The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-16
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL,
THE ADMINISTRATIoN


Whatever may have been the opin-
ion Of the Roosevelt administration
month ago, or whatever it may be a
month hence, it has during the past
few days come in for a very severe
drubbing at the hands of the people
who supported it at the last national
election. Wherever men have gather
ed President Roosevelt has been
roundly condemned as the man back
of the administration who is more
than any one else responsible for the
present lack of confidence and grow
ing uneasiness prevailing in the bust
ness world. 1t is time to ask if this
IS a strictly just assertion to make?
Is he the man who has produced all
this rumpus and is he the man who if
he had acted in a different manner
could have saved the country its pres
ent distraction and worriment?
The direct charge against President
Roosevelt is that he has taken an at
titude towards the corporations of the
country both in his public addresses
and in his directions to cabinet Off
GERS which has made. their future
problematical and the steadiness OF
business everywhere problematical in
consequence. His warmest defend
ers to-day admit that his methods
have been too strenuous though his
motive has been Of the highest. He
has hit out straight from the should
er and was generally commended for
it until the blows reached the pocket
nerve. Then came the inevitable pro-
test and the warning notes of the
stock market the barometer Of our
commercial health, as it is said, If
this is q correct diagnosis Of the
Roosevelt attitude his greatest fault
is one OF discretion and Judgment,
the Topping off of an arm in order to
remove a finger. He has temperament
ally misjudged the duty he was under
of, enforcing the laws Of the land in
the spirit in which it is admitted he
has enforced them, with q fury rather
than with that determined Judgment
which usually precedes and accom-
panies great undertakings, the COM
plete cost Of which can never be ac-
curately estimated For that he can
Justly be criticised and should be lest
he should indulge In further misjudg
ment. To this extent the attitude of
The investing public towards him at
the moment is justified. But even that
attitude has it's limitations.
The administration, however little it
is in keeping with that spirit Of digni-
fed procedure which marked the pro-
gress of other administrations, could
not have proceeded in any spirit at all
against the great corporations of the
country and through them against
smaller offenders everywhere had
there been no warrant in business con-
ditions for general apprehension as
to where business greed and business
cupidity were carrying men. Had that
cause been absent the President would
have been ridiculous fitting his spear
against every opposing wind
mill He can now plead in
nocence in having lowered the
values in other countries, which to a
definite degree reinforces the defense
of his admirers. In exaggerating the
evils to be confronted to-day, which
he undoubtedly did so far as the
spirit Of prosecuting them is con-
cerned, he is to be held responsible
but In holding him responsible nothing
Is gained by deliberately overlooking
the fact that it has taken two al
least to create the condition now pro-
foundry deplored. Had there been nc
loosening of the bonds which were
supposed to regulate commerce and
dictate commercial conduct, no letting
down Of the bars of business prudence
when the earth was giving forth its
fruit in abundance, no ignoring Of the
inevitable effect of planting the seeds
of the whirlwind, there would be to-
day no 5ustifable criticism of the
Roosevelt administration. We are
not leaping to the defense of the adj
ministration in this necessarily hasty
review of the situation. While we can
not believe that it has proceeded
with its task of lifting higher the com
mercial standards Of the country in &
spirit consonant with a. real apprecia
ton of the meaning of weakened pub
lie confidence, we are convinced tina
no lesson at all will be learned from
this adversely unless the orlgina
sources of unrest which made politica