The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-02
NO CHANGE OF POLICY.

1t is splendid argument which Pres
ident Roosevelt advances in explaining
why there will be no change in the
| policy of law enforcement while he is
president. He is fine 1ogician, and
his statements are clear and to the
point.
Every fair minded man must be
thoroughly convinced of the right
eousness of the presidents attitude.
The plea that the enforcement of the
law against rich criminals as we'll as
against poor ones will "hurt business"
has no weight with him.
81 will do everything 1 can do" says
the president, ''to help business con-
ditions, except anything that is wrong.
And it would be not merely wrong but
Infamous to fail to do all that can be
done to secure the punishment of
those wrongdoers whose deeds are Pc
culiarly reprehensible because they
are not committed under the stress of
want. Whenever a serious effort is
made to cut out what is evil in our po-
litical life, whether the effort takes the
shape of warning against the gross
and sordid forms of evil in some mu-
nicipality, or whether it takes the
shape of trying to secure the honest
cry powerful and wealthy people,
there are sure to be certain indivfd-
ua1s who demand that the movement
stop because it may hurt business. In
each case the answer must be that We
earnestly hope and believe that there
will be no permanent damage to bust
ness from the movement. but that If
righteousness conflicts with the fam
oil Of hI1S then latter
must go to the wall We can not af-
ford to substitute any other test for
that of guilt or innocence, of wrong
doing or welldoing, in judging any
man."
President Roosevelt, however, does
not dodge any responsibility concern
ing business conditions. 1.-THE inter-
ests''-those financiers and newspapers
which are anxious to discredit the
president-refer to the slump in the
stock market in August as "the Roose-
welt slump" and Wall street asserts
that the president is responsible for it.
Zone newspaper which has itself
strongly advanced this view" says Mr..
Roosevelt, gave prominence to the
statement of a certain man of great
wealth to the effect that the so-called
financial weakness was due entirely to
the admitted Intention OF President
Roosevelt to punish the large moneyed
interests which had transgressed the
laws I do not admit that this has
been the main cause of any business
troubles we have had; but it is possible
that it has been a contributory cause.
If SO, friends, as far as am concerned
it must be accepted as a disagreeable
but unavoidable feature in a course of
policy which as long as 1 am president
will not be changed. In any great
movement for righteousness, where the
forces of evil are strongly intrenched,
it is unfortunately inevitable that some
unoffending people should suffer in
company with the real offenders. This
is not our fault. It is the fault of
those to whose deceptive action these
innocent people owe their false posi-
ton"
This address is not particularly re-
assuring to that class of financiers who
have been disregarding all laws which
they desired to break, and who have
been hoping that the government
would '1et up in it's policy of punish
ing wealthy wrongdoers. 1t is reas-
surfing, however, to the great body of |
people who desire to see righteousness |
prevail in business affairs.