Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-03

~AASS
the last few months the appeal has
been made to me not to enforce the
law against certain wrongdoers Of
great wealth because to do so would
interfere with the business prosperity
Of the country. Under the effects of
that kind of fright which when suffi,
GENTLY acute we call panic, this ap.
peal has been made to me even by
men who ordinarily behave as de-
cent citizens. One newspaper which
has itself strongly advanced this view
gave prominence to the statement Of
certain man of great wealth to the
effect that the so-called financial
mitted intention Of President Roose.
volt to punish the large moneyed in
terests which had transgressed the
laws l do not admit that this has
been the main cause Of any business
that 1t has been contributory cause.
IT SO, friends, as far as l am con-
cerned it must be accepted as dis
a course Of policy which as long as
am President will not be changed. In
any great movement for righteousness
"hOi q lllo lOlSSS vi SNll diC
intrenched, 1t is unfortunately inevi-
table that some unoffending people
should suffer in company with the real
offenders. This is not our fault. 1t
is the fault of those to whose decep-
tive action these innocent. people owe
their false position. A year or two
called upon me and In the course Of
q ,,1n %o1
that they regarded me as "the friend
of labor" answered that certainly
was, and that would do everything
in my power for the laboring man
except anything that was wrong.
have the same answer to make to
the business man. I will do everv-
thing l can to help business condi-
tions. except anything that is wrong.
And 1t would be not merely wrong
Eut Infamous to fail to do all that
can be done to se,,ure the punishment
Of those wrongdoors whose deeds are
peculiarly leprehens ole because they
are not committed under Tic stress NJ
want. Whenever serious effort Is
made to cut out what is evil in our
political life. whether the effort takes
the shape Of warning against the gross
and sordid forms of evil in some
municipality. Or whether it takes tho
shape of trying to secure the honest
enforcement Of the law as against
very powerful and wealthy people.
there are sure to be certain indivi-
Tuals who demand that the movement
step because 1t may hurt business. In
each case the answer must be that
We earnestly hope and believe that
there will be no permanent damage to
business from the movement, but that
il righteousness conflicts with. the fan
cied needs of business then the latter
must go to the wall. We can not
afford to substitute any other test for
that of guilt or innocence, of wrong
doing or welldoing, in iudsing any
man. If man does well. if he acts
honestly, he has nothing to fear from
this Administration. BIT so far as In
me lies the corrupt politician, great
or small. the private citizen who
transgresses the law-be he richNoE
poor-shall be brought before the i'm,
partial Justice of court. Perhaps
am most anxious to get at the politi
clan who is corrupt because he be.
trays great trust: but assuredly
shall not spare his brother corrup-
ZIONIST who shows himself a swindlcr
in business life: and, according to our
power. crimes Of fraud and cunning
shall be prosecuted as relentlessly Is
crimes of brutality and physical VIC
lence.
1--WE Need Good Laws"
We need good laws and we need
above all things the hearty aid (
good citizens in supporting and en-
forcing the laws. Nevertheless, men
and women Of this great State, men
and women of the Middle West. never
forget that law and the administration
of law, important though they are
must always occupy a wholly second
airy place as compared with the char
acter of the average citizen himself
On this trip shall speak to audiences
In each of which there will be many
men who fought In the civil war Yor
who wore the blue and your brothers
Of the South who wore the gray know
that in war no general no matter how
good, no organization no matter how
perfect can avail If the average mar
in the ranks has not got the fighting
edge. We need the organization, tn,
preparation; we need the good gen
eral; but we need most the flghtins
edge in the individual soldier. 81
it is in private life. We live in :
rough workdav world. and we arr
yet long way from the Millennium
We can not as nation and we cal
not as individuals afford to cultivate
only the gentler. softer qualities
There must be gentleness and tender
ness = the stronge- t men are gentl
and tender-but there must also b.
courage and strength I have
hearty sympathy with those who be
lieve in doing all that can be dom
for peace; but have no sympathy .
all with those who believe that II
the world as it now is we can affor,
to see the average American citizel
lose the qualities that in their sun
make UP a good fighting man. Yo
men must be workers who work wit
all your hearts and strength and min
at your several tasks in life; and yo
must also be able to fight at neet
Women Have Higher Duties.
You women have even higher an
more difficult duties, for l honor n
: man, not even soldier who fight