The Forrest City times., 1908-02-07

ment to uphold honesty mus 5s 9 move | ment to frown on dishonesty. We at l tack only corrupt men of wealth. who | ind In the purchased politician the most | efficient instrument of corruption and in the purchased newspaper the most eff | cient defender of corruption. Our main l quarrel Is not with these agents and l representatives of she interests. They l derive their chief power from the great sinister offenders who stand behind l them. They are but puppets who move as the strings are pulled. IL is not the puppets. but the strong cunning men ani the mighty forces working for evil behind and through the puppets. with | whom We have to deal We seek to con- | trei law-defying wealth; in the first place l to prevent its doing dire evil to the i public. and In the next place to avoid | the vindictive and dreadful radicalsm which. if left uncontroled It Is certain | in the end to arouse.
 Big Corporations Are Hit.
 By. easy stages the president drew near | to the Standard oil trouble of a short | time ago and then he told of alleged methods of the Rockefeller syndicate to | 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 at that point and in connection with the insur- ance and Chicago x Alton scandals that | MT Roosevelt took the heaviest fall out | Of wealthy corporations which have 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 1t is unnatural, un- | warranted and injurious. and that busi- ness panic is the necessary penalty for l such effort to secure business honesty The morality of such plea Is precisely | as great as If made on behalf of the | men caught in a gambling establishment when that gambling establishment Is | l words | anything they mean that those whose whose sentiments they represent about a moral regeneration of business | which will prevent a repetition of the in surance banking and street railroad | the Chicago X Alton deal; repetition | of the combination between certain pro fessonal politicians. certain professional l labor leaders. and certain big financiers. | from the disgrace of which San Francis | co has just been rescued a 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 l public with a contempt which the public deserves so long as it permits men of such principles and such sentiments to 1 avow and act on them with impunity. practices among wrongdoers who hap pen to be wealthy is precisely similar
 to the outcry raised against every effort l for cleanliness and decency in city gov 1 ernment. because, forsooth, it will hurt 1 business.'"
 Tells of crlticising Judges.
 Our opponents have recently been bit terly criticisins the two judges referred 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 l judges exhaust themselves in denounc- | ing the most respectful and cautious
 discussion of the official action of judge inh 1t- tn | | and powerful wrongdoers. Most certain | ly 1t 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 a whole. it Is true | in character and service above all other
 men among their felowservants of the
 duty well stands higher. and renders a
 better better rI, service to the people, than any
 greater. respect; and if he is true ser
 want of the people, if he is upright. wise
 and fearless, he will unhesitatingly 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 a judge; and all honor can not
 be rendered him If 1t is rendered equally
 to his brethren, who fall immeasurably
 stands Untruthful criticism is wicked at
 all times and whoever may be the ob-
 1ect; but 1t is peculiarly fragrant in l iquity when a judge Is the object. No
 man should lightly criticise a judge: no
 man should, even in his own mind, con
 demn a judge unless he is sure of the
 facts. If a judge is assailed for stand ing against popular folly, and above all for standing against mob violence. all
 honorable men should rally instantly 10 | his support. Nevertheless if he clearly
 fails to do his duty by the public In dealing with lawbreaking corporations,
 pect to feel the weight of public opin- l 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
 "An Ethical Movement"
 "The 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. It has l a large economic side, but 1t is funda-
 mentally an ethical movement. Ii is not
 a movement to be completed in one year 1 or two years or three years; 1t is a
 movement which must be persevered in
 until the spirit which lies behind it sinks
 deep into the heart and the conscience
 of the whole people. It is always i'm
 portant to choose the right means to
 achieve our purpose, but it is even
 more important to keep this purpose
 clearly before us; and this purpose is
 to secure national honesty In business
 
 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 l the success is great. The methods by | which the Standard oil people and those | engaged in the other combinations of
 which have spoken above have | achieved great fortunes can only be jus | tified by the advocacy of a system of | morality which would also justify every i form of criminality the part of a | labor union, and every form of violence | corruption and fraud. from murder to
 bribery and ballot-box stufing in poli-
 ties We are trying to secure equality l of opportunity for all; and the struggle | for honesty is the same whether it is | made on behalf of one set of men TT of | another In the interest of the small l settlers and landowners, and against the embttered opposition of wealthy owners l of huge wandering ffocks of sheep. or of | corporations desiring to rcb the people 1 of coal and timber We strive to put an | end to the theft of rukhc land in the | west When we do this. and protest | against the action of all men. whether in public life or in private life who
 either take part in or refuse to try to l stop such theft, are really engaged | in the same policy as when We endeaVor | to put stop 10 rebates or to prevent the upgrowth of uncontrolled monopolies | nur asfort ia SiFnpiy tO enforce the prlp-