New-York tribune., 1907-10-05

whole over these great corporations. Most en-
phaticaly should do full justice 10 them,
but in return should exact Justice from
them TO the public Some of them have become
SO habituated to disregarding everything but
their wishes and interests that the effort TO
establish proper supervision over them has
aroused on their part n curiOusly unreason-
able antagOniSm. Their Spokesmen do not seem
to be aware that in what we have been trying
to do we have not been improperly radical;
using the word in its right sense we have been
conservative. We have merely taken the hrst
steps in "a policy which must be permanent II
our democratic institutions TO endure: while.
a matter Of course We must also keep ever
In mind that II Is exactly as injurious TO true
democracy to infiict, tamely to suffer, wrong.
We can no more tolerate injustice to the rail-
roads than injustice by them: one course Is
as immoral and as fundamentally mischIevous
and injurious TO the people as the other.
In the matter OF supervision of the great
railway corporations acting all civil
lized governments have already acted or are
the point OF acting The unrestricted issue
OF railway securities without any SUPERVISION pi On
and under circumstances which otten result IN
the gravest scandal should not be permitted
and only by governmental action can II be pre-
vented. II Is already thus prevented in Eng
land and Germany. for instance. In England the
first Royal Commission Of Railways, of which
that great parliamentary and popular leader
William Ewart Gladstone. was chairman. set
forth as fundamental the very principles which
here have at last been enacted into law, or
which. as 1 firmly believe, will speedily be
enacted.
OF course. in any movement like this in which
are now engaged in any movement looking
to the regulation OF vast corporate Wealth en-
gagged in Interstate business. and TO the cutting
out OF all abuses connected Herewith, there
will at times bc suffering In which, unfortu-
nately. many innocent people Will be involved
But such suffering OF the innocent Is unaVold-
able in every great movement OF life: Able
and unscrupulOuS men are sure to deceive GER
tain innocent outsiders and persuade them TO
invest In ventures under conditions which rem
der loss certain when the force of the law is as
serted I am exceedingly sorry for these inno-
cent people: but II H. not possible, because OF
them. to refuse 10 proceed against the men who
have victimiZed them IL Is just such a case as
would occur If an interruptions man with coun-
terfeit money visited some remote village, spent
his money. and then disappeared. The local
innkceper and livery stable keeper the shop
keeper and the neighbOring farmer, would all
ba 20 been ,,iCtin,ized. they would have lodged
and fed tho man. have supplied him with goods
from the store and the farm. have hired horses
and wagons TO him. and in return would find
themselves loaded with counterfeit money. IT.
under such circumstances. the government
found out what had happened II would have no
alternative save To stop the circulation OF the
counterfeit money. though those possessing II
innocent II would, OF course, try to Sc
cure the conviction of the thief. out II he had
escaped the jurisdiction or IN" law would
nevertheless be impossible 10 let his innocent
victims continue TO pass his by no means inno
cent counterfeit money. Well. just the same
thing is true when II comes to enforcing the law
against business men of great wealth who have
violated it. People are always beseeching me
not TO enforce II against them, because innocent
outsiders may be hurt. or. only 10 enforce ii
with a gentleness that would prevent anybody.
good bad from being hurt 1t Is not possible
to comply with such requests. even when they
are made In good faith. This is n government of
law. law which applies TO great and small
alike. / am sorry indeed when II happens that
big men who do wrong have involved smaller
men with no bad intentions 10 such an extent
that they suffer when we force the undoing of
the wrong But we cannot hold our hands for
such a consideration. The responsibility for the
surgerIne Of those innocent outsiders lies not
with us who put a stop to the wrong and punish
the wrongdoers. but with these wrongdoers who
mislead their victims.
CHARACTER OF MOST IMPORTANCE.
In conclusion friends let me impress upon
you one thing. Good laws can 90 much good.
indeed. they are often Indispensable. There Is
urgent need that should have honest and
efficient legislation and honest and efficient ac-
tiOn by those whose province II Is 10 put the
legislation into effect. But there is infinitely
more need of a high individual average of char
acter The only permanent way to help any
man is TO help him to help himself To teach
him permanently to depend on anything save
his own powers is to do him harm and not good
Let no man persuade you that laws by them
selves. no matter how necessary and beneficial
will make any community happy and prosper
GUS or be even the chief factors in securing sucn
happiness and prosperity. In the last analysis
the vital factor in each mans effort TO achieve
success i'm life must be his own character. his
own courage and uprightness and intelligence.
In this audience are many men who wore the
gray in the great Civil War In every audience
have spoken to on this trip there have been
men who fought in either the Union or Confed-
crate army. and often representatives from |
both armies. Now. you men know that while !
in time of there is need of good generaIship |
need of good organization. yet the determining |
factor in the regiment, the brigade the army is
and must be. the individual character OF |
the individual soldier; his prowess, his hardi- !
hood his unyelding resolution, his stern fidelity
to duty his capacity to act on his own individual |
responsibility when necessary, and yet to serve !
over under or with others in perfect harmony |
and obedience. 1t is the character of the man In !
the ranks which primarily determines the fail |
ure success of battle and campaign In the |
great Civil War our armies. Northern and J
Southern alike. won their high position forever |
and all time in the undying regard and admira-
ton of their fellow citizens because the aver
age man in the ranks. the average man who
carried sabre or rifle, had this high standard OF |
personal quality. Just IL in time of war
so ii is now in time of peace If a man has /
not got the right stuff in him then no law can |
possibly get 1t out OF him. because it is not there
TO get out All that the law can do is TO punish |
evil to encourage what is good, and to secure
so far as is possible, an equality of opportunity
for all men to show their strength of body mind |
and soul In the hard struggle of life.
INVITED TO HUNT IN TEXAS
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