Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-21
Continued From Page 4, Col. 81

of the wrongdoers. and by theii
champions; and often one OF ths
most effective ways Of attacking tn,
action of the government is by OBJ.
lecting TO practical action upon tht
ground that 1t does not go far enough
one of the faVorito devices of thosC
who are really striving to prevent the
enforcement OF these laws is to clamoi
for action Of such severity that il car
not be undertaken because il will be
certain to fail If tried. An instance
of this is the demand often made for
criminal prosecutions where such
prosecutions would be certain to fail
Nc ave found by actual experience
that a jury which will gladly punish
a corporation by fine. FOR instance,
will acduit the individual members of
that corporation il We proceed against
them crIminally because of those very
things which the corporation which
they direct and control has done. In
a recent case against the Licorice
trust we indicted and tried the two
corporations and their respective pres
idents. The contracts aud other trans
actions establishing The guilt IF the
cor poratiOns were made through, and
SO far as they were in writing We're
signed by. the two presidents. Yet the
jury convicted the two corporations
and acquitted the two men. Both
verdicts could not possibly have been
correct. but apparently the average
juryman wishes to see trusts broken
mp. ana is quite ready to fine tho cor
pordtion itself; but is very reluctant
to find the facts proven beyond a
reasonable doubt when il comes to
sending to jail a reputable member
of the business community for doing
what the business community has an
happily grown to recognize as Well
nigh normal in business. Moreover,
under the necessary teehniCaliiies OF
criminal proceedings, often Tho only
man who can he reached criminally
will 5c some subordinate who is not
the real guilty party at all.
Many men of large wealth have
been guilty Of conduct which from
the moral standpoint is criminal. and
their misdeeds are to a peculiar de-
gree r~eprehensible. because those
committing them have no excuse Of
want, of poverty, of weakness and tx
norance to offer as partial atonCmcnt.
When in addition to moral response
bility these men have a legal rcspon-
sihility which can be proved so as to
impress a judge and jury, then the
department Will strain every HCrVc to
react them criminally. Where this Is
imuossible. then 1t will take whatever
action viii he most effective under
the actual conditions.
In the last six years We have shown
that there Is no individual and no
corporation 50 powerful that he or IL
stands above the possibility of punish
ment under the law.
During the present trouble in the
stock market | have of course re-
ccived confess requests and sugges-
tons, public and private. that l should
something to ease the situation.
There * a Worldwide financial dis
turbance. II is felt IN the bourses Of
and Berlin and British consols
are lower while prices Of railway Sc
have also deprecated. ON
New York stock exchange the dis
furbanco has bcen particularly Sc
we're. most Of it, I believe to be u
fn matters not particularly confined %
The United states and to matters
wholly unconnected with any GOV
arnmeut action but 1t may well be that
determination of the government
In which. gentlemen, it viii never wa
yer, to punish certain malefactors oI
great wealth has been responsible for
iomcthing OF the troubles at least TO
he extent of having caused these men
10 combine to bring about as much
stress as they possibly can
I'm order to discrcdit the policy or inc
government and thereby 10 secure a
reversal of the policy of he govern
ncnt if possible. II 50 | am sorry,
will not alter my attitude. once
Tor all. let me say that as far as | am
Concerned. and for the eighteen
months Of my administration that re-
main. there will be no change In the
we nave steadily pursued, nor
let up in the efforts to secure an nom
observance of the law, Tor re-
gard this contest as one TO determine
who shall rule this government; the
people. through their governmental
agents. a few ruthless and deter
mined men whose wealth makes theih
PARTICULARLY formidable because they
are behind brcastworks of corporation
organization. l. wish there would be
20 mistake On this point. II Is idle
Io ask mo not to prosecute the ctiml-
ial rich or poor. but | desire no less
smphatically to have Il understood
hat we have undertaken n VIII I'M
no action Of Vindicttve type
and above all no action which snail
.nnict great or unmcrited suueflhE
upon innocent stockholders and upon
he public as a whole. Our purpose u
.o act with the minimum of harsh
ness compatible with obtaining our
In the man Of great wealth
who has earned his wealth honestly
and used IL wisely we recognize "a gonb
worthy Of all praise and re-
Business Can only be done uh-
der modern conditions through cor
poratinns and our purpose rs heartily
fo favor corporations that do wen.
Tho administration appreciates
liberal but honest profit tof
promoters and generous
dividends FOR capital employed either
ln founding or continuing honest ven
lures are factors necessary for sue
q sful corporate activity and there
fore for generally prosperous business
An these are compatible
with fair dealings as between nan
man and rigid obedience ~ law.
our aim g. 90 help every honest
corporation. and our policy means lh
its ultimate analysis the ~prosperou
expansion OF the business activities ~
honest business men and honest cor
uo%ratious.
very earnestly hope that the legis-
which deals with the regulation
sf corporations engaged ia interstate
business will also deal with the rtghla
interests Of the wage workers cm-
by those corporations Action
was taken by the congress last year
Uniting the number of hours ny
employees should be employed
The law b. a good onc; but II iu prac-
zee % proves necessary 90
H.. ID must be strengthened. We haNo
secured a national employers ma
1ilify law but ultimately a more TAR
rcachinE n thorOuEh-EUtug law
must be passed. Il g. m0nstrohs that
o. man ca woman who j. crippled in
tn Industry. even as the result Of tax
what are n necessary risks ~
he occupation. should De Required o.
Inc whole burden OF the lues