The Washington herald., 1907-06-11

Norfolk, Va, June ld.-Ihe President
came out strongly in favor of an income
and OF an inheritance tax this afternoon
in a speech before the National Editorial
Association An immense gathering ia
the convention hall received the Presi-
dent with prolonged cheers. He reminded
the editors Of their duties as moIders Of
public opinion.
After the address he left the grounds.
returning to the Mayhower. and at ,
O'Clock the party departed for Washing
ton.
The Presidents speech to the editors
follows.
1t is Of course a mere truism to say
that no other body of our countrymen
WELD as extensive an influence as those
who write for the daily press and for the
periodicals.. Il IS also a truism to say
that such power implies the gravest re-
sponsibility and the man exercising it
should hold himself accountable. and
should De held by others accountable, pre-
cisely as if he occupied any other posi-
tion Of public trust.
4 DO not intend TO dwell upon your du-
ties to-day. however, save that l shall
permit myself 10 point out one matter
where it seems 90 me that the need of
our people is vital Il is essential that
the man in public life and the man who
writes in the public press sN1ll both Of
them. if they are really goou servants Of
the people. be prompt 20 assaIl wrongdo-
ing and wickedness. But in thus asssil-
ing wroRgdoins and wickedness, there are
two conditions 10 be fulfilled. because, If
unfulfled, harm and not good will result.
In the first place be sure of your
facts and avoid everything like hysteria
or exasgeration; for 20 assaA decent
man for something Of which he is inno-
cent is to give aid and comfort TO every
scoundrel, while indulgence in hysteri-
cal exagseration serves 20 weaken. not
strengthen. the statement Of truth. in the
second place. Doe sure that you base your
judgment on conduct and not on the so
cial or economic position of the lndivid-
ual with whom you are dealing.
Good and Evil I'm All.
There are good and bad men in every
walk of life. and their being good or bad
does not depend upon whether they have
or do not have large bank accounts. Yet
this elemental fact, this fact which We
all accept as sclf-evideut, when We think
each Of us Of the people whom he himself
knows i'm his business and social relations.
IS often completely ignored 10y certain
public men and certain public writer's.
The men who thus ignore it and who
attack wigkednsss only when found I'm a
70 ND
are sometimes very dangerous. leaders.
ulstruzt equally the man who is never
able 20 discover any vices Of rich men 20
stack and the man who confines him
'~seif 20 attacking the sins and shOTtCOm-
ings Of rich men. II is "A sure sign OF
moral and mental dishonesty in any man
# in his public assaults upon iniquity hs
IS never able 90 see any iniquitv save
that of a particular class. and this
whether he is able only 20 see the crimes
Of arrogance and oppression IN the rich
or the crimes Of envy and violence in the
poor.
He is no true American II he IS a re-
specter Of persons where right and wrong
are concerned and If he fails 10 denoUnce
the demagOgue no less than the COrTup-
zionist 10 denOunce alike crimes Of or
EauiZed greed and crimes of brutal viO-
lenCe. There is equal need 10 denouncf
the wealthy man who swindles investors
or buys legislatures. or OppreSses wage
workers and the needy man who inflames
class hatred or incites mob violence. We
need % hold the scales Of justice even
and 20 weigh them down on one side is
as bad as to weigh them down on thC
other
80 much for what have to say % you
in your capacity Of molders and guides
Of public thought In addition. I want
10 speak 10 YOU on two great movement!
in our public life which I feel must nee
essarily occupy no inConsiderable part ot
the time of OUT public men i'm the near
future One Of these is the question Of
in certain ways. rosh1piDg our system OF
taxation so as % make 10 bear mos
heavily on those most capable of sup
porting the strain. The other is the ques
tion of utilizing the natural resources o
the nation In the way that will be Of mos
benefit 90 the nation as a whole.
WastefuI in Our Prosperity.
In utilizing and conserving the natura
resources Of the nation the one charcter
istIc more essential than any other e.
foresight Unfortunately. foresight
not usually characteristic Of a young an,
vigorous people. and &c IS obviously not
marked characteristic Of us in the Unite
States. Yet assuredly it should be tn
growing nation with a future which take
the long look ahead and no other nation
IS growing so rapidly as ours or has
future so fun Of promise. No other ma
tion enjoys so wonderful a measure o
present prosperity which can Of right b.
r..
and for no other are the rewards Of fore
sight so great, so certain. and so easill
foret0ld Yet hitherto as a nation w
have tended 10 live with an eve single L
the present. and have permitted the reck
less waste and destruction Of much Of on
natural wealth
The conservation Of our natural re-
sources and their proper use constitute
the fundamental problem which under
lies almost every other problem Of ou
national life. Unless we maintain an ade
qUate material basis for our civilization
we cannot maintain the institutions il
which we take so great and So just
pride; and TO waste and destroy our nat
ural resources means to undermine thi
material basis During the last fiy
years efforts have been made in severa
new directions I'm the government service
20 get our people 90 look ahead. 20 eXer
else foresight and t7 substitute q plan
ned and orderly development Of our re
sources i'm the place Of a haphazard striv
ing for immediate profit. The effort ha
been made through several agencies
In 1902 the reclamation service begaI
20 develop the larger opportunities Of tn
western half Of our country for irrigation
The work includes an the States from IN,
Great Plains through the Rocky Noun
tains 20 the Pacific slope II has beel
conducted with the clear and defnit
purpose cf using the valuble water re
sources Of the public land for the great
est good for the greatest number in th'
long run; in other words. for the purpos