New-York tribune., 1907-02-24
NATION ABOVE STATE
PRESIDENT 1T H1RTARD.
PO7cer of Syndicated WeaIth Must
Be CHrbed By National Action.


President Roosevelt. in his address at Harvard
Union this afternoon. will gain and not lose
by adequate federal control: most emphatically,
il is both the duty and tho interest OF our peo-
pie 10 deal fairly with such corporations and 10
see that premium is put upon the honest man
agement of them. and that those who invest in
them are amply protected But those who invoke
the doctrine Of state rights to protect state
corporate creations in predatory activities ex-
tended through other states. are as shortsighted
as those who once invoked the same doctrine
10 protect the special slavehoIding interest. The
states have shown that they have not the ability
TO curb the power of syndicated wealth, and,
therefore. in the interest Of the people, it muss
be done by national action
The visit TO Harvard University Of Mr.. Roose-
veIt who came not as President Of the United
States, but as a graduate returning to meet his
fellow Harvard men. including his son. Theo-
dore Roosevelt jr., developed into one OF tha
busiest days OF his career. Mr. Roosevelt was
constantly moving about, and both in Boston
and Cambridge there were few If any moments
for real rest. Harvard hospitality was show
cred on him in his two visits TO the university
city, and in Boston his personal friends claimed
all his spare time and did everything possible
TO make his trip to Massachusetts enjoyable.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The principal incident Of the day. however.
was President Roosevelts address 10 the Har-
ward students at the union founded by Major
Henry L. Htgginson, the Boston banker, as an
institution which all Harvard men could join.
and as one which would serve in a measure ID
destroy the social barriers which ordinarily d.
vide students IN college life. Two thousand
Harvard men, mostly undergraduates, gathered
In the great living room OF the union. and they
gave the President a Harvard welcome so sin
cere and hearty that he frequently expressed his
appreciation. He spoke as follows:
In speaking here at the Harvard Union
wish TO say first a special word as one HaT-
ward man TO his fellow Harvard men. l Eel
that we can none of US ever be sufficiently
grateful TO Colonel Htgglnson for having found
ed this Harvard Union. because each loyal 6ar-
ward man should do all he can 70 foster IN HaT-
ward that spirit OF zeal democracy Wnlcn wiz
make Harvard men feel the vital sense OF SOIL
darity that they can all join 20 Work To-
gether in the things that are Of most concern
to the college. II Is idle 10 expect, nor. in
deed would it be desirable that there should
be, I'm Harvard a uniform level OF taste and
association some men VIII excel in one thing
and some IN another; some In things OF JHS
body, some in things OF the mind, and where
thousands are gathered together eacn WlL
naturally find some group Of specially con.
genial friends with whom he Will form ties g
peculiar social intimacy. These grOups-ath-
letiC. artistic, scientific, socia-Inust inevitably
exist. My plea IS not Tor Inelr aoOAtloi- Ny
plea is that they shall be got into me ri5ns
focus in the eyes OF college men; that the rel,
aJive Importance Of the diIerent groups shd@
be understood when compared with the IL
hnitely greater life ot the college as a whole
Let each have his special associates Ms
special interests. his special studies and pUr-
suits, but let him remember that ne cannos
get the full benefit OF life in college If he does
nothing but specialize, au6 that what IS even
more important, he cannot do his fun duty
by the college unless his first and greatest
interest IS IN tho college Itself. in his associates
taken a mass and not in any small group
VALUE OF ATHLETICS.
One reason whv I so thoroughly believe IN ths
athletic spirit at Harvard is because the athletic
spirit IS essentially democratic. our chlef IN
Jerest should not lie in the great champions II
sport. On the contrary, our concern should be
most OF all 10 widen the base, the foundation
in athletic sports, 10 encourage IN every way
a healthy rivalry which shall give to the largess
possible number Of students the chance 10 take
part In vigorous outdoor games II Is or zap
more Importance that a man shall play some+
thing himself. IL he plays II badly, than
that he shall go with hundreds Of cOrnpan-
ions 10 see some one else play well, and 1t t9
not healthy for either students athletes ts
the terms mutually exclusive. But even
having this aim especially in view, # seems
to me we can best attain IL by giving propeP
encoura cement to the champions IN the SPORTS
and this only be done by encouraging IL
AS / emphaticauy disbelieve in seeing Har%
ward any other college turn out mollycoddle9
Instead OF Vigorous men, may add that
50 not IN the least object 70 sport because
It IS rough. Rowing. baseball lacrosse, track
and field games. hockey. football are all or
the-. gooG. Moreover. It IS to my mind simple
nonsense, nero confession Of weakness. To
desire to abolish a game because tendencies
show themselves or practices grow Up. which
rrovs mat ths game ought to be reformed.
Take footbsIl. FOR instance. The preparatory
schools are eble - keep football clean and to
develop the right spirit in the players without
rhs slightest necessity ever arising 70 so much
as consider rhs question OF abOhshing It. There
IS no excuse whatever for colleges falling ia
show the sans cRracity, and there Is real
need for coOEiierirS tho question OF the aoos
uton OF tho saTe II necessary, let the col-
Iege authorities interfere 20 stop any excess
or perversion, making their interference as
little ofHcous as possible. and yet as rigorous
as is necessary to achieve the END But thera
is no Justification for stopping a thoroughly
when the experience OF every good preparatory
school shows that the abIse is In no shaps
necessarily attendant upon the game
COURAGE \ PRIME NECESSITY.
We cannot afford to turn out OF college mea
who shrink from physical effort or from nttls
physical pain. In any republic courage Is 3
prime necessity for the average citizen II ne
is to be q good citizen, and he needs phyS1s
cal courage no less than moral cOur~
age the courage that dares well as the
fight valiantly alike against the foes OF the scuS
and the foes OF body. Athletics are good
especially in their rougher forms. because they
tend to develop such courage They are gooc
also because they encourage a true democratic
spirit for in the athletic field the man must
he Judged not with reference to outside and acs
Of bodily vigOr and moral quality which so to
trust need not add that in defending aths
letics | would not for one moment be unders
stood as excusing that perversion or athletics
which would make it the end OF life instead oe
merely n means in life. It's drst class healths
fIII NAV and ia useful such. But play Is noe
business. and Ii is q very poor business indeed
for a college man To learn nothing but sport,
There are exceptional cases which do not need
20 consider, but disregardtnS these, / can nos
with sufficient emphasis say that when you get
through college YOU VIII do badly unless you
N-olI. attention to the serious work OF Nf8