New-York tribune., 1907-10-02

TO the hard working. the thrifty. the resolute.
end the honest. But We do wish to see that
the necessary struggle in life shall be carried on
under genuinely democratic conditions; that so
far as human action safely provide 1t, there
shall be approximately fair start; that there
shall be oppression of the weak, ana thaI
no man shall be permitted TO acquire or 10 use
q vast fortune by methods or in ways that are
fortuous and dishonest.
Therefore, we need wise laws, and We need
20 have them resolutely administered. We can
get such laws and such administration only II
the people are alive 10 their interests. Inc
other day I listened TO admirable sermon
by Bishop Johnston, Of Western Texas HIS
theme was that the vital element in judging any
man should be his conduct, and neither ms po-
sition his pretensions; and, furthermore
that freedom could only stay with a people
which has the habit of Self-mastery. As he
said, the price of liberty is not only eternal
Vigilance, but eternal virtue; and I may add.
eternal common sense Each man here knows
\ that he himself has been able 10 use his free
i dom to advantage only provided that he could
master himself, that he could control his own
passions and direct his own faculties. Each of
you fathers and mothers here knows that If
your sons to do we'll in the world they must
know how to master themselves. Every man
must have master; if he is not his own
master, then somebody else will be. This is
Just as true Of public life as Of private life If
we cannot master ourselves, control ourselves.
then sooner or later we shall have to submit to
outside control: for there must be control some-
where.
WILL ENFORCE THE LAWS
One way of exercising such control is through
the laws of the land. Ours is a government of
liberty, but IL is a government Of that orderly
liberty which comes by and through the honest
enforcement of and obedience TO the law. At in
tervais during the last few months the appeal
has been made 70 not to enforce the law
against certain wrongdoers of great wealth be
cause to co would interfere with the business
prosperity OF the country. Under the effects of
that kind cf fright which when sufficiently
scute cell panic, this appeal has been made
10 even by men who ordinarily behave
decent citizens. One newspaper which has itself
strongly advanced this view gave promine II
the statement of a certain man Of prea: wealth
80 the effect that the so-caiied financial weak
F7ess "wa5 due entirely to the admitted intention
CT President Roosevelt to punish the large
rnoneyed 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 il has been q con-
tributory cause. II So friends. far am
eencers cd, il must be accepted a disagree
ebie put unavoidable feature in a course OF
policy which long as am President will not
be changed. In any great movement fer right
eousness, where the forces of evil are strongly
irtrenched, IL is unfortunately inevitable that
some unoffend;ng people should suffer i'm COM
pany with the real offenders. This is not our
fault. X is the fault of those to whose decep-
tive action these innocent people owe their
false position.
WILL NOT DO WHAT IS WRONG.
year or two ago certain representatives of
tabor called upon me, and in the course of a
earded ne as "the friend of labor" | answered
- l.