The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-02-07

justice may continue to be. what It now
is, in very fact the department of jus
tice where so far as our ability per-
mits justice Is meted out with an even
hand to great and small, rich and poor.
weak and strong. Moreover: there
laws now on the statute books by the
enactment of further legislation as
outlined in the message | sent to the
congress on it's assembling. Under the
existing laws much. very much. has
been actually accomplished during the
past six years, and 1T has been shown
by actual experience that they can be
enforced against the wealthiest cor
poration and the richest and most pow
erful manager or manipulation of that
corporation, as vigorously and fearless
ly as against the humblest offender
Above all, they have been enforced
against the very wrongdoers and
agents of wrongdoers who have for
so many years gone scot-free and
against great law-defying corpora
tions of immense wealth, which, until
within the last half dozen years have
treated themselves and have expected
others to treat them as being beyond
and above all possible check from law.
1t is especially necessary to secure to
the representatives. of the national gov
eminent full power to deal with the
great corporations engaged in inter.
state comerce, and above all, with the
great interstate common carriers. Our
while there are dimcuties in any
course of conduct to be followed in
dealing with these great CORPORATIONS,
these difficulties must be faced and one
of three courses followed. The first
course is to abandon all effort to. over
see and control their actions in the in
terest of the general public and to per-
NIT return to the utter lack of con-
troll which would obtain If they were
left to the common law. | do not for
one moment believe that our people
would tolerate this position. The eX-
traordinary growth of modern indus
triallsm has rendered the common law,
which grew up under and was adapt
ed to deal with totally different condi-
lions, in many respects inadequate to
deal with the new conditions. These
new conditions make it necessary to
shackle cunning as in the past we have
shackled force The vast individual
and corporate fortunes the vast com,
binations of capital, which have marked
the development of our industrial sys-
TEN, create new conditions, and neces-
state change from the old attitude
of the state and the nation toward the
untrammeled business use of prop
erty, in order both that property may
he adequately protected. and that at
the same time those who hold it may
be prevented from wrongdoing.
Talks of Financial Stress.
1--WE have just passed through two
months of acute financial stress. At
any such time it is sad fact that en-
tirely innocent people suffer from no
fault of their own; and every one must
large body of honest business men, of
honest investors, of honest wagework-
ers. who suffer because involved in a
crash for which they are in no way
a natural tendency on the part of many
men to feel gloomy and frightened at
the outlook; but there Is no Justifica-
ton so absolutely sure of ultimate sue
cess as ours. OF course we shall sue.
coed. Ours is nation. of masterful
energy with a continent for its domain.
and it feels within it's veins the thrill
which comes to those who know that
they possess the future. We are not
cast down by the fear of failure. We
are upheld by the confident hope of I'LL
innate triumph. The wrongs that ex-
list are to be corrected; but they in no
way justify doubt as to the final out
come, doubt as to the great material
prosperity of the future, or of the lofty
spiritual life which is to be built upon
that prosperity as foundation. No
permitted to shroud from our eyes the
glorious future of the nation; but be-
cause of this very fact 1t behooves us
never to swerve from our resolute pur-
pose to cut out wronEdoing and uphold
what is right. I do not for moment
believe that the actions of this admin
istratlon have brought on buslnesS DIS
trCss; so far as this is due to local and
not worldwide causes. and to the ac-.
lions of any particular individuals, il
is due to the speculative folly and fla
grant dishonesty of few men of great
wealth. who seek to shield themselves
from the effects of their own wrong
doing by ascribing it's results to the
actions of those who have sought to
put a stop to the wrongdoing. But IL
1t were true that to cut out rottenness
from the body polite meant mo-
mentary check to an unhealthy
seeming prosperity, I should not for
one moment hesitate to put the knife
to the corruption. On behalf of all
our people, on behalf no less of the
honest man of means than of the hon
est man who earns each days liveli-
hood by the days sweat of his brow, 1t
is necessary to insist upon honesty in
business and in politics alike. in all
walks of life. in big things and in little
things; upon just and fair dealing as
between man and man. Those who
demand this are striving for the right
in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln" said
the president in conclusion.