Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-02-12
which. If left uncontrolled. it is certain
In the end to arouse"
Big Corporations Are Hit.

Big Corporations Are Hit.
By. easy stages the president drew near
10 the Standard Oil trouble of short
time ago. and then he told OF alleged
methods or the Rockefeller syndicate to
! "overawe common carriers, crush out
| every competitor and look down upon the
people with contempt which the public
deserves as long as it permits such men
to- act with impunity." 1t was at that
point and in connection with the insur-
ance and Chicago & Alton scandals that
| Mr.. Roosevelt took the heaviest fall out
| or wealthy corporations which have been
held TO account by the government. The
/ message continues:
| The keynote of all these attacks upon
| the effort to secure honesty in business
! zen protests against any effort for the
| moral regeneration of the business world
| on the ground that it is unnatural. I'M
| warranted and injurious, and that bust
ness panic is the necessary penalty for
such effort to secure business honesty.
Ihe morality Of such a plea is precisely
as great as If made behalf of the
men caught in a gambling establishment
when that gambling establishment is
raided by the police. If such words mean
ANYTHING they mean that those
stand against the effort flor to epf BRING
about a moral regeneration of business
which will prevent a repetition of the in
surance. banking and street railroad
scandals in New York: repetition of
of the combination between certain pro-
tessional politicians certain professional
from the disgrace of which San Francis
co has just been rescued; repetition
of the successful effort by the Standard
Oil people to crush out every competitor,
to oVerawe the common carriers, and to
establish a monopoly which treats the
public with a contempt which the public
deserves so long as ii permits men of
such principles and such sentiments to
avow and act on them with impunity.
The cutlery against stopping dishonest
practices among wrongdoers who hap
pen to be wealthy is precisely similar
to the cutlery raised against every effort
for cleanliness and decency in city gov
eminent. because. forsooth, it will hurt
business
Tells of criticising Judges.
Our opponents have recently been bit
terly criticising the two judges referred
from the Standard Oil Company and the
Santa Fe Railroad for having imposed
and yet these same critics of these two
judges exhaust themselves in denounc-
ing the most respectful and cautious
discussion of the official action of a judge
which results in immunity to wealthy
and powerful wrongdoers. Most certain
ly it behooves us all to treat with the
utmost respect the high Office of judge;
and our judges, as whole. are brave
and upright men. Respect for the law
the judges. and. as whole. it is true.
now as in the past that the judges stand
in character and service above all other
men among their fellow-servants of the
public. The judge who does his full
duty well stands higher. and renders a
better service to the people, than any
greater respect; and if he is true ser
want of the people. if he is upright. wise
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
to such judge; and all honor can not
be rendered him if it is rendered equally
below the high ideals for which he
stands. Untruthful criticism is wicked at
all times. and whoever may be the OBJ
iect: but, it is a peculiarly fragrant in
iquity when a Judge is the object. No
man should lightly criticise a judge;
man should. even in his own mind, con-
facts. If a judge is assailed for stand
ing against popular folly, and above all
honorable men should rally instantly to
his support. Nevertheless If he clearly
fails to do his duty by the public in
dealing with lawbreaking corporations.
lawbreaking men of wealth. he must ex-
pect to feel the weight of public opin-
ion; and this is but right, for except 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.
IAN 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. 1t has
mentally an ethical movement. 1t is not
movement to be completed in one year.
or two years. or three. years; it is a
movement which must be persevered in
until the spirit which lies behind it sinks
deep into the heart and the conscience
portant to choose the right means to
achieve our purpose, but 1t is even
more important to keep this purpose
,I0 o,,I IL,
to secure national honesty in business
and in politics. We do not subscribe to
unfair dealing are essential to business
success, and are to be condoned when the
success is moderate and applauded when
which the Standard Oil people and those
engaged in the other combinations OF
which have spoken above have
titled by the advocacy OF system of
morality which would also justify every
labor union and every form of violence.
corruption, and fraud. from murder to
bribery and ballot-box stuffing in poll
tics. We are trying to secure equality
| of opportunity for all; and the struggle
| for honesty is the same whether it is
made on behalf of one set of men or of
another. In the interest of the small
settlers and landowners: and against the
| embittered opposition of wealthy owners
| of huge wandering fiocks of sheep, or of
corporations desiring to rob the people
/ of coal and timber, we strive to put an
end to the theft of public 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
stop such theft: we are really engaged
| in the same policy as when we endeavor
| to put a stop to rebates or to prevent
the upgrowth of uncontrolled monopolies.
| Our effort is simply to enforce the prin-
ciples of common honesty and common
| sense 1t would indeed be i'll for the
| country should there be any halt in our
| work"
state Government Must Aid.
Eitr-S the state or national gov
| eminent must undertake the regula-
ton. of which the president spoke and
tho executive asked the common
| wIalths to share the responsibility of
cUrbing those corporations. which are
| accused of evil-doing. "Of course in
| any event both the national and state
! governments must each do it's part"
said President Roosevelts message,
| and each can do a certain amount
| that the other cannot do. while the
only really satisfactory results must
! be obtained by the representatives of
the national and state governments