Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-12
CORDIAL GREETING
FROM THE PRESIDENT.
Committee From National Prosperity As.
ISOLATION Receives Assurance Of
All Possible Assistance.

| eSty in our business life has been nigh
and today the standard is very much
| beyond what it has ever been and this
| largely because we have made deter
mined war on the abuses that al
| lowed it. AS you have said, the de-
| preston ard stagnation from which
our country is now happily beginning
| to recover, We're not caused by reform
legislation, but by the revelation of
shocking conditions in certain of our
corporations, by reckless operations
in high finance, by calamity and by
certain striking, though | believe eX-
ceptanal, instances of business and
civil dishonesty.
"Though, of course. all good men
must agree with you in your con-
domination Of unwise agitation, the
apathetic acceptance of abuses in our
governmental and business admins
tration is more dangerous than the
demagogic appeals of professional agi-
tators to class hatreds. Our national
conscience, ! firmly believe, has been
awakened We will not and cannot go
back to the condition which tolerated
wrong doing. Neither can we afford to
be led astray by those who would en-
crusade against all corporations. all
business methods. We should address
ourselves to the faithful and honest
observance of the laws of civic right
eouSress.
1.-THE welfare of all of US can best be
obtained by striving for a policy which
will promote the welfare of each of us.
We must all cooperate in order that ben
eft may be derived by the entire nation.
Good laws make for good government:
but laws are of no avail unless VitaliZed
by the people who made them. Our re-
cent legislation has been good and it is
to the interest of the entire country and
especially of the business interests that
it should be enforced. Such further reg
ulatory legislation as is required is mere
lv building up on the broad foundations
that have beer laid. 1t conceals no men
ace to business any more than that leg
islation which has already been enacted.
There is no need for agitation concerning
it: there IS no excuse for demagogic eX-
citemcnt about it. 1t is as much our duty
to conserve the real rights of property as
it is to conserve the real rights Of labor.
This we have done in the past and this
we ought to do and will do in the future.
The country realizes that confidence is
not a matter OF law. 1t is an intangible
something which exists in the relations
of men. These relations have been
strengthened in our own country by the
economic reforms that have been insti
tuted. Therefore we are more powerful
today than we have ever been. So far
as the present administration is con-
cerned, it will continue unchanged the
policy of safeguarding the rights of all
Ultimate means to advance the welfare
and prosperity of our country.
Let there be no misunderstanding about
this. The business and commercial inter-
ests of this country to be prosperous in
any enduring sense must be administered
honestly With occasional exceptions they
have been and are now 80 administered.
AS you have well said wherever there
is evidence of dishonesty it must be pur-
sued relentlessly and punished; but hay
ing thus moved forward to a high plane
of business integrity and on that plane
built wisely, let no man seize the moment
when we have as a nation pilloried the
real indicators to say that all American
business men or even any considerable
number of them are malefactorS. 1 well
come your work and shall be glad to CO.
operate with you in any effort to estab-
fish prosperity on right and honest lines.