Omaha daily bee., 1907-10-02
PRESIDENTS SPEECH AT KEoKUI1
His Policy il to Give Justice to Mcu
of All Degrees.

of All Degrees.
KEOKUK Ia, oct. 1.-President Roose-
welt, in his address here today, said:
Men and Women of Iowa; am glad to
see you and to speak to you in this thriving
city of your great and prosperous state.
! believe with all my heart In the people
of Iowa, for l think that you are good,
typical Americans. and that among you
there has been developed to very high de-
gree that body OF characteristics which We
like to regard as dstinctively American.
During the last few years we of the
United States have been forced to consider
very seriously certain economic problems,
We have made n beginning IN the attempt
deal with the relations Of the national
R'vernment-that is, with the relations OF
,the people OF the countTy--to the huge and
wealthy corporations, controlled for the
most part by few very rich men, which
are engaged In interstate businesses
pecially the great railway corporations.
You know that I believe that the national
government, i'm tho interests of the people,
should assume mach the same supervision
ard control over the management of the
interstate common carriers that II now ex-
ercises over the national banks. You know
Furthermore, that believe that this super
vision and control should be exercised in a
spirit of rigid fairness toward the corpora
tions, exacting Justice from them on behalf
OF the people, but giving them Justice IN
Lessons from the Past.
Recently have been reading the work of
the eminnt Italian scholar Ferrero on the
history of the Roman republic when the
life of the Roman state had become that
of complex and luxurious Industrial civ
ilization. I am happy to say that the diff
ferences between that civilization and our
own are more striking than the resem-
blances; and there is no warrant for our
being drawn into any pessimlstic compar-
son between the two civilizations. But
there Is every reason why we should study
carefully the past I'm order to draw from 1t
lessons for use in the present. One of the
most striking features of the years which
saw the downfall of the Roman republic
was the fact that the political life of Rome
became SDltt between two camps, one con-
talning the rich who wished to exploit the
poor, and the other the poor who wished
to plumber the rich. Naturally, under such
circumstances the public man who was
for the moment successful tended TO be
demagogue. Any such condition of political
life is as hopeessly unhealthy now as II
was then. believe so implicitly In the
future OF our people, because believe that
the average American citizens win no
more tolerate government by a mob than
he will tolerate government by plutoc-
racy; that he desires to see justice done 10
and justice eNacted from rich man and
poor man alike. We are not trying 10
favor any man at the expense OF his fel-
lows. We are trying TO shape things so
tina, as far as possible each man shall have
a fair chance in life; so that he shall have,
so far as by law this can be accomplished,
tie chance to show the stun that there is
IN him. We have no Intention of trying 70
work for the impossible and undesirable
end of giving TO the lazy, the thriftless, the
weak and the vicious the reward that be-
longs TO. and in the long run can only come
10. the hard-working, the thrifty. the reso-
lutte and the honest. But we do wish 70 see
that the necessary struggle in life shall be
carried on under genuinely democratic con-
safely provide II. there shall be an approx
irnatey fair start; that there shall he 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 dishonest
Need of Wise Laws.
Therefore we need wise laws and we
need 20 have them resolutely administered.
We can get such laws and such adminis-
tration only II the people arc alive to their
interests The other day listened TO an
western Texas. His theme was that Tic
vital element In iudginS any man should
be his conduct. and neither his position nor
freedom could only stay with a people
which has the habit Of self-mastery, As
eternal vigilance, but eternal virtue; and
~ may add. eternal common sense. Each
~ nan here knows that he himself has been
lbls TO use his freedom to advantage only
provided that he could master himself
that he could control his own passions
your fathers and mothers here knows thai
II your sons are TO do well In the world
they must know how to master themselves
Every man must have a master; u he Is
not his own master, that somebody else
w be- Tss T Just as w true Ss6 OF Dp. P9os m
ourselves, control ourselves, then sooner
or later we shall have to submit TO out,
side control; for there must be contro
somewhere.
One way OF exercising such coatrol Il
through the laws OF the land. Ours Is q
government OF liberty. but Il Is govern.
nent Of that orderly liberty which comes
by and through the honest enforcement oi
and obedience to the law. At intervals
Surfing the last few months the appea
mas been made TO me not 10 enforce tbs
law against certain wrongdoers OF greai
wealth because TO do so would interiors
with the business prosperity of the country
Under the effects OF that kind OF fright
which when sufhc.ently acute we cal
CONTINUED on Snd Pase'