Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-23
The Task of a Giant.


There are those who love to fling al
President Roosevelt for the frequency
of his public utterances. and who try
to ridicule him as a regular talking
machine 1t Is natural that there
should be such. The public utterances
of Mr.. Roosevelt have been more nu-
merous than those Of any other pres
ident. and because 1t Is so we'll under
stood how soon most prolific takers
and writer's exhaust themselves and
begin to make themselves ridiculous
with repetitions, 1t is not surprising
that many should be tempted to fling
at him for his presumed failing.
But as frequent as have been the
public utterances Of Mr.. Roosevelt
since he has been occupying the office
of president, 1t would be difficult to
pick out a single one Of his messages
or addresses and show wherein 1t falls
to measure up to any deliverance OF
any other president as to timeliness,
breadth, loftiness, patriotism, courage,
or any other high quality.
The president has said and done
things which have failed to merit the
approval of men who are probably just
as honest and just as patriotic as he.
He has done things which appear to
have been altogether wrong, and which
probably were wrong; but taking all
his public acts together. 1t is difficult
to arrive at any other conclusion than
that II he has made any serious mis-
takes at all, they have been made with
the best Of intentions, and that II they
have not already been corrected, they
will be corrected as soon as possible.
1t is not necessary TO tell the people
ot this country the difference between
right and wrong. They know. There
art very few people who do things
wrong unknowingly. There are lots OF
people who will commit wrongs delib-
erately, risking their chances OF not
being found out; but these do not gen.
orally pass for good men. No matter
how smooth they may be, their neigh
bors, friends and acquaintances gener-
ally succeed in placing them about
right.
We do not think that the country as
whole is any worse now than 1t has
been for a great many years. We real
ly think 1t Is better than it has ever
been. But there has always been dis
honesty in high places. Among the
men Of power and influence in indus
try, in trade. in public office and else
where are many who are criminals in
all except that they have not been con-
victed, and who are safe from punish
ment principally by reason Of their
standing and influence.
Even if the Standard Oil company,
for instance, is guilty Of all the crimes
with which 1t has been charged, as 1t
probably is, Rockefeller and his crowd
are no worse than others who have
been allowed to flourish in other gene
tions, unwhipt Of justice, and We have
rations, unwhipped of justice, and we
have no idea that Mr.. Roosevelt Is the
first president who has seen the situa-
| tion as he sees 1t now.
Criminals of the class referred to by
| the president are a dangerous propo-
sition. Anybody can see that. Pic
| ture a dishonest man In high position.
Appreciate that he measures up to the
best that the country has, intellectu-
ally. Recognize his social and busi-
ness prestige as being close up about
the top notch, and remember that he
Is possessed of unlimited financial
power. Now conceive the moral stand
ards so entrenched as to be on the
level of a sneak thief, and then con-
template the courage that would be re-
qu!red even on the part Of president
of the United States to measure swords
with him and there is some idea of the
magnitude Of the task upon which
President Roosevelt has embarked.
We have no doubt that other presi-
dents have seen this same situation,
and have felt 1t their duty to act. The
country has been aware Of 1t all the
while. Scores Of representatives and
those who have not been parties to 1t
have been aware of it's existence. But
all have been disposed to shut their
eyes to such a task rather than join
issue with such powerful adversaries.
They have defended their cowardice on
various grounds. Some have claimed
that a successful fight is impossible,
and others have claimed that as dan
gerous is the canker that is eating into
the vitals Of the nation, the cure would
be worse than the disease.
In reading Mr.. Roosevelt's remarka-
BILE address one can hardly fail to be
impressed with the sublime moral
courage upon which it is based. He
seems to have literally sweated blood
in the preparation Of what he had to
say, and he evidently realizes that he
has staked everything on this great is
sue; but at the same time he appears
to be in the fight with an abiding faith
in the justice of his cause and the in
tegrity Of the American people, and
absolutely without regard to the con-
sequences to himself.
AS to whether or not the president
viii in remains to be seen; but If he
does not win, civilization will lose.
- Columbia special of August 20 to
the News and Courier: When the
commission to wind up the affairs of
the state dispensary took charge they
Engaged an auditing company to eX-
A.
Sary and tell them what was in the
big institution II WAS stated that the