Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-02-06

big corporations are Hit.
BY easy stages the president drew near
time ago. and then he told of alleged
methods of the Rockefeller syndicate to
"ovcraWe common carriers, crush out
every competitor and look down upon the
people with contempt which the public
deserves as long as 1t permits such men
to act with impunity." 1t was at that
ance and Chicago & Alton scandals that
Mr. Roosevelt took the heaviest fall out
of wealthy corporations which have been
held to account by the government, The
message continued:
"rhe keynote of all these attacks upon
the effort to secure honesty in business
and in politics is we'll expressed in bra
zen protests against any effort for the
moral regeneration of the business world,
on the ground that it is unnatural, un-
warranted and injurious, and that busi-
ness panic is the necessary penalty for
such effort to secure business honesty.
The morality of such a plea is precisely
as great as If made on behalf of the
men caught in gambling establishment
when that gambling establishment is
rqdGd by the police such words mean
stand against the effort to bring
about moral regeneration of business
which will prevent a repetition of the in
surance. banking and street railroad
scandals in New York: a repetition of
of the combination between certain pro-
fessional politicians, certain professional
labor leaders, and certain big financierS,
from the disgrace of which San Francis
co has just been rescued: a repetition
of the successful effort by the Standard
Oil people to crush out every competitor.
establish monopoly which treats the
public with a contempt which tho public
deserves so long as 1t permits men OF
such principles and such sentiments to
avow and act on them with impunity.
The outcry against stopping dish nest
practices among wrongdoers who hap
n hn 10 m
to the outcry raised against every effort
for cleanliness and decency in city gov
ernment. because, forsooth, it will hurt
Tells of criticising Judges.
"Our opponents have recently been Bit
terly criticising the two judges referred
to in the accompanying communications
from the Standard Oil Company and the
Santa F'e Railroad for having imposed
heavy fines on these two corporations,
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 a whole, are brave
must go hand in hand with respect for
the judges and. as a whole, II is true
now as in the past & that the y JudgeS stand othar
men among their fellow-servants of the
public. The Judge who does his full
duty well stands higher, and renders a
other public servant; he is entitled to
greater respect; and IL he is a true ser
and fearless, he will unhesitatingly dis
regard even the wishes of the people
If they conflict with the eternal prin-
must serve the people; but he must
serve his own conscience first. All honor
to such a judge; and all honor can not
to his brethren who fall immeasurably
below the high ideals for which he
stands. Untruthful criticism Is wicked at
all times, and whoever may be the OBJ
ject: but it Is a peculiarly flagrant in
iauity when a judge is the object. No
man should lightly criticise judge; no
man should. even in his own mind. con-
denim a judge unless he is sure of the
facts. If a judge is assailed for stand.
ing against popular folly, and above al u,
honorable men should rally instantly to
his support. Nevertheless il he clearly
fails to do his duty by the public in
lawbreaking men of wealth, he must ex-
pect TO feel the weight of public opin-
extreme cases this is the only way in
which he can be reached at all. No SER
want of the people has a right to expect
to be free from just and honest criticism.
"An Ethical Movement"
1.-THE opponents of the measures we
another measure for especial attack, and
speak as If the movement in which we
are engaged was purely economic 1t has
a large economic side. but it is funda-
mentally an ethical movement. 1t is not
a movement to be completed IN one year,
or two years. or three years; 1t Is a
movement which must be persevered in
until the spirit which lies behind 1t sinks
deep into the heart and the conscience
of he Whole m eb6esg the right I means to
achieve our purpose, but II is even
more. important to keep this purpose
eary o seizure honesty in
and in politics. We do not subscribe TO
the cynical belief that dishonesty and
success. and are to be condoned when the
success is moderate and applauded when
the success is great The methods :i by
engaged in the other combinations OF
which I have spoken above have
achieved great fortunes can only be JUS.
tilted by the advocacy of system or
morality which would also justify every
form of criminality on the part OF
labor union. and every form of violence,
corruption, and fraud. from murder to
bribery and ballot-box stufiing in poll
tics. We are trying to secure equality
of opportunity for all; and the struggle
made on behalf of one set OF men or OF
another. In the interest of the small
embittcred opposition of wealthy owners
of huge wandering flocks of sheep or or
corporations desiring to rob the people
of coal and timber. we strive to put an
end to the theft Of public lane land in the 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 10
stop such theft, we are really engaged
in the same policy as when we endeavor
to nut a stop to rebates or to prevent
the upgrowth Of uncontroled mopopolies: mo hn
cinIes of common honesty and common
sense. 1t would indeed be Ill for the
country should there be any halt in our
work"
State Government Must Aid.
Eith-y the state or national gov
ernmenf must undertake the regula--
ton of which the president spoke ana
the executive asked the common.
weaIths 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 its part,
said President RooseVelts message.
and each can do certain amount
that the other cannot do. while the
only really satisfactory results must
be obtained by the representatives of