The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-10-05
POL|CY UNCHANGED
ppFsIDENT ROOSEVELT GIVES
WARNING TO LAWBREAKERS.
,,rounces in Speech at Keokuk
That individuals or Corpora
.;ons Violating Laws Will Be
Punished if Within His Power.
Answer to Appeals.

rooknk Ia, Oct. 2.-President
nnnoevelt arrived here early in the
no ornine, but not too early for the
wv .ord ready TO receive him. He re-
'lE ;rod the usual enthusiastic recep-
w. made an address to thousands of
.'Un then left on his trip down the
President Roosevelt said in part:
nDnring the last few years we of the
,,.itod States have been forced to con-
s;aor very seriously certain economic
rohIems. We have made a begin
;uc in the attepmt to deal with the
nlrS of the national government
that is with the relations of the
noonle of the country-to the huge
pUd wealthy corporations, controlled
sor the most part by few very rich
mon which are engaged in interstate
bnsiness-especially the great railway
corporations.
"You know my views on this mat
.or You know that l believe that the
notional government, in the interests
# tbe ppople, should assume much the
soma supervision and control over the
monsgment of the Interstate common
carriers that it now exercises over the
national banks. You know further
more that | believe this supervision
ond control should be exercised in a
spirit of rigid fairness toward the COR
norations, exacting justice from them
On behalf of the people, but giving
them Justice in return.
Answer to Appeals
cat intervals during the last few
months the appeal has been made to
me not to enforce the laS against GER
tain wrongdoers of great wealth, be-
cause to do so would interfere with
the business prosperity of the coun-
try. Under the effects of that kind of
fright which when sufficiently acute
we call panic, this appeal has been
made to me even by men who ordin-
arily behave as decent citizens. One
newspaper which has itself strongly
advanced this view gave prominence
to the statement of a certain man of
great wealth to the effect that the So
called financial weakness was due en-
tirely to the admitted intention of
President Roosevelt to punish the
large moneyed interests which had
transgressed the laws.
81 do not admit that this has been
the main cause of any business trou-
bles We have had; but it is possible it
has been a contributory cause.
No Change of Policy
If so, friends, as far as [ am con-
cerned it must be accepted as disa-
greeable but unavoidable feature of
the policy which. as long as l am
president, will not be changed.
A year or two ago certain represen-
tatives of labor called upon me and in
the course of very pleasant CONVEX
sation told me that they regarded me
as the friend of labor.
Il answered that | certainly was,
and that would do everything in my
power for the laboring man except
anything that was wrong.
i have the same answer to make to
The business man 1 will do every
thing | can to help business condi-
lions, except anything that is wrong.
and it would be not merely wrong
out infamous to fail to do all that can
oe Gone to secure the punishment OF
'nose wrongdoers whose deeds are pc
eallarly reprehensible because they
are not committed under the stress Of
Want.
Honest Men Safe
Ii man does we'll, if he acts hon :
eslly, De has nothing to fear from this
administration. But so far as in me
lies the corrupt politician, great OF
snaiI; the private citizen who trans
stesses the law-be he rich or poor
sHall be brought before the impartial
justice of court.
Perhaps | am most anxious to get
at The politician who is corrupt, be-
."uSe ne betrays a great trust; but
aSsuredly | shall not spare his brother
sU'uptlonist who shows himself
$~ildIer IN business life; and, accord.
mS TO our power, crimes of fraud and
IIDnhing shall be prosecuted as relent-
isSIy as crimes of brutality and phys.
zeal Violence"