The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-06-21
CONSTRUCTION THE NEED.


itorial association, President Roose-
welt emphasized the necessity for
avoiding hysteria in the pursuit of evils
and he particularly deplored the habit
which has seized many newspapers
and magazines of the country in arous-
ing hatred against men merely be-
cause they are wealthy, or merely be-
cause they chance to be engaged in
this or that line of business. The pres
ident pointed out the unwholesome
which arises when the pub
lie press creates hostility among the
masses to any line or lines of industry.
There are good and bad men in every
walk of lfe," he said, land being good
or bad does not depend upon whether
they do or do not have large bank ac-
counts"
While commonplace in a common
place season, these remarks by the
president just at this time have signifi-
canoe. For some months past there
has been a hysteria wave sweeping
over the nation, due partly to the hys-
teric editors of whom the president
complains and partly to political DEM
agogues seeking office, that it has be-
come popular theory in many places
that all United States senators are
corrupt: that all railroad men are I'M
scrupulous criminals and that captains
of industry, particularly If they have
gained large bank accounts, must be
designing robbers to have ever at
tanned their possessions. 1t has been
an unhealthful condition of public
mind as the president says, and it has
worked evil in so discrediting many
business enterprises of the nation that
progress in an industrial way, just at
time when it ought to flourish most,
has been retarded in a serious way.
President Roosevelt and GARNER La
throp agree in this matter and both
have expressed practically the same
ideas within the past few days. Ex-
President Cleveland has referred to the
hysteria as the "anti-railroad MANIA"
and some have gone so far as to term
it railwayphobia. President Roose-
welt in his Indianapolis Memorial day
address pointed out how many state
legislatures, in passing laws hostile
to the railroads, had injured the states
themselves and as a means of over
coming such destructive policies,
worked out in the heat of passion and
as means of revenge rather than
correction, he suggested that all au-
thority in the matter of transportation
regulation must be centered in the
federal government. He also pointed
out how, by this means, such Unequal
tiles as exist between Nebraska and
South Dakota in passenger fares, could
be equalized, allowing all states to be
equally fairly treated.
The president in his speech at Nor
folk this week again touched upon the
widespread attacks that have been
made upon various corporations, and
declared that actions against the pub.
lie interest should be treated as wrongs
to be corrected, not as wrongs to be
avenged Along this same line of
thought, Mr.. Lathrop's statement is
of interest when he says that in the
whole union last year only two state
legislatures refused to pass laws in,
imical to the railroads, while of all the
hundreds of bills introduced, not one
was introduced that would in any way
benefit railroad. The presidents ad
vice, therefore, that correction and not
revenge should be sought, seems not
untimely in view of the almost mad
ness which has carried many states tC
the extreme of being willing and ready
to destroy themselves, provided only
that they could also destroy the OBJ
jects of their hatred.
Destroying the credit of any business
institution, and particularly the rail
roads which develop states, can not
but reflect in injury to the states
which need development Nebraska
and South Dakota are today in need
of more railroads. Norfolk wants 6
railroad from Yankton to the gulf;
South Dakota wants railroads. across
the Rosebud plains and her many 9th
err thousands of acres of virgin son
ne is not ditficult to realize that every
attack upon the railroads as q whole
hurts, their credit to that extent and
49,, aa6 Il h'9i anied ~ ..f,,.M b.
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