New-York tribune., 1906-11-02
Mr. ROOTS SPEECH RECEIVED WITH ENTHUSIASM

corporation by signing and fling paper Just
as ANYBODY can form partnership.
And the great mass of our business people es-
peclally those engaged in manufacture, are do
ing their business through corporate form; our
enormous manufacturing industry could not bs
carried on in any other way. If you destroy
corporations you close your mills and your fur
naces. You stop the payment OF wages. you
destroy the purchasing power Of the wage
workers. you reduce the sales of our merchants
ana the market for farm products. CORPORA
tions not bad in themselves but the man
ayers of some OF them and OF many OF the
greatest ones have used them opportunities
FOR wronsdoing. if not criminal wTOngdong-
The thing needed is to cut out the wrOngdoinee
and save the business, and these corporations
are of so many different kinds, engaged in so
many kinds of varied and complicated business.
50 Intimately connected with all the production
and trade and prosperity Of the country that
the same kind OF patient. experienced and dis
cr1lnlna tIng skill is needed for the process that
the surgeon needs in cutting out a tumOr from
the human body and saving the life OF the pa
tient.
Now, this process OF intelligent and effective
redress OF wrongs is going on; great and sub
Stantial progress has been made in it: laws are
being reformed TO meet the present evils;
laws are being enforced with vigOr and success;
malefactorS being punished according TO
law, and not against law; skill and wisdom and
etnclency and honest purpose never surpassed IN
the history of this or any other country have
put their hands to the task and are pressing ir
forward with untiring energy.
THE WORK OF ROOSEVELT AND HUGHES.
The most conspicuous and Tit representative
ia Charles E. Hughes There was never Occa-
sion 10 feel more proud OF the great profession
to which Hamilton and Marshall and Webster
ana Lincoln and Tnden belonged than when.
through the long and weary months OF the in
surance investigation, with patient and untir-
ing industry. with courage. skill and honesty,
he followed. step by step. the clews which led
through all the complicated affairs of the great
companies to the laying bare of official wrong
doing. Neither wealth. power. nor social
position. nor political influence turned him aside
one hairs breadth from his course; nor did any
thought of himself. any desire for popularity.
any taint Of sef-advertislng or self-glOrifcatiOn
obscure his vision or affect his conduct. He
was the skilled and single minded instrument OF
memorable justice.
When the facts were all uncovered he ar
ranged them and stated them so plainly that a
child could understand their deep significance.
and then wisdom OF no common order guided
his judgment upon the legislative remedies fo-
which the facts called. This work was worth
more than millions Of staring headlines ard
clever sensational editorials. more than viii
derness of promises from one who seeks to bar
ter promises for votes. / cannot believe that the
hundreds OF thousands of policy holders in this
all good citizens who justly resented the wrongs
which he unclOaked would NOT he glad to have
such a man empowered 70 continue Just such
service in all departments of our state govern
ment by election TO the GOvernorship OF the
state.
The most conspicuous and fit representative
Of this same great and beneficent work in the
federal government is Theodore Roosevelt. Pres
ident of the United States Let me state some
taken to deal; not all but the principal ones.
Many great corporations have united IN tho
formation of so-Called trusts TO get rid of COM
petition. create monopolies of the business in
which they are engaged. restrict production and
put down the prices at which they purchase raw
material and put up the prices at which they
sell their products.
Second-Many great corporations and trusts
have undertaken TO crush out their remaining
competitors by unfair competition. and esps-
C;ally by securing lower rates of freight from
the railroad companies for their products than
their smaller competitors. and the railroads
are bound by law 10 give the same rates to all
shippers this unfair advantage has taken the
form OF secret rebates
Third-Many railroad companies have exer-
CiSed their arbitrary power to fX their rates bf y
arranging them in such a way that even with
out giving rebates they have favored the larss
shippers in special localities and have been
ties BY these unfair means the big. rich cor
poratiOns have been continually driving the
small weak To the wall taking away their
business and increasing their own wealth.
FOurth-The managers OF many great cor
porations. not satisfied with the natural Increase
of successful business. have enormously in
creased their capitalization beyond either their
investment or the value of their property fairly
used In business Much Of the watered stock
has been sold TO innocent Investors. much OF il
has been secured by the managers themselves.
through various devices. for insufficient cOnSid-
Grafton. These greatly excessive capitals. and
stood as barriers against the reduction Of trans
pCrtatiOn rates the prices OF products 10 a
point which would secure fair business returns.
Fifth ~ The offending corporations have
clothed their vast and complicated business af-
fairs with n mantle of secrecy. thar 10 has
been almost impossiblest 10 set at the facts of
their offending and quite impossible for any
weak private persOn small corporation who
has been injured by them.
Sixth-Ons OF the great obstacles 70 The -