New-York tribune., 1907-10-23
PRESIDENT ON FINANCE.
cpEECH AZ NASHVILLE.
Orer-cheIming Receptions as Train
Comes North.
rRy Telegraph to The Tribune.

Chattanooga, Tenn, Oct. 22.-NO Northern
o-osident flas ever had such a continuous re-
.o,,ion in the South as has been accorded
rr Roosevelt to-day. In the warmth of her
c,eeting and the outpouring of her people Nash
lille has surpassed either Memphis or Vicks-
,,,-S 4 stranger hearing the shouts of an
r,suep that followed his carriage along the line
~ march from the city TO the Hermitage or the
fhunders of appreciation that greeted his speech
IN the Union Gospel Hall. would have thought
that he in some great city OF his own far
West II goes without saying that it was a
rnr:tual case Of love at first sight
The President remained in Nashville an hour
after his scheduled time for leaving and would
not have come away when he did had not his
secretary and Secret Service guard almost
dragged him off by main force TO rush for the
train in q vain effort to catch up some of the
lost time. While Nashville he made a forci-
bic speech at Ryman Auditorium upon the sub
jects Of commercial rectitude and civic right
living He said:
There has been trouble in the stock market
in the high financial world, during the last few
months The statement has frequently been
made that the policies for which 1 stand legis-
lative and executive, are responsible for that
trouble. Now, gentlemen. these policies of mine
can be summed up in one brief sentence. They
represent the effort TO punish successful dis
honesty. ! doubt If these policies have had anv
material effect in bringing about the present
trouble but II they have IL will not alter in
the slightest degree my determination that for
the remaining sixteen months of nv term these
policies shaII De persevered in unswervingly.
UNEARTHING THE wRONGDOING.
II 10 arouse that type of civic manhood in our
nation II were necessary to suffer auy tenn
porary commercial depression, 1 should consider
the cost but small All we have done has been
TO unearth the wrongdoing. 1t was not the fact
that II was unearthed that did the damage. All
dld was 10 turn on the light. I am responsible
for turning on the light. but I am not RESPONSE
bic for what the light showed. II is impossible
TO cut out cancer without making the patient
feel for few days rather sicker than he felt
before.
No material wellbeing can save this nation
if il loses the lift toward higher things 1 am
well aware that in any such movement a. that
cere men who take advantage of the movement
10 do away with the wrongs of wealth them
selves to inveigh against wealth.
! viii permit neither the demagogue upon
one side, nor the reactionary. the other, to
drive me away from the course or policy which
I regard most vital for the wellbeing OF this
nation. And the thing most important to re-
member is that that policy has two sides. II
would indeed be an evil day for this nation. II
would indeed mean the beginning of the end
Of our nations greatness II We ever permitted in
this Republic 20 grow up a spirit which would
discriminate against the honest who
achieves business success.
There is nothing baSer and meaner than the
hatred Of the man who prospers honestly. sim
ply because he has prospered. and I challenge
the honest railroad man. the honest banker and
the honest business man, the man who makes
fortune because his exceptional business ability
enables him TO render exceptional service 20 the
community-I challenge the spirit of every good
American citizen when say he shall receive the
amplest protection and be safeguarded against
all injustice.
II ever there should be any temporary gusts
Of popular feeling that demand what was
wrong. what was unrghteous, then the true
servant OF the people. the man who truly serves
the interests Of the people. IS the man who dis
'egards that temporary wish Of the people TO do
evil. 0reat applause) No man will stand more
strongly than / will in the defence of property.
so long as II is honestly acquired and honestly
used (Cheers) 7 will stand against the poor
man II he does wrong, just I will stand
against the rich man II ne does wrong I will
stand against crimes Of brutal violence, just a I
stand against crimes of unscrupulous cunning.
crime is a crime. and IL makes no difference
whether the wrong IS perpetrated by plutocracy
or BY A mob. by a capitalist by a wage
worker.
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION
There are certain gentlemen who have affected
10 misunderstood my position on that point and
TO say that / have talked against men Of wealth
as such: that ] have melted attacks upon the
class that owns great wealth. Those men are
plnd if they see the facts in that light I viii
protect in every way in my power honest prop
eTty; I VIII protect the honest man of wealth
10 the extent Of my ability. And in no way can
] ultimately protect the honest man OF wealth
so effectively as by doing everything in my
power TO bring TO justice his dishonest brother
or wealth (Great applauseD
II is a difficult matter to punish the crimes OF
pnscrupulous cunning committed by men OF
great wealth II is difficult matter TO punish
as he should be punished the man who, at the
head Of great business concern or at the head
OF a great railroad, does wrong to the whole
BODY polite by mismanagem of that policy;
II is difficult because vet hardly have the
proper laws and still more because the people
themselves through their representatives and
personally DO not vet fully realize how serious
the crimes which are committed in this
fashion
The vCbO buiIdc q raj u-bera is
needed and runs il honestly is a benefactor.
We should back MIN no and protect him against
unjust attacks. The man who manipulates the
securities Of that railroad so as 70 SH'indle the
outside public the stockholders or the inYes-
tors Of any kind. shippers TO swindle the
people at large, that man is doing all that he
can 70 bring down in ruin the IA brio OF our in
SntutiOns. and IL is our business TO set our faces
Ike flint against his wrongdoing, 10 war TO
Undo That wrongdoing in the interest of the
people as a whole, and primarily in the interest
II the honest man Of means (ApplauseD
Remember this that atonement in this world
s largely vicarOus: that if SIT supine and let
men Of great wealth set before the country
whole the standard Of successful dishonesty.
50 that voung men are taught 10 think Of bust
ness trickery. OF evasion and violation OF the
law, Cf stock gambling and swfndling as the
chief roads 10 financial success: that If we.
should let such state OF affairs exist not oniy
10 Wc bring about a determination or the pubic
conscience a whole. hut as sure as rate we
Ultimately invite ignorant and vile reaction
which IN tTamPfnR out the wrong VIII traTnpe
out each right at the same time, which In pun
ishing the wealthy wronRdoer Will in1ict the
punishment so brutally and SO unsKllHully as 10
6onfound in It many men who have done honest
ly and well
WANTS DISHONESTY STOPPED IL TIME
want to see the process. the process OF gain
ihg wealth by successful dishonesty, stopped
before II goes far TO invite the very reac-
bon of which ] speak tApplsuse) And the
man 2f property, the % great means, VIII
90 well In turn. and in the loftiest way, back up