The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-08-29

The war that has been carried on dur
Ing the present administration against IN
lawful combinations and law4breaking cor
porations is to be continued until Theo-
dore Roosevelt leaves Office eighteen
months hence. The President made the
announcement at Provincetown, Mass, in
no uncertain phrases, and, moreover. he
emphasized the statement by adding that
criminal prosecutions against the cxecu-
tives Of guilty corporations hereafter will
be the rule. President Roosevelt was the
principal orator at the laying of the cor
ner stone OF the monument erected on the
SPOT Of the first arrival of Pilgrim faith
ers on the coast of Massachusetts.
To strengthen the hands OF the admin
istration the President urged the enact
nent of new and revision of present leg;s-
lation- Chief among the measures he ad-
vocated were:
Federal Incorporation law.
Increased power for the inters tate
commerce commission.
Employers liability law.
Imprisonment clause in antitrust leg
islation.
Legitimatizing of lawful combina-
lions In business.
Federal supervision OF or co-opera-
ton with States in safeguarding the
public health.
There was no mistaking the Presidents
attitude ON the unlawful corporation
problem. He emphasized this section of
his speech with vigor. talking slowly and
bringing out his meaning with character
istic Rooseveltian incisiveness.
Cause of Financial Trouble.
During the present trouble with the
stock market" he said Il have, of course,
received countless requests and sugges-
tiors. public and private. that 1 should
say or DO something to ease the situation.
There IS a worldwide financial disturb
ance. 1t is felt in the bourses of Paris
ard Berlin. and British consols are low
er. while prices of railway securities have
also deprecated. On the New York Stock
Exchange the disturbance has been par
ticuiar.y severe, most of it, l believe, to
be due 10 matters not particularly con-
fined to the United States and to matters
wholly unconnected with any government
al action: but it may well be that the de-
Termination of the government, in which,
gentlemen, it will not waver. to punish
certain malefactors of great wealth, has
been responsible for something of the
trs3 1bies at least to the extent of having
caused these men TO combine to bring
about as much financial stress as they pos
s.bly can in order to discredit the policy
of the government and thereby to secure
q reversal OF that policy so hat they may
enjoy the fruits of their own evil doings.
That they have misled many good people
into believing that there should be such
reversal Of policy is possible. If so,
am sorry, but it will not alter my atti-
tude.
No Change; No Let-up.
"Once for all. let me say that as far as
/ am concerned. and for the eighteen
months of my administration that remain.
there will be no change in the policy we
have steadily pursued, nor let-up in the
effort to secure the honest observance OF
the law. for 1 regard this contest as one
to determine who shall rule this govern
ment-the people through heir govern
mental agents, or few bless and de-
termined men. whose v Al makes them
particularly formidable because they are
behind the breastworks of corporate or
ganizati0n.
Il wish there to be no mistake on this
point 1t is idle to ask me not to prose-
cute criminals. rich or poor. But desire
no less emphatically TO have it understood
that we have undertaken and will under
take no action of vindictive type, and,
above all, no action which shall infict
great or unmerited suffering upon the in
nocent stockholders and upon the public
as a whole Our purpose is to act with
the minimum of harslness compatible
with obtaining cur ends. In the man of
great wealth who has earned his wealth
honestly and USED it wisely we recognize
q good citizen worthy of all praise and
respect Business can only be doIe I'M
der modern conditions through Corpora
lions. and our purpose is to heartily favor
the corporations that do well. The adj
ministration appreciates that liberal but
honest profit for leg; innate promoters and
generous dividends for capital employed
either in founding or continuing an hon
est business venture are the factors neces-
sary for successful corporate activity. and
therefore for generally prosperous bust
ness conditions.
Il Help for Honest Men.
"All these are compatible VITA fair
dealing as between man and nan and
rigid obedience to the law. Our aim is
to help every honest man, every honest
corporation. and our policy means in its
ultimate analysis a healthy and prosper
Gus expansion OF business activities, OF
honest business men and honest corpora
tions."
In making known the policy to press
criminal action against the executives of
Iaw-5reaking corporations, the President
referred TO recent failures, notably in con
nection with the prosecution of the So
called licorice trust. The failure here
TO find the corporation guilty and let its
managers go scot free appeared to have
impressed President Roosevelt deeply. He
asserted that such corporation BIZ Is
when the evidence against them is str. az
will feel the strong arm of the govern
ment.
'When. in addition to moral response
bility, these men have a legal response
bility, which can be proved, so as to i'm
press a judge and jury" he said, "theK
the department will strain every nerve t.
reach them criminally. Where this j:
impossible, then il will take whatever &C
ton will be most effective under the
actual conditions.
''In the last six years we have shown
that there is no individual and no cor
poration so powerful that he or it stand:
above the possibility of punishment under
the law"
Sees Changed Conditions.
The President led up to his talk abon
corporate evils with a comparison of mel
IN early colonial days with men of thu
present. This brought him face to fac
with his principa. theme, on which h
said the following:
'The utterly changed conditions OF on
national life necessitate changes In certain
Of our laws, Of our governmental methods
Our federal system Of government Is base
upon the theory of leaving to each commun1
ty. to each State. the control over thos
things which affect only its own member
and which the people of the locality them
selves can best grapple WITH while provid
fno for national regulation In those matter