The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-10-01

I long run can only come to, the
hard working, the thrifty, the reso-
lutte and the honest. But we do
struggle in life shall be carried on
under genuinely democratic condi-
tons; that, so far as human action
can safely provide it, there shall
be an approximately fair start;
that there shall be no oppression
of the weak, and that no man shall
be permitted to acquire or to use
, a vast fortune by methods or in
ways that are tortuous and dis
honest.
sat intervals during the last few
months the appeal has been made
to me not to enforce the law
against certain wrongdoers of
great wealth because to do so
would interfere with the business
! prosperity of the country. 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 or
dinarily behave as decent citizens.
zone newspaper which has itsell
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 entirely to the
admitted intention of President
Roosevelt to punish the large
moheyed interests which had trans
crossed the laws
81 do not admit that this has
been the main cause of any bust
ness troubles we have had; but 1t
is possible that it has been con-
tribntory cause. If so, friends, as
far as | am concerned it must be
| accepted as disagreeable but UNI
avoidable feature in course of
policy which as long as | am presi-
dent will not be changed. In any
great movement for righteousness,
where the forces of evil are strong
ly intrenched. it is unfortunately
inevitable that some unOffending
people should suffer in company
with the real offenders. This is not
our fault. 1t is the fault of those
to whose deceptive action these
innocent people owe their false
position.
"a year or two ago certain rep
, resentatives of labor called upon
me and n the course of very
pleasant conversation told me that
they regarded me as the friend OF
labor answered that | certainly
was, and that | would do every,
, thing in my power for the laboring
main except anything that was
wrong. | have the same answer tC
make to the business man. viii
do everything l can do to help
| business conditions, except any
thing that is wrong. And it would
be not merely wrong but infamous
to fail to do all that can be done
to secure the punishment of those
wrongdoers whose deeds are pc
cutiarly reprehensible because they
are not committed under the
stress of want, Whenever a Sc
rious effort is made to cut out what
is evil in our political life, whether
| the effort takes the shape of war.
ring against the gross and sordid
| forms of evil in some municipality
| or whether it takes the shape of
| trying to secure the honest en-
| forcement of the law as against
very powerful and wealthy people,
there are sure to be certain indi-
viduals who demand that the move
ment stop because it may hurt
business.
'In each case the answer must
be that we earnestly hope and be-
lieve that there will be no per-
manent damage to business from
the movement. but that II
, righteousness conflicts with the
! fancied needs of business. then the
latter must go to the wall. We
| cannot afford TO substitute any
other test for that OF guilt. or in
nocence, of wrongdoing or we'll
doing. in Judging any man. If a
man does well, If he acts honestly
he has nothing 10 fear from this
| administration. But so far as In
me lies. the corrupt politician
great or small, the private citizen