Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-08-29
PEOPLE OR TRUSTS?
PRESIDENT IN SPEECH ASKS
WHO SHALL RULE.
NO Countermarch in Governments
Campaign to Punish Wrongdoers-
Favors National Incorporation

President Roosevelt was the central fir-
IRE at Provincetown, Mass, at the LAYING
Of the corner stone of the Cape Cod Pill
grim Memorial monument. The Presi-
lent delivered the principal address at the
ceremony. Ho reiterated the purpose of
the administration to curb the criminal
tendencies of great corporations that are
engaged in interstate commerce. Pun
iShment for individuals as well as cor
porations that violate the law was urged.
and the executive declared that punish
nent by Imprisonment as well as fine for
dagrant offenders would be the aim of the
department of justice.
He declared he was determined to find
out who was to rule the government-the
people through their governmental agents,
Or the wealthy few?
Mr.. Roosevelt gave his direct sanction
to national incorporation law for con-
Germs doing an interstate business, saying
that it is his belief that such corporations
can be controlled by the federal govern
ment under the interstate commerce
clause and, if necessary, under the post
roads clause of the Constitution.
An earnest word was spoken for legis-
lation which will conserve the rights and
interests of wage-earners employed by
corporations engaged in interstate COM
merce. Mr.. Roosevelt said that if the
law enacted last winter limiting the hours
of work of railway employees was not
strong enough it must be strengthened.
For Strong Employers Liability Law
10 do hot 60
reaching and thorough-going employers
liability law must be passed. The Presi-
dent said: 1T is monstrous that a man
or woman who is crippled in an indus
try, even as the result of taking what
are the necessary risks of the occupation,
should be required to bear the whole bur-
den of the loss. By making the en-
ployer liable the loss will be distributed
ultimately among all the benehciaries of
the business"
Touching the matter of receiverships
for trusts that are guilty of wrongdoing
Mr.. Roosevelt said that the desire is Ito
do something effective" and that more
over, when we thus take action against
the wealth which works iniquity we are
acting in the interest of every man of
property WIN dClS ueCeully anu ny
his fellows, and we are strengthening the
hands of those who propose fearlessly to
defend property against all unjust at
tacks."
Concerning individualism and socialism
the President said st will be highly dis
astrous if we permit ourselves to be mis-
led by the pleas of those who see in an
unrestricted individualism the all-suffi-
cient panacea for social evils; but it will
be even more disastrous to adopt the
opposite panacea of any socialistic sys-
tenn which would destroy all individual
ism, which would root out the fiber OF
our whole citizenship"
An echo of his recent undesirable citi-
zen' pronouncement is to be found in this
passage from Mr.. Roosevelt's speech:
There is unfortunately a certain number
of our fellow countrymen who seem to ac-
cept the view that unless a man can be
proved guilty of some particular crime ne
shall be counted a good citizen, no matter
how Infamous the life he has led, no mat
ter how pernicious his doctrines or his
practices. This is the view announced
from time to time with clamorous insist
ance, now by a group of predatory CAPT
talists, now by group OF sinister an.
archistic leaders and agitators."
Supervise Railways Like Banks.