Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-04-02
The Nations Sore spot.

Va SaHiZeu SdIilpSdlSu 10 piact3 tue Hd-
tional administration before the people
in false light The men who have
been chosen to lead in this campaign
are, with few exceptions, capable, in
telligent attorneys, who are skilled in
specious argument and seem to regard
success as justification for the means
employed. These advocates contend
that the President is destroying conf
dence. and thereby gripping industry
and checking prosperity. They hold
him up TO view as one who is an enemy
of all organized capital, and therefore
of progress
The essence of the Indictment is con-
tanned in the following extract from a
speech delivered recently in the Senate
Of the United States by Senator Ray
ner of Maryland, Roosevelt being under
discussion: From the violent fervor Of
his utterances there is an idea running
through the public mind that he has
come TO the conclusion that every man
engaged in large business enterprise
is q malefactOr, and that every good
citizen of the land ought to spend at
least one term in the penitentiary."
Now, as matter of fact, no such idea
is running througn the public mind,
but it is an idea that the conspirators
are seeking to lodge in the public mind,
an altogether different proposition. Not
even the men who have discovered, be-
cause President Roosevelt has impress
ed it on them, that they, like other
people. are amenable to the law, believe
any such nonsense, but they realize
that unless popular sentiment can be
turned against the President they must
cease their illegal practices and con-
duct their business in a legitimate man.
ner. Inasmuch as this reform means
a horizontal reduction in their profits,
they are playing desperate game for
high stakes. Obviously the fight must
be conducted under cover for the truth
would only emphasize that their inter-
ests are Numerically opposed to the
peoples interests. 1t would not do to
tell the people that the motive under
purely selfish and mercenary, and so
they affect to stand as the champions
of general prosperity in which we are
all interested.
But even as the President has not
assailed all capital. so all capital is not
arrayed against him. Many corpora
lions have not been under the ban of
suspicion. 1t is to their advantage,
just as it is to the advantage of the
people as a whole, that the wicked
corporations are brought within the
operation of the law. Other corpora
tons that had gone wrong by associa-
ton promptly revised their methods in
conformity with the law, at the behest
of the administration, and these recog
nize the justice and necessity of the
crusade. And there are likewise many
individuals prominent in the industrial
and financial world who are at heart
honest, and who therefore approve of
a campaign that has for its purpose the
setting of a higher moral standard in
business life. Andrew Carnegie, most
of whose vast wealth is in corporate
properties, and who, therefore, cannot
be charged with prejudice against cor
porations, sees no cause for alarm In
the administration attitude. In re-
cent issue of the Century he relates his
experience with the railroads in the re-
batting business, which began innocent
ly enough, but grew to become mon
strous evil. His view of the national
reform is expressed in these words:
The creation of the commission is the
most important addition that has been
made in our day to the machinery OF
government. 1t should be proclaimed by
the administration and leading statesmen
of both parties and kept clearly before
the people that no radical action has
either been taken or is contemplated. On
the contrary, all that is desired is only
what other nations already possess, and
is in the truest sense conservative and
preservative to the highest degree.
The ease and rapidity with which the
commission was established which has
already abolished demoralizing rebates,
and is rapidly giving to corporate invest
ments the security they possess in other
lands by bringing them under supervision,
is a great triumph for our governmental
system in all departments, legislative, ex-
ecutive and judicial, and gives to all the
assurance that no emergency can arise
in our country which will not be promptly
and successfully met-an intelligent just
and fair-minded people at the base cor
daily approving the salutary measures
of their representatives, with the Presi-
dent. a great reforming force at the head,
leading the way.
This Is the expression of q patriotic
citizen who has followed closely the
program of the administration, and
who understands the lofty and unself-
ish motive that inspires the President
If all corporationists were like Car
negie. the revolution which the enforce
ment of the law entails, would be &C
complished with scarcely ripple on
the sea of industry. But, unfortunate
ly. there is a class of financiers grown |
so arrogant In long immunity, that |
they resent any effort to revise their
Legitimate methods. And these men |
are responsible for the present disturb
ance.-TOledo Blade.
Written by Republicans.
The truth of history demonstrates |
that the great organization, the great |
power that saved the Union, was the |
Republican organization. | remember |
a few years ago when my genial friend |
= ('1nlnhpll
member of the House he took the floor
to prove that there was no Republican |
party in 1864, when Lincoln was re-
elected, and he brought in copy OF |
the Tribune Almanac which showed |
that the votes for Lincoln were given |
under the caption of Union Republi-
cans" and, he claimed, showed there
was no Republican party. The argu-
ment of my colleague the other lay |