The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-11
TUESDAY, JUNE ii, 1907
THE ROOSEVELT SPEECHES.

Being a man Of many parts, fresl-
dent Roosevelt discussed n variety OF
subjects in tho two addresses when
he delivered at the jamestown Expo
sition yesterday, but nothing startling
ly new appeared in anything that nc
said. Even Homer could not find some
thing new to talk about every day,
and 1t would be unreasonab able, there
fore, to expect this feat of even so
versatile a man as the President.
Mr. Roosevelt. however, took advant-
age Of the double speech making oc-
casion to reiterate in his usual en-
i phatic way much that he has said here
tofore. He reminded US that lie still
believes, even If the people do not.
that the government must limit
swollen fortunes. and he urged more
stringent laws for tho protection OF
railroad employees. In his Indianapolis
address, it will DO remembered. the
President devoted especial attention to
the railroads. laying down the three
propositions that transporta ton Is more
to be desired than cheap rates. that
the railroads are not over capitalized,
and that the government can no more
afford to injure railroad securities
1 than It could afford to repudiate the
public debt. These are views which
The Times Dispatch has been advocat-
ing for years. and 1t heartily indorses
the Presidents emphasis of them.
TO the crowds assembled for the
Georgia Day exercises the President
declared that the railroads should DO
held to strict liability for accidents
occurring to their employees. None can
doubt the justice or RESPONSIVENESS of
that, and It is fact often denied, Of
course. that the first aim of trans
portation company Is to protect the
s lives Of its workmen and its passcng-
eIs The President is inconsistent just
here, for while he has urged the pas
sage OF laws to control rail-
roads he has not urged the pas
c sage of laws for the punishment Of en-
If ployes who arc criminally negligent
and who are directly responsible,
5I2 through failure to obey rules, for
wholesale slaughter When travellers
Il are killed or injured the offending
company must pay damages. but blood
money docs pot bring back life. It Is
VIGOROUSLY trpe that many trainmen
arc brutality, capeless in the matter of
safeguarding life. because they know
y that the only harm that can come to
them in many States is the loss Of po-
sitlon What the President, and what
the Governor of every State should do
Il Is to demand the enactment OF laws tc
punish tho guilty employe. When rail-
road opera ives are made to realize that
they must look above oil things to tht
protection OF fel!ow-servants and the
public they will become more careful
and not until that condition is law ma,
we expect fewer disasters to trains.
The President unquestionubly take.
the popular side of the argument, bu
IT would not be the popular side IL til,
people should begin to think NOR,
seriously and should convince them
selves that the increasing fatalities O
the day are due to the negligence 0
men who have right to expect I'm
lnunity from criminal prosecution Il
the face of absolute evidence of gull
Mr.. Roosevelt could not be accused Q
,recedlng from his position on tho rail
road question If he should come on
bravely and hold himself above tn
charge Of Inconsistency by advocatin
the punishment OF the guilty for IL,
protection OF the innocent
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