Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-28

mcrce laws the department of justice
has to encounter many and great diff
hculties. Often men who have been
guilty of violating these laws have
really acted in criminal fashion, and if
possible should be proceeded against
criminally; and therefore it is advis-
able that there should be a clause in
these laws providing for such crimi-
nal action, and for punishment by i'm
prisonment as we'll as by fine. But, as
is wei known, in a criminal action
the law is strictly construed in favor
of the defendant, and in our country,
at least, both judge and jury are far
m-re inclined to consider his rights
than they are the interests of the gen
eral public; while in addition it is al
ways true that a mans general prac-
I res may be so bad that civil action
will lie when it may cot be possible
to convict him of any one criminal
act. There is unfortunately a certain
number of our fellow contrymen who
seem to accept the view that unless
a man can be proved guilty of some
particular crime he shall be counted
good citizen. no matter how infa-
nous the life he has led, no matter
/ how perniclous his doctrines or his
| practices. This is the view announced
/ from time to time with clamorous in
sistence, now by a group of sinister
anarchistic leaders and agitators,
whenever a special champion of either
class, no matter how evil his general
/ life, is acquitted of some one specific
crime. Such view is wicked whether
applied to capitalist or labor leader
/ to rich man or poor man But we
have to take this feeling into account
when we are debating whether it is
! possible to get a conviction in Grim
inal proceeding against some rich
trust magnate, Dlany of whose actions
are severely to be condemned from
the moral and social standpoint, but
no one of whore actions seems clear
1 ly to establish such technical guilt as
will ensure a conviction.
Many men Of large wealth have
been guilty of conduct which from the
moral standpoint is criminal" said
Mr.. Roosevelt "and their misde eds
are to peculiar degree reprehensible,
because those committing them have
no excuse If want of poverty, or weak
ness and ignorance to offer as partial
atonement. When in addition to
moral responsibility these men have
legal responsibility which can be
proved so as to impress a judge and
jury, then the department will strain
every nerve to reach them criminally.
Where this is impossible, then it will
take whatever action will be most eff.
fective under the actual conditions.
in the last six years we have
shown that there is no individual and
no corporation so powerful that he or
lit stands above the possibility Of pun
ishment under the law. Our aim is
to try to do something effective; our
purpose Is to stamp out the evil; we
shall seek to find the most effective
device for this purpose; and we shall
then use 1t, whether the device can
be found in existing law or must be
supplied by legislation. Moreover,
when we thus take action against
wealth which works iniquity we are
acting in the interest of every man of
property who acts decently and fairly
by his fellows; and we are strength
ening the hands Of those who propose
fearlessly to defend property against
iall injustice attacks. No individual,
inc corporation, obeying the law has
anything to fear from this admins,
tration."
In conclusion the president said:
THE rich man who with hard AFRO
gance declines to consider the rights
and the needs of those who are less
well off. and the poor man who ex.
cites or INDUCES in envy and hatred
of those who are better off, are alike
alien TO the spirit OF our national life.
Each of them should learn to appre-
ciate the baseness and degradation of
his point of view, as evil in the one
cese as in the other. There exists no
more sordid and unloyely type of so
cial development than a plutocracy.
for there is a peculiar unwholesome-
ness in social and governmental
ideal where wealth by and of itself
is held up as the greatest good The
materialism of such a view whether
1t finds its expression In the life OF
man who accumulates a vast fortune
in ways that are repugnant to every
instinct of generosity and of fair deal
ing or whether 1t finds its expression
in the Vapidly useless and selfindul
gent life OF the inheritor of that for
tune is contemplate in the eyes Of
all men capable of a thrill Of lofty
feeling. Where the power Of the law
can be wisely used to prevent or to
minimize the acquisition or business
employment Of such wealth and to
make it pay BY income or inheritance
tax it's proper share of the burden of
government, | would invoke that
power without a moments hesita
ton"