, it is very neces-
sary tht we should not finch from
seeing what is vile and debasing. There
Is filth on the floor, and it must be
scraped UP with the muck-rak e; an .l
there are times and places where this
service is the most needed Of all the
services that can be performed But
the man who never does anything else,
who never thinks or speaks or Wrlles'
save of his feats with the muck-rak e.
speedily becomes. not a help to society.
not an Indictment to good. but one Of
the most potent forces for evil
Economic and Social Evils.
There are, in the body polite, econo-
mic and social, many and grave evils
and there is urgent necessity for the
sternest war upon them. There should
be relentless exposure Of any attack
upon every evil man, whether politician
or business man, every evil practlce'
whether in politics. in business, or IN
social life I hail as a benefactOr every
writer or speaker. every man who, on
the platform, or in book, magazine, or
newspaper with merciless severity
makes such attack. provided always
that he in his turn remembers 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 SANDER, he may be worse than
most thieves Tt puts a premium upon
Itnavery untruthfully to attack an nom
est man. or even with hystertcal exag-
aeration to assail a bad man with I'M
truth An epidemic Of indiscrimlnate
assault upon character does no good.
but very great harm The soul Of ev-
erv# scoundreI is gladdened whenever an
honest man is assailed, or even when
scoundrel Is untruthfully assalted-
Now. it is easy to twist out of shape
yssaat I have just said, easy to affect to
misunderstood it. and. if it is slurred
over in repetition, not difhcut really
f,, misunderstood 1t. Some persons are
sincerely fncapa bic Of understanding
that to denounce mud singing does not
mean the Endorsement of WhiteWash-
.iror- and both the interested individuals
who need .Whitewashing, and those 9TH
qrs who practice mud singing. like TO
encourage such confusion of ideas one
OF the chief counts against those VINO
make fndiscriminate assault upon men
m business or men in public lie, is
shat they invite a reaction which is
sure to tell powerfully in favor of the
Y4nscrllpulous scOundrel who really
ought to be attacked, who ought to be
exposed. who ought, if possible, to be
r,u& in the penitentiary. If Ar1sttdes Is
praised overmuch as just people get
tired of hearing it: and Overcensure OF
the unjust finally and from similar rea-
sons results in their favor.
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 unOnend-
ing or of giving immunity and even
strength, 10 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 neWspa-
per magazine. or book. create a
morbid and vicious public sentiment
and at the same time act as a pro-
found deterrent to able men Of nor
NAL sensitiveness and tend to prevent
them from entering the public service
at any price. As an instance in point
may mention that one serious diff
3culty encountered in getting the
gight type of men to dig the Panama
canal is the certainty that they win be
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