Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-04-23
n an address at the recent laying of
the cornerstone of the Office build
ing OF the house OF representatives

the cornerstone of the office build
ing OF the house OF representatives
President Roosevelt said in part:
The material problems that face US
today are not such as in Washing
tons time, but the underlying facts OF
human nature are the same now as
they were then. Under altered exter-
nal form we war with the same tend
encies toward evil that were evident in
Washington's time and are helped by
the same tendencies for good. 1t is
about some of these that wish TO say
word today.
In Bunyans "PiIgrim's 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 rake In his hand; 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.
A Potent Force Fer Evil.
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 be also typifes 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 de-
basng. There is filth on the floor, and
It 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 or
speaks or writes save of his feats with
the muck rake, speedily becomes not a
help to society, not an Indictment to
good, but one of the most potent forces
for evil.
There are In the body polite, eco
nomic and social, many and grave
evils, and there is urgent necessity for
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
x 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 merci-
less severity makes such attack, pro-
vided always that he in his turn re-
members 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 SIAN
der he may be worse than most thieves.
1t puts a premium upon knavery up
truthfully to attack an Honest man or
even with hysterical exaggeration to
assail bad man with untruth.
Indiscriminate Assault.
Now, it is easy to twist out of shape
what have Just said, easy to affect to
misunderstood it. and if it is slurred
over in repetition not difficult really to
misunderstood it. Some persons are
sincerely incapable of understanding
that2to denounce mud singing does
not mean the Endorsement of white
washing. and both the interested in
dividuals who need whitewashing and
4 those others who practice mud sling
ing like to encourage such confusion
OF ideas. One of the chief counts
against those who make indiscriminate
assault upon men in business or men
in public life is that they invite a re-
action which is sure to tell powerfully
In favor of the INSCRIPTIONS scoundre
who really ought to be attacked, who
ought to be exposed. who ought, if pos
sible. to be put in the penitentiary. II
AristideS is praised overmuch as just
people get tired of hearing it, and over
censure Of the unjust finally and from
similar reasons results in their favor.
Any excess is almost sure to invite
a reaction. and unfortunately the reac
ton. instead of taking the form OF
punishment of those guilty of the ex
cess. Is very apt to take the form Ell
Their Of punishment of the unoffending
or of giving immunity and even
strength to 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 newspaper,
magazine or book. create a morbid and
vicious public sentiment and at the
same time act as a profound deterrent
to able men of normal 'sensitiveness
and tend to prevent them from enter
ing the public service at any price.
As an instance in point may mention
that one serious difficulty encountered
in getting the right type of men to dig
the Panama canal is the certainty that
they will be exposed both without and
j am sorry to say. sometimes within
congress to utterly reckless assaults
on their character and capacity.
At the risk of repetition let me say
again that my plea is not for immu.
nifty 70 hY1f FOR tho rnnaf riuv ~