The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-10-02
WRoNGDOER MUST SUFFER
President Declares That the Law viii
Be Enforced.

Keokuk, Ia, Oct I'm his address
at Rand park here President Roose-
welt said. in part:
AT intervals during the last few
months the appeal has been made to
me not to enforce the law against cer-
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 or
dinarily behave as decent citizens.
One newspaper which has itself
strongly advanced this view gave
prominence to the statement OF Ger
tain man c great wealth to the effect
that the so-called financial weakness
was due entirely to the admitted n
tention of President Rooseveir TO pun
ish the large moneyed interests which.
had transgressed the laws | do NOT
admit this has been the main cause OF
any business troubles we have had;
but it is possible that 1t has been
contributory cause II so, friends. as
far as | am concerned 1t must be ac-
cepted as disagreeable but unavoid-
able feature In a course OF policy
which as long as | am president VIII
not be changed In any great move
ment for righteousness, where the
forces OF evil are strongly intrenched,
1t is unfortunately inevitable that some
unoffending people should suffer 10
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 posi-
ton. A year or TWO ago certain rep
resentatives OF labor called upon me
and in the course Of very pleasant
conversation told me that they re-
garded me as the friend OF labor.
answered that certainly was and that
| would do everything In my power
for the laboring man
Except Anything That Is Wrong.
| have the same answer to make to
the business man. | will do every
thing can do to help business con-
ditions except anything that Is wrong.
And it would be not merely wrong
but infamous to fail to do all that can
he done to secure the punishment OF
those wrongdoers whose deeds are
peculiarly reprehensible because they
are not committed under the stress OF
want. Whenever serious effort Is
made to cut out what is evil in our
political life. whether the effort takes
the shape OF warning against the gross
and sordid forms OF evil In some mu-
nicipality, or whether 1t takes the
shape OF trying to secure the honest
enforcement OF the law as against
very powerful and wealthy people,
there are sure to be certain individ-
nails who demand that the movement
stop because 1t may hurt business In
each case The answer must be that we
earnestly hope and believe that there
will be no permanent damage 20 busi-
ness from the movement, but that II
righteousness conflicts with the tan
cled needs OF business then the lat
ter must 90 to the wall We can not
afford to substitute any other test for
that of guilt or innocence, Of wrong.
doing or weildoing. In Judging any
man. Ii d man does well. Il he acts
honestly, he has nothing to fear from
this administration. hut 30 far m IN
inc Hes the corrupt politician. great
or small. the private citizen Who