The Monticellonian., 1908-02-06

methods of the Rockefeller syndicate to "overawe common carriers. crush out every competitor and look down upon the people with a contempt which the public deserves as long as il permits such men to act with impunity. Ii was al that point and in connection with the insur- ance and Chicago & Alton scandals that MT. Roosevelt took the heaviest fall out of wealthy corporations which lave been held to account by the government. The message continued:
 The keynote of all these attacks upon the effort to secure honesty in business and in politics is well expressed in bra zen protests against any effort for the moral regeneration of the business world, on the ground that tt Is unnatural un- warranted and injurious, and that busi- ness panic is the necessary penalty for such effort to secure business honesty. The morality of such a plea is precisely as great as if made on behalf of the men caught in a gambling establishment raided by the police If such words mean anything they mean that those stand Ts3sf agaInat sahlt'his t6e eoTt flor to bring about a moral regeneration of business which will prevent a repetition of the in surance, banking and street railroad scandals in New York; repetition of the Chicago X Alton deal; repetition of the combination between certain pro tesslonal politicians, certain professional labor leaders. and certain big tinanefeFs. from the disgrace of which San Francis co has just been rescued; repetition of the successful effort by the Standard oil people to crush out every competitor, to overawe the common carriers, and to establish 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 outcrY against stopping dishonest practices among wrengdoers who hap pen to be wealthy Is precisely similar to the outcry raised against every effort for cleanlinese and decency in city gov ernment. because, forsooth, it will hurt business.
 Tells of Criticising Judges.
 "Our opponents have recently been bit- terly erltieising the two judges referred to in the accompanying communteaions from the Standard Oil Company and the Santa Fe 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 a 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 q whole. are brave and upright men. Respect for the law must go hand in hand with respect for the judges; and. as whole, IL Is true now as in the past that the judges stand in character and service above all other men among their fellow-serVants of the public. The judge who docs his ihit duty well stands higher. and renders a better service to the people than any other public servant; he is entitled to greater respect; and if he is true ser want of the people. if he is upright, wise and fearless, he will unhesitatinely dis regard even the wishes of the people if they conflict with the eternal prin- ciples of right as against wrong. lie must serve the people, but he must serve his own conscience first All honor to such a judge; and all honor can not be rendered him If il is rendered equally to his brethren who fall immeasnrablY below the high ideals for which he stands Untruthful criticism is wicked at all times. and whoever may be the ob- ject; but it is a peculiarly ftagraht in- man should lightly ertieise a judge. no man should. even in his own mind, con demn judge unless he IS sure ef the facts. If q judge is assaied for stand, ing against popular folly, and above all for standing against mob violence all honorable men should rally instantly to his support Nevertheless if he clearly fails 10 do his duty by the public in dealing with lawbreaking corporations. lawbreaktng men of wealth. he must eX- pect to feel the weight of public opin- ion: and this is but right, for except Tn extreme cases this is the only WY in which he can be reached at all No ser want of the people has a right to expect to be free from just and honest criticism.
 "An Ethical Movement"
 "The opponents of the measures we champion single out now one and now speak if the movement In Which We are engaged was purely economic. It has a large economic side, but II IS tunda+ mentally an ethical movement. It IS not a movement to be completed in one year. or two wears or three years; It IS q movement which must be perseVered Tn until the spirit which lies behind 1t sinks deep into the heart and the conscience of the whole, people, It is always ways. ao achieve our purpose. but it is even more important to keep this purpose clearly before us and thls 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 applauded when the success is great The methods by which the Standard oil people and those engaged in the other combinations or which have spoken above have achieved great fortunes can oniy S.sf, ng 9us tifed by the advocacy or a system oi morality which would also justify every form of criminality on the part of labor union, and every form Of violence, corruption. and fraud, from murder to bribery and ballot-boX stufiing in poll tics. Ne are trying to secure eanalll,y for honesty is the same whether 1t IS made on behalf of one set of men or ot another In the interest of the small settlers and landowners; and against the embiftered opposition of wealthy owners of huge wandering feeks or sheep or or corporations desiring to rob the people of coal and timber strive to put an end to the theft of public land Tn the west. When we do this and protest Ps,f in public life or in private hfe, who either take part in or refuse to try to Stpn such thcfi. We are IttiilN tilSeiSth in the same policy as when We endeavor to put stop to rebates or to prevent the upgrowth of uncontrolled monopolies. our effort is simply to, enforce the pr1n- ciplas- of common honesty and common sense It would indeed be ill for the country should there be any halt in our work.
 State Government Must Aid.
 Eftl-. the state or national gov ernmenf must undertake the regula- tion of which the president spoke. and the executive asked the common Wealths to share the responsibility Of curhing those corporations which are accused of evil-doing. "Ot course in any event both the national and state governments must each do it's part, said President RooseVelts message, and each can dc certain amount that the other cannot do. while the only really satisfactory results must be obtained by the representatives Of the national and state governments working heartily together within their respective spheres. But in my judg- ment thorough going and satisfactory control can in the end only be obtained by the action of the national govern uent for almost all the corporations of enormous wealth-that is the corpo- ratiens which it is especially desirable to cOntrol-are engaged in interstate commerce. and derive their power and their importance not from that portion but from the interstate business. It is not syalways to decide just where the line of demarcation between the two kinds of HFf-f -fTa.4S n