Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-04-17
PRESIDENT ATTACKS
sensation WRITER'S
AUTHORS WHO INDIscRIMI-
NATELY ASSAIL MEN IN
OFFICE HELD TO SCoRN.
SPEAKS AT CORNERSTONE
LAYING IN WASHINGTON

Rich Men Warned of Danger in At
tempting to Prevent Regulation of
Their Business in Interest of the
Public.
Washington, April 16.-The widely
heralded and sensational 'muck-rake"
speech of President Roosevelt was de-
livered at the laying. of the corner
stone of the office building for the
house OF representatives Saturday
afternoon.
Recognizing the existence of evils,
social and economic, the president
urges warfare, but deplores the ac-
lions OF those who make indiscrim-
mate attacks on men of business or
public life, declaring such course
would only react in favor of the un-
Scrupulous.
The huge fortunes being amassed in
this country are regarded as men
ace to public welfare and progress
i've tax is urged whereby these for
tunes should be curtailed and limited
to certain amount.
Rich men are also warned of the
danger in attempting % prevent the
regulation and contr of their bust
ness in the interest II the public
The actual cerer Jnies in connection
with the laying of the cornerstone
were most impressive. A distinguished
assemblage, embracing the supreme
court, members of the senate and the
house OF representatives and the dip
lomatic corps, witnessed the proceed
1ngs. Walter A. Brown, grand master
OF the Masons OF the District of CO.
lubmia, laid the cornerstone, assisted
by the grand lodge.
Present Problems Are New.
The president spoke in part as fol-
lows:
THE material problems that face us
to-day are not such as they were in
Washington's true, but the underlying
facts Of human nature are the same
now as they were then. On ,r altered
external form we war with the SAME
tendencies toward evil that were evil
dent in Washington's time, and are
helped by the same tendencies for
good. 1t is about some of these that
j wish to say word to-day.
"In Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress you
may RECALL the description of the Man
with the Muck-rale, the man who
could look no way but down
ward, with the u@es rake in his hand;
who was offered celestial crown fer
his muck-rake, but who wos,d neither
look up nor regard the crown he vas
offered, but continued to rake to him.
self the filth of the floor.
Man with the Muck Rake,
SIN Pilgrims Progress the Man with
the Muck-rake is set forth as the ex-
ample of him whose vision is fixed on
ecarnat instead of on spiritual things.
Yet he also typities the man who in
this life consistently refuses to see
aught that is lofty, and fixes his eyes
with solemn intentness spiy 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
ahe floor, and it must be scraped up
4with TIC muck-rake; and there are
times and pa4aas where this service is
.she most needed tof FL the services
that can be performed. BIZ the man
who never dees anything else, wh.9
never thinks OF speaks or writes, save
of his feats with the mYck-.ake, speed
lily becomes, not Il help to society, rot
AN Indictment to good, but one Of the
most potent forces for evil.
War on Evil Necessary.
"fhere are, fl the body polite, eco
monde and social, many and grave
evils, and there Is urgent necessity for
the sternest war upon them ifhere
should be relentless exposure of ana
attack upon every evil man, whether
politicaan or business man, every evil
practice, whether in politics, in bust.
ness or in sociaa life.
II hail as benefactOr every writer
sor speaker, every man who, on the
platform or in book, magazine Or
newspaper, with merciless severity
that he In his turn remembers that the
attack is of use only if II is absolute
ly truthful
. THE liar is no whit better than the
tttsf, and if his meadacity takes he
form Of slander, he may be worse than
most thieves. It puts premium upon
sklavery untrutltfu4iy TO attack an hon
test man, or even with hye4erical exag-
4geratiea to assail a bad man with 4n--
truth An epidemic of indiscri Minute
assault upon chayacter does not good,
put very great harm. The soul of
every scounafel is sladdenea when an
honest man is assailel, CT even When 2
.scoundrel is untruthsully a5sailed.
Easy to Twist Thinge.
NOW, It is easy to twist out Of
fshape what 4 HSye Just said. easy to
affect to misundeyslapa It, and, If it.
j ;iurred over in reps,stigl, not diff
cult really to misunderstood Il. Some
per.ens are sincerely incapable o. IN
.derstahding that to denounce mud
Singing dccs not mean the indorse-
ment OF whitewashi Dg: and toti the
7ntere ;ted in;ividusss who need white
sv#s .:DG nj hoan O ers u'ho practice
~ eng i 2 Ike 10 Il o"rage such
eonf.-io TO- / eas. - the chies
go ut al: a5 'bsse VII 80 g in liz
CT" Il" 2 So g Ell il lusi-
:.ess or Llen il y Ri, i G. Is ih.t they
Invite a reaction which is sure to tell
powerfully in favor of the unscrupu-
lous scoundrel who really ought to be
attacked who Ought To he exnaSads