The Washington herald., 1907-08-20

II A2NOtNEN Il lGth VI i1unt AtthAWti
and requires an official tyranny TO carry
out its system that firds no counterpart
in modern government It offers no real
remedy for the evils that appear from
time to time as the accompaniment Of
our progress. And yet, President Roose-
welt knows, and every one must realize.
the plausible force with which socialis-
tic doctrines can be pressed upon a dis
contented people who seq real wrongs in
the body polite and social
For this reason, he takes the most con-
servative course in insisting on adopting
measures entirely consistent with the
principle OF private property in order TO
stamp out the evils which have attended
its abuse. There is nothing either radical
or severe in the reforms he proposes.
What is there in the tenet of private
that prevents close government
regulation Of the exercise of a public
franchise like that of interstate railways
or the enactment of criminal laws or civil
procedure 90 restrain the.evils which re-
suit from the improper use of the right
of property in combinations of capital to
suppress competition and TO monopolize
trade. or the adjustment of tax laws or
laws of descent in such a way as TO re-
duce the motive for accumulating for
tunes so great that the power they give
their individual owners is politically dan
gerous2
Calls Railroads Responsible.
The critics 7 have referred to are in the
habit of charging to Mr.. Roosevelt re-
sponsibility for ali the recent State legis-
lation looking to the restraint of corpo-
rations and especially for that which cuts
down the passenger rates on State rail-
ways. This is most unjust, fer whether
such legislation is proper OF oppressive,
the impetus that carried It into law was
given, not by Mr.. Roosevelt. but by the
svils that he has been attempting 10 rem
edy within the Federal jurisdiction
II the State measures are unjust to the
property rights OF the railways. they
may be corrected in the courts If they
are uHwise. they will react against the
communities in which they operate by
making the service poorer. and in other
ways, and the reaction will lead to their
repeal TIE railways can blame no one
but themselves II the revelation of their
hagrant violations Of law and Of their un-
JNL hAAttAAAAtA1l4 LtDAl VI BubtAD u tlrA
led to an outburst of popular Indignation
and have brought on temporary excess.
again. every line here is a fall in the
prices OF stocks in - ~ street, those who
are injuri0usly affected condemn the Pres
ident with great bitterness as response
ble for their losses. Just at present there
has been a very serious depression in the
values Of marketable securities and il
IS said that the Presidents attitude to-
ward corporations has been the cause Of
this. Such critics fail to observe that
there has been a similar decrease in the
marketable vaIue,-not only of railway
stocks, but Of government c0nsols abroad,
and that there is "A stringency in the mar
kets Of the world But more than this,
If the prosecution Of dishonesty and II
legal practices. like the giving and taking
of rebates and the destruction of COM
petition by monopoly. is to injure the
market FOR stocks on the stock exchange,
then this is a burden that must be borne
and must be charged not 10 the head Of
the nation. whose duty it is 10 enforce the
law. but To the vi0latOrs OF the law, whose
pursuit Of criminal methods has been so
successful and far-reaching as 10 make
their prosecution a serious threat against
the stability of the market
Il is not true that the President is en-
gagged in a raid against all corporations.
II is not true that he proposes 10 rip up
past transactions. when by reason OF the
injury 90 innocent purchasers such a
course would do more injustice than
good His only policy and sworn duty
is to prosecute, with the fullest vigor, the
corporations and individuals whose fla
grant violations Of the laws make IL nee
essary 20 do so. in order that complete
reform may be effected in our business
methods with respect 20 the evils which
have described.
Differs with MIR. Bryan.
These same critics like 20 say that Mr..
Roosevelt has 'out-Bryaned" Mr.. Bryan
in his policies, and A1r Bryan has lent
color TO this saying by the claim that he
was their original inventor, No one who
has given the slightest attention 10 the
attitude Of Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Bryan
upon the social and political questions Of
the day can for a moment miss the radi-
cal difference between the two
Mr.. Roosevelt believes not only in the
people but also in the individual, as the
unit who. multiplied. nnakes UP and gives
quality to the people. He thinks that
there is no royal road to the elevation OF
a people but by the improvement in the
intelligence and moral character Of the
individual lie believes in the possibility
Of the individuals being honest. courage
Gus, and just and able to resist the influ-
ence Of "the money power TO wean him
from the path of duty. He believes that
the people can select individuals who may
be trusted as public officers. executive.
legislative. and judicial. to WELD. without
abuse and in the interest of the people.
the powers nee6ed to conduct an efficient
government He has faith in the mainte-
nance of an honest. courageous, and eff
cient representative popular legislature
that will give the rich and poor equal
protection and opportunity before the law.
LAW Alike for Rich and Poor.
Mr.. Roosevelt believes in the necessity
for a strong government that can and
viii make both rich and poor obey the
law and he will have the officers charged
with its maintenance render due account
of their stewardship to their masters. the
people. Mr. Roosevelt knows no favorite
in matters of lawlessness. be he rich or
poor, corporation president or member of
a labor union. The courts must be strong
enough TO restrain them all Mr.. Roose-
welt believes our present government the
best one possible for us, and In every way
adapted to the genius of our people He
has the utmost confidence in the capac-
ity Of the people. through their represen-
tatives, and by the means provided in the
Constitution by our fathers. to remedy
the evils that arise in our material prog
ress.
Mr. Bryan's whole system Of remedies.
on the other hand. for the evils that both
Mr.. Roosevelt and he and many others
recognize. is based on his distrust Of the