Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-02-12

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Justice may continue to be- what it now
tice- where so far as our ability Der-
mits justice is melted out with an even
weak and strong. Moreover. there
should be no delay in experimenting the
laws now on the statute books by the
enactment of further legislation as
outlined in the message / sent to the
congress on its assembling. Under the
existing laws much. very much. has
past six years. and it has been shown
by actual experience that they can he
enforced against the wealthiest cor
poration and the richest and most pow
er1ul manager or manipulation of that
corporation, as vigorously and fearless
~ as against the humblest offender
against the very wrongdoers and
agents of wrongdoers who have for
a SO many th years gone seot-free and
against great law-defying cornora.
lions OF immense wealth, which. until
within the last half dozen years have
treated themselves and have eynected
others to treat them as being beyond
ana above all possible check from law
the representatives of the national gov
eminent full power to deal with the
great corporations engaged in inter
state commerce. and above all. with the
great interstate common carriers Our
people should clearly recognize that
while there are difficulties in any
dealing with these great CORPORATIONS
these difficulties must be faced and one
OF three courses followed. The first
course is to abandon all effort to over
see and control their actions in the in
terest of the general public and to per-
init return to the utter lack of con-
trol whlch would obtain if they were
left to the common law. do not for
one moment believe that our peoDle
would tolerate this position. The ex-
traordinary growth of modern indus
trialism has rendered the common law,
winch grew up under and was adapt-
ed 10 deal with totally different condi-
uons, IN many respects inadequate to
deal with the new conditions. These
new conditions make it necessary to
shackie cunning as in the past we have
and corporate fortunes. the vast com
blnations of capital. which have marked
the development of our industrial sys-
tenn. create new conditions. and neces-
state change from the old attitude
or the state and the nation toward the
r pntEs PegIedhg the acquisition and
erty. in order both that property may
be adequately protected, and that at
the same time those who hold if NAV
De prevented from wrongdoing.
Talks of Financial Stress.
we have just passed through two
months of acute financial stress At
any such time it is a sad fact that en-
tirely innocent people suffer from no
fault of their own; and every one must
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large BODY of honest business men, of
honest investors, of honest wagework-
ers. who suffer because involved in
crash for which they are in no way
responsible. At such a time there is
a natural tendency on the part of many
men tha to feel gloomy and frightened at
tion Tor this feeling. There is no ma
ton so absolutely sure of ultimate sue
cess as ours. OF course we shall sue
coed. Ours is a nation of masterful
energy, with continent for it's domain
and 1t feels within it's veins the thrill
which comes to those who know that
they possess the future. We are not
cast down by the fear of failure. We
are upheld by the confident hope of III
list are to be corrected; but they in no
way justify doubt as to the final out
come doubt as to the great material
prosperity of the future. or of the lofty
spiritual life which is to be built upon
that prosperity as foundation. No
misdeeds done in the present must be
glorious future of the nation; but be-
cause of this very fact it behooves us
never to Swerve from our reSolute pur-
pose to cut out wrongdoing and uphold
what is right. do not for a moment
believe that the actions of this admin
istration have brought on business dis
tress; SO far as this is due to local and
not worldwide causes, and to the ac-
lions of any particular individuals it
is due to the speculative folly and fla
grant dishonesty of a few men of great
wealth. who seek to shield themselves
from the effects of their own wrong
doing by ascribing it's results to the
actions of those who have sought to
put stop to the wrongdoing. But IF
1t were. true that to cut out rottenness
from the body polite meant a mo-
mentary check to an unhealthy
seeming prosperity. I should not for
one moment hesitate to put the knife
to the corruption. On behalf of all
our people. on behalf no less of the
honest man of means than of the hon
est man who earns each days IveIi-
hood by the days sweat of his brow. it
is necessary to insist upon honesty in
business and in politics alike, in all
things; upon just and fair dealing as
between man and man. Those who
demand this are striving for the right
the president in conclusion.