The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-04-15
ADDRESS OF
ROOSEVELT
AT LAYING OF CORNERSTONE At
WASHINGTON YESTERDAY.
Growth Of Our Government illustrat-
ed-Humsn Nature the Same
Now as in the Days Of Wash
inuton-Evil Tendenciet.


dives and diplomatic corps az spocta
tors. and before large concoursc o.
people, the cornerstone Of tho Office
buildlng of the house Of representa-.
Lises was laid with impressive cerc-
monies this afternoon The address
of the day was made by President
Roosevelt, who spoke on The Man
with the Muck Rake" Otncr speech.
% were made by Grand Master w.
A. brown. Speaker Cannon. Repre-
sentative Hepburn of Iowa, James ID.
Richardson, former representative
from Tennessee and grand command
cr OF the Supreme Council Of Scottish
Rite Free Masonry.
-Over century ago Washington
laid the cornerstone Of the capitol In
What was then little moro than a
tract Of wooded wilderness here be.
side the Potomac. We now hnd II
necessary TO provide by great add
tionai buildings for the business vi
need Of the housing OF the govern.
ment IL but a 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 outstrippcd by
the growth OF wealth and the growth
ia complex interests The material
problems that face us today are not
such as they were ia Woshiustou's
time. but the underlying facts of hu.
man nature are the same now as they
werc then. Under altered external
form We war witn the same tcndon.
cics toward evil that were evident IN
washington's time, and are helped
by the same tendencies for good II
is about SOME Of these that | wish "a
say n word today.
"rhrre are. IN the body polite,
economic and social. many and grave
evils. and there Is urgent necessity
Tor the stcrnest war upon them
There should be relentless exposure
at and attack upon every evil man
Hhethor politician or business man
every cvil practice. whether In poll
tics. In business. or In social life.
hail ~ bonefactor every writer o'
speaker. every man who. on the plat
form. or in book. magazine or news
paper. with merciless severity makes
such attack. provided always that h'
In his turn remembers that the at
tack Is Of use only II Il IL absoutell
truthful Tho ar is no whit better thar
the thief. and " his mendacity take
tho form OF slander, he may be wors
than most thieves. II puts premium
upon knavcry untruthfully to attacI
an honest man. or even with hystcr'
cal exagkeratlon 10 assail bad ma
with untuth, An epidemic Of ind:'
criminate assault upon character doe
rot good, but very great harm, Tn
sould OF cvery scoundrol is gln
denes whenever an honest man is Al
sailed. or even when n scoundrol
pntruthfully assalled.
Now. II Is easy to twist out
shape what | have Just said. easy 2
Affect 10 misunderstood it. and, "
q Hlurred over In repetition, not ar
cult really To misunderstand y
Some persons are sincerely incapah'
of understanding that 10 donoune
mud singing does not mean the a.
aorsement OF white owashing; and Dor
the Interested individual who nee
whItewashlng, and those otl VIII
practice mud singing, like 20 encou
age such confusion Of ideas, One
the chief counts against those VIII
make indiscrimnato assault upo
men In business life Is that they Il
yIte a reaction which Is sure TO te
powerfully In favor Of the unscrupu
ous scoundrel who really ought to D
attacked. who ought TO be- exposed
~hn ought. II possible, 10 be put
1ho penltentiNry. II Aristides
praised oyermuch as iust, people 70
tired OF hearing it; and overcensuT
or the unjust finally and from sim
Tar reasons results In their favor.
ANY excess is almost sure 10 v
vite reaction; and, unfortunately
INC reaction, instead Of taking n
form Of punishment OF those guilt
Bf the excess. IL very apt to take Il
turm of the unonending or OF giyir
Irnrunity. and even strength, TO q
f~nde-s. The cfrort 10 make hnoncl
~ political profit ont Of the destru
ton of character can only result
pvhic calamity. Gross and roclIe'
assaults on character, whether on y