Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-06-13

countrymen more than the material re
suits Of the triumph, more even than the
achieving the triumph itself. You have
left a country so genuinely reunited that
all of now, in whatever part of this
Union we live, have right to feel the
keenest pride, not only in the valor and
self-devotion of you, the gallant men who
wore the blue but also in the valor and
selfdevotion of your gallant opponents who
wore the gray.
The hero whose monument we to-day
unveil, by his life bore singular testimony
to the completeness of the reunion. Gen
eral Lawton in his youth fought gallantly
in the Civil War Thirty three years aft
erwards he again marched to war; this
time against a foreign foe, and served
with distinguished ability and success as a
general officer, both in Cuba and in the
Philippines.
When he thus served 1t was in an army
whose generals included not only many OF
his old comrades in arms, but some Of bis
old opponents also, as General Wheeler and
General Fitzhugh Lee. Under him, both
among the commissioned officers and in the
ranks, were many men whose fathers had
worn the blue serving side by side with
others whose fathers had worn the gray
but all Americans now, and nothing but
Americans all united in their fealty and
devotion to their common nag and their
common country, and each knowing only
the generous rivalry with his fellows as to
who could best serve the cause Tor which
eacn WIS Teduy u LAY uo"A AiAo AISeLA-
Problems Confront Nation.
Great social and industrial problems con-
front US, and their solution demands on
our part unfaltering courage, and yet q
wise, good-natured self-restraint; so that
on the one hand we shall neither be daunt-
ed by difficulties nor fooled by those who
would seek to persuade US that the diff
ficulties are insuperable; while on the 9th
er hand we are not misled into showing
either rashness or vindictiveness.
Let US try as people to show the same
qualities as we deal with the Industrial
and social problems of to-day that Abra-
ham Lincoln showed when, with indcmita-
Bile resolution, but with kindliness, pa
tience and common sense quite as remark,
able, he faced four weary years OF open
war in front, of calumny, detraction and
intrigue from behind, and at the end gave
to his countrymen whom he had served so
well the blood-bought gift of race freed
and nation forever united.
One great problem that we have before
us is to preserve the rights of property
and these can only be preserved if we re-
member that they are In less jeopardy from
the Socialist and the anarchist than from
the predatory man of wealth. 1t has be
come evident that to refuse to invoke the
power of the nation TO restrain the wrongs
committed by the man of great wealth who
does evil is not only to neglect the inter
ests of the public, but Is to neglect the
interests of the man of means who acts
honorably by his fellows.
The power of the nation must be exert
ed to stop crimes of cunning no less than
crimes of violence. There can be no halt
In the course we have deliberately elected
to pursue, the policy of asserting the right
of the nation, so far as 1t has the power
to supervise and control the business use
of wealth, especially In its corporate form
Control of Common Carriers.
To-day I wish to say word to you
about the first and most important feature
of this task the control of the common
carriers doing an interstate business: a
control absolutely vested in the nation
while in so far as the common carriers
also transport the mails, it is In my
opinion probabie that whether their bust
ness is or is not interstate, 1T Is to
the same extent subject TO Federal control
under that clause Of the Constitution grant.
ing to the national government power to
establish post roads, and therefore, by nee.
essary Implication, power to take all action
necessary In order to keep them at the
highest point of efficiency.
Every Federal law dealing with corpor
ations or with railroads that his been put
upon the statute books during the last six
years has been step in advance In the
right direction
All action taken by the administration
under these and the preexisting laws has
been just and proper. Every suit under
taken during that period has been a sui,
nn< merely warranted, but required, y tn