The Washington herald., 1908-02-01

strument of corruption and in the pur-
chased newspaper the most efficient de
fender of corruption. Our main quarrel
Is not with these agents and representa-
tiVes of the interests They derive their
chief power from the great sinister Of
tenders who stand behind them They
are but puppets who move as the strings
are pulled. 1t is not the puppets. but the
strong. cunning men and the mighty
forces working for evil behind and
through the puppets with whom we nave
10 deal We seek 10 control laW-defylng
wealth. in the first place % prevent It's
doing dire evil To the republic, ana ln tht
next place 10 avoid the yindictye and
dreadful radcalism which, % LETT un-
controlled, IL is certain in the end 10
arouse Sweeping attacks upon all prop
erty, upon all men Of means, without re-
gard 10 whether they DO Well or Ut. would
sound the death-kuel Of the republic,
and such attacks become inevitable IT
decent citizens permit those rich men
whose lives are corrupt and evil 20 dom
lueeT In swollen pride. unchecked and
unhindered, over the destinles Of this
country We act ia no yinGlCtlye spirit
and we are no reSpect0rs Of persons II
labor union does wrong. We oppose IL as
( firmly as We oppose a corporation which
l does wrong. and We stand equally StOutiy
for the rights Of the man OF wealth and
for the rights of the wagewOTker We
seek 20 protect the property Of every man
who acts honestly. of every corporation
I that represents wealth honestly accumu-
I lated and honestly used. We seek 20 stop
wrongd0ug. and we desire O. punish the
WrDngdOers only SO far as is necessary to
achieve this end.
Attacks on Administration.
There are ample material rewards for
/ those who serve with fidelity the NAM
mon Of uuriEhte0Usness: but they are
dearly paid for by the people who per
nit their representatives,. whether In pub
4 De life, in the press or in the colleges
where their young men are taught, to
preach and % practice that there IS one
I law Tor the rich and another fer the
/ poor The amount OF money the repre-
/ seut8tlyes Of certain great m0ueyed in
JereSts are willing 10 spend can be- gauged
/ by their recent publication broadcast
throughout the papers Of this country.
I from the atlantic 20 the Pacific, of huge
{ advertisements attacking with euvenOm-
I ed bitterness the administration $ policy
1 of warning against successful dishonesty.
and by their circulation OF pamphlets
and books prepared with the same OBJ
/ jecr, while they likewise push the cir
CulatiOu of the-WTltlugS and speeches OF
men who. whether because they are mis-
/ led. OF because, seeing the light. they Yet
/ are willing TO sin against the light. serve
the cost OF the plain people. The books
I and pamphlets, the controlled uewspa-
T pers, the speeches by public or private
men To which ! refer. are usually ana es-
f. peci8ily in the interest Of the Standard
I on trust and Of certain notorious rail-
road combinations. but they also defend
/ other individuals and corporations OF
! great wealth that have been guilty OF
/ WTOngdOiug. IL is only rarely that the
men responsible for the wr0ngd0iug
HaFT .lI "a . AH.r Il q
( they hire others To do their bidding, or
find others who Will do IL without hire,
From the railrOad-Tdte law 10 the pure
food law, every measure Tor honesty ln
! business that has been passed during the
last six wears has been opposed by these
men on its passage and I'm its adminstra-
ton with every resource that bitter and
INSCRIPTIONS craft could suggest and
the command of almost unlimited money
secure. But for the last year the attack
has been made with most bitterness upon
the actual administration OF the law,
especially through the Department OF
Justice, but also through the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the Bureau
of Corporations. The extraordinary vio-
IlenCe Of the assaults upon our policy con-
tained I'm these speeches, editorials, artl-
Giles, advertisements, and pamphlets, and
the enormous sums OF money spent IN
these various ways, give q fairly accurate
measure OF the anger and terror which
cur public actions have caused the cor
rupt men of vast wealth % feel In the
very marrow Of their being. The attack
is sometimes made openly against us for
enforcing the law, and sometimes with
q certain cunning, for not trying to en-
force il in some other way than that
which experience shows To be practical
One of the fayOTite methods OF the latter
class Of assailant is to attack the admin
lstratlOn for not procuring the impris0n-
mpnt instead OF the fine of offenders un-
these If -
ing this assault is usually either a prom
inent lawyer or an editor who takes hts
policy from the finanClerS and his aTgu-
ments from their attorneys. If the for
meT, ne has defended and advised many
wealthy malefactors, and he knows vel
that. thanks TO the advice Of lawyers like
himself a certain kind of modern COTpOT-
alton has been turned into an admirable
instrument by which to render it well
nigh impossible TO get at the head Of the
corporation. at the man who is really
most guilty. When we are able TO pu
the real wrongdOer in prison. this is what
We strive to do, this is what we have ac
tually done with some very wealthy Grim
indlS. who. moreover. represented thai
most baneful Of all alliances, the alliance
between the corruption of organized poll
ties and the corruption Of high finance
This is what we have done in the GaynOl
and Greene case, in the case Of the mis-
application of funds in connection witt
certain great banks in Chicago. IN tht
land-fraud cases. where, as in other cases
likewise, neither the highest political posi-
tiOn nor the possession of great wealth
has availed to save the offenders from
prison. The Federal government doe:
u SCOuTge sin. il does bid sinners fear, fO
it has put behind the bars. with impartia
severity, the powerful financier, the pow
eTful politician, the rich land thief, tn.
rich cOntTactOr-all, no matter how hgi
their station. against whom criminal mis-
deeds can be proved. All their wealth
and power cannot protect them. But (
often happens that the effort to imprisoI
/ q given defendant is certain 10 be fu
tile, while il is possible to fine him or {,
fine the corporation of which he Is head
, so that in other words, the only way o
furnishing the wrong is by finings the cor
poration. unless we are content 10 pro
ceed personally against the minor agents
The corporation lawyers to whom / refe
and their employers are the men mainl!
responsible for this state Of things. ant
r their responsibility is shared with al
? who ingeniOusly oppose the passing o
Just and effective laws, or who fail 4
execute them when they have been pu
on the statute books.
Rights of the "InnOcent."
Much is said, in these attacks upon tn
, policy of the present administration
about the rights of innocent stOckhold
ers." That stockhOlder is not innocen
/ .oIf4ptarfIxr Dt1r9baepc ctoqIr IN