Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1908-02-13
which, if lCft uncontrolled, IL Is G.,
in the end to arouse"
Big Corporations Are Hit.

to the standard OIL trouble OF a short
methods Of the Rockefeller syndicate to
"ovCruwe common carriers. crush out
every competitor and look down upon the
people with contempt which the public
deserves MS long as II permits such men
TO act with impunity.' 1t was at that
point and in connection with the insur-
anCc and Chicago q Alton scandals that
Mr. Roosevelt took the heaviest fall out
of wealthy corporations which have been
held to account by the government. The
The keynote of all these attacks upon
the effort to secure honesty in business
ana IN pontics is Wen expressed IN or S.
zen protests against any effort for the
moral regeneration OF the business world,
on the ground that it Is unnatural un-
warranted and injurious, and that bust
ness panic is the necessary penalty for
such effort to secure business honesty.
The morality of such plea is precisely
men caught in a gambling establishment
when that gambling establishment Is
raided by the police. IL such words mean
whose sentiments they represent
stand against the effort to bring
about moral regeneration of business
which viii prevent repetition of the in
suranCe banking and street railroad
scandals in New York; a repetition of
the Chicago & Alton deal; repetition
of the combination between certain pro.
tessional politicians. certain professional
labor leaders, and certain big tinunciers,
from the disgrace of which San Francis
co has just been rescued; Il repetition
of the successful effort by the Standard
Oil people TO crush out every competitor,
to overawc the common carriers. and to
establish a monopoly which treats the
public with a contempt which the public
deserves so long as it permits men of
such principles and such sentiments to
avow and act on them with impunity.
The cutlery against stopping dishonest
practices among wrongdoers who hap
to the cutlery raised against every effort
for cleanliness and deCency in city gov
eminent, because, forsooth. it will hurt
Tells Of criticisine Judges.
"Our opponents have recently been bit
terly crticising the two judges referred
to in the accompanying communications
from the Standard Oil Company and the
Santa I'e Railroad for having imposed
heavy fines on these two corporations;
and yet these same critics of these two
judges exhaust themselves in denounc-
ing the most respectful and cautious
discussion of the official action of II Judge
and powerful wrongdoers. Most certain
ly it behooves us all to treat with the
utmost respect the high office of judge;
and our judges. as a whole, are brave
and upright men. Respect for the law
must go hand in hand with respect for
the judges; and, as whole, 1t is true
in character and service above all other
men among their fellow-servants of the
public. The Judge who does his fuii
other public servant; he is entitled to
greater. respect; and If he is true ser
and fearless, he will unhestatingly dis
regard even the wishes of the people
If they conflict with the eternal prin-
ciples of right as against wrong, He
must serve the people; but he must
serve his own, conscience first. All honor
to such judge; and all honor can not
be rendered hin If it is rendered equally
to his brethren who fall immeasurably
below the high ideals for which he
tf.fgV NJ Fnl
all times, and whoever, may be the OBJ
ject; but it is a peculiarly fragrant in
iquity when a Judge is the object No
man should lightly, criticse Judge; no
man should. even in his own mind, con-
denim a judge unless he Is sure of the
facts II judge is Ass aSsaied a for ro stand
for standing against mob violence, an
honorable men should rally instantly TO
his support. Nevertheless If he clearly
fails to do his duty by the public in
dealing with lawbreaking corporations,
lawbreaking men of wealth, he must eN-
pect to feel the weight of public opin-
ion; and this is but right, for except in
extreme cases this is the only way in
which he can be reached at all. No SER
want of the people has right to expect
to be free from just and honest criticism.
IAN Ethical Movement
"Thc opponents of the measures we
champion single out now one and now
another measure for especial attack, and
speak as If the movement in which we
are engaged was purely economic. 1t has
a large economic side, but it is funda-
mentally an ethical movement. 1t is not
a movement to be completed in one year,
or two years or three years; 1t is n
movement which must be persevered in
until the spirit which lies behind 1t sinks
deep into the heart and the conscience
of the whole people. 1t is always I'M
portant to choose the right means to
achieve our purpose, but 1t Is even
clearly before us: and this purpose is
to secure national honesty in business
and in politics. We do not subscribe to
the cynical belief that dishonesty and
unfair dealing are essential to business
success, and are to be condoned when the
success is moderate and appiauded when
the success is great. The methods by
which the Standard OIL people and those
engaged in the other combinations of
which | have spoken above pave
achieved great fortunes can only be JUS
tilted by the advocacy of system OF
morality which would t also 4r justly every w
labor union, and every form OF violence,
corruption. and fraud, from murder to
bribery and ballot-boX stutiing in poll
of opportunity for all; and the, struggle
for honesty is the same whether 1t Is
another. In the interest of the small
settlers and landowners. and against the
embittcred opposition of wealthy owners
of huge wandering docks of sheep, or OF
corporations desiring to rob the people
of coal and timber, we strive TO put an
end to the theft Of pubic iam LAM in the
against the action of all men,, whether
in public life or in private life, who
either take part in or refuse to try to
stop such theft, we are really engaged
in the same policy as when we endeayor
to put a stop 20 rebates or to prevent
the upgrowth of uncontrolled monopoles.
our effort is simply to enforce the prn,
sense 1t would indeed be i'll for the
country should there be any halt in our
State Government Must Aid.
EitI-. the state or national gov
crnrnCnf must undertake the regula-
| ton, of which the president spoke, and
| the executive asked the common
wealths to share the responsibility of
| curbing those corporations which are
| accused of ovil-doinE. "Of course in
| any event both the national and state
| governments must each do it's part"
| said President Roosevelts message
and each can do n certain amount
| that the other cannot do. while the
| only really satisfactory results must
| be obtained by the representatives, Of
n national and state :