Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-06-18

the money holders, that their dearest
rights were in danger, that their hopes
of success and advancement were cut
off by business systems which they
could not understand but which the
individual was sacrificed and held
down.
face an ominous unrest was apparent
The violent counsels of violent men
who aimed at Tie destruction of prop
crty and the overthrow of law, began
to be heard and hardened to. The
great orIer-loviEg, Industrious masses
of the American people turned away
from these advocates of violence but
at the same time, demanded that THEN
Government should give them, in law.
full, and reasonable ways, the protec,
ton to which they were entitled
against the dangers they justly appre-
hended.
The great duty of fulfilling these
righteous demands, like all the great
public services of the last half century
was imposed upon the Republican par
ty and they have not fiinched from the
burden Under the lead of the Presi.
dert, the Republican party has crap
pied with the new problems, born OF
the new condition. 1t has been nc
light task. Dangerous extremes threat
ened on either hand. On the one side
were the radicals of reaction, who re-
sisted any change at ALTON the other
side We're the radicals of destruction
who wished to change everything
These two forms of radicalism are as
far apart at the outset as the poles
but, when carried out, they lead alike
to revolution. Between these two eX-
tremes the Republican President and
the Republican Congress were COM
pelled to steer and while they advanced
steadily, soberly and effectively, they
We're obliged to rcpel the radical, as
saults On either hand.
Yet, notwithstanding all these diff
ficulties, much has been accomplished
The response of the people to the pol
cies urged by the President, has beer
so emphatic that it has been made
clear, once for al, that the Government
of the United States is never to be DOM
mated Ey money ard financial inter
ests, and that the political party which
permits itself to be ruled by them is
thereby doomed to defeat.
The policy of the Republican Party
in dealing with these new and fornida-
BILE questions which have taken con-
crete form in enormous combinations
of capital and in great public service
corporations, has been formulated and
determined That policy is to use gov
eminent regulation and supervision
% n
combinations so that these great and
necessary instruments of commerce and
business may be preserved as useful
servants and not destroyed because
they have threatened to become dan
gerOuS masters.
This policy is the absolute opposite
of government ownership and all like
measures, advocated by our opponents
which tend directly to Socialism and tc
all it's attendant miseries and evils.
1t is in pursuance of this policy
shaped ard settled, during the past few
years, that old laws have been enforced
and new ones enacted.
Nothing is more destructive TO the
respect for law-the chief bulWark OF
civilized society-than to place laws
TO still i;ublic clamor and satisfy the
people but which ii is never intended t
enforce. The worst laws imaginable
are those which are allowed TO rust
urused. bccause, if enforced, they
might interfere with vested abuses ol
curb the rich and powerful.
The President has enforced the laws
as he found them on the statute
book. For this performance of his
sworn duty, he has been bitterly at
tackled. 1t was to be expected vest
ed abuses and profitable wrongs cry
out loudly when their entertainments
are carried, and some one is sure to bf
hurt when the bayonets Of the law arc
pushed home. In the great Ameri-
can Electorate, money has few votes
but it can command many voices anc
cau"4 many birds to sing. The result,
is that the President is the best abusec
and the most popular man in the
United States today. He has bee1
more abused than any President OK
cept Washington, Lincoln and Grant
He possesses the love and confidence
of tho American people to degree
never euualed except by Lincoln an'
Washington. May it not be said. ir
sober truth. that the fearless perform
ancn of a sworn duty is not Withou'
its exceeding great reward?
But the work has not ceased Will
the enforcement of existing laws. 4
Republican Congress and q Republican
President have placed new laws upol
the statute books, resigned to carry
out the Republican policy or govern
ment regulation iii safe reasonable
and effective manner. The Elkln
laws, aimed at preferential rebates
which have been the curse of ou
TRANSFORMATION and our business; TIL
railroad rate law which made tht
supervision If railroads more effective
and the pure food law which has been
in the highest degree, bencfcient t.