The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-07
Writers Harm Nation.

-~s~sA II
The president will call attention. and
properly enough, to the fact that he
began his administration with sys-
partment Of the thieves and grafters
which disgraced it. It was his single
ness OF purpose, his refusal to be
swerved by political influence and his
determination to clean up the DEPART
ment in spite Of all the danger Of
scandal to his administration which
made the investigation Of the postoffice
frauds so successful and SO free from
the faint OF Partially or undue friend
Illness for people high in office.
Naturally enough, the president will
the remarkable performances Of the
recent tribe Of magazine authors who
have made such sweeping charges of
graft, but have not developed single
bit Of evidence on which the authori-
ties could proceed. In his Memorial
Day speech, therefore, the president
will lay stress on the fact that these
vague charges, this indiscriminate
throwing. Of mud, does not tend to les
sen public dishonesty nor to punish it.
On the contrary, he will insist that
instead Of rendering a service to, the
done great harm to the country, 80
great that they are liable to prosecu-
ton for treason and ought to be COM
PEELED either to stop their throwing
Of mud or make good'' by producing
the evidence, if any exists, on which
they have assumed to write their
articles. - !.
Honest Fall with Thieves.
! If four men are honest and one man
is a thief, there could be nothing done
which would be more completely in the
Interests of the thief than to charge
that all five Of the men were thieves.
BILE to distinguish between them, and
when one Of the honest men was
proved to be honest, it would be fair
Inference that the thief was honest. too.
1t is an argument like this that the
president will apply in his Memorial
day speech to convince the country that
the magazine and newspaper writer's
who make wholesale charges Of graft
against the senate, OF the house, or the
army or the navy, or the administra-
tion Of the government generally
hamper the ends Of justice and of hon.
esty, Just SO long as they fail to pro-
duce satisfactory evidence -. Z. ,
furthermore, the president will insist
OF, his own personal knowledge that the
great mass of American public men, es-
pecially in the higher ranks, are honest.
This fact, he believes, should be ex-
same time they draw their inference as
to the dishonesty of individuals
1t IS the attack on the classes. after
all, which has incensed the president.
and ne takes strong ground on this sub
Ject and will say in his speech that
in his opinion the throwing of mud at
public, officials without proper proof is
degrading to the community. and tends
to lower the ideals of public men be.
cause If they find they are accused of
dishonesty, no matter what they do
they will not have the same motive fol-
living up to the best ideals.
May Challenge Proof.
It is more. than likely that Presiden,
| Roosevelt will challenge the graft
[ writer's and E1agazine reformers to pro
duce7the evidence to justify any state
| ments they have recently made. II,
will promise them that if they viii
give him the necessary proof he will
see the persons charged with graf
"wear stripes,v and he used that ex
| preston in a recent conversation OF
| this subject.
! If the president were addicted to tn,
| use of sporting slang he might natll
rally say to this recent school Of so
Geological writers, ",Put up or shu
effect in his Norfolk speech. He will
then promise to use all the power O.
his great office to send to the peni
Tertiary any; man, no matter how hig
may be his political station, who cal
be convicted Of dishonesty in publ
or of using his position for unworth,
ends, or of being Influenced by motive
which would render him liable to Grim
inal prosecution.
Having made this open defiance to Thu
"men with the muck rakes, - the presi
dent undoubtedly will 90 on and insis
that the public no longer shall patroniz,
magazines or newspapers which indulge
in wholesale mudslinging and attacl
the character of whole classes Of publ,
men merely by innuendo or by volley
Of abuse.
/ A Distinct Departure
! His speech will be distinct depart
ure in the way Of public addresses. 1
will be in no sense a defense of hi
!; own administration, because no one ha
attacked that, and the presidents per
4 sona1 activity in forcing rich and in
huential officials out of their places anl
into the penitentiary will give him tn
right to insist that the campaign Of viii
fication Of public men shall either ceas,
| az OACo VI Sud4I Ue rliulHeulaCelY FOLLOWED
by a production of sufficient proof t,
secure the trial and conviction of &C
cused persons.
Failing that, the president will asl
the American public to join with him il
his appreciation of the average honest,
Of the American citizen, whether he b
in or out Of public office.
The men who have been writing tn
kind of magazine articles which tn
president asserts have disguised him
and which have caused the most crit
, cism in Washington because of thei
profusion Of attack and dearth of evi
am Phillips, Alfred Henry Lewis, Her
~ Beach Needham, Lincoln Steffens
!, Ray Stannard Baker.
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