The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-11
ASKS HIS HELP.
Committee of National Prosper
ity Association Calls.
To Enlist the Aid of President
Roosevelt in the Work.


from the National Prosperity association
Of st. Louis called on President Roose-
welt today to urge his aid in furthering
their plans for encouraging the return
Of prosperity throughout the country.
The committee found the president
cordial in his treatment and frank in
MS expressions of willingness to aid
them in every way possible.
A speech was made by E. C. Sim
monds, chairman Of the executive COM
mittee of the association, which was
responded to by the president. Mr..
tion, urged that halt be called upon
radical, hasty and experimental legis-
lation designed to regulate industry.
Explaining the purposes of the as
ISOLATION Mr.. Simmonds said:
''The association has been designed
In the first place to promote confidence
among our business men and, in the
second, through cooperation with you,
to impress the confidence upon all our
own people and the world at large. The
association will facilitate the exchange
of opinion among the 100000 non-par-
tisan business organizations. Business
has suffered too much already from
demagogic agitation, therefore the as
ISOLATION will seek relief from contin-
ued agitation by professional agitators
II Will appreciate the uHWOIlny Spi II
which arrays class against class. 1T
will seek that unity of brotherhood
which you have proclaimed"
Mr.. Simmonds continued:
"a national political campaign is
opening. Platforms are to be adopted.
The National Prosperity association
will ask for fair minded consideration
of business interests by both parties
But the association does not believe
that prosperity depends upon politics
1t is convinced that business may re-
vive: that the unemployed may find
work; that the normal volume of trade
may be reached without waiting for the
November election. To that end the as
ISOLATION will address itself"
The Presidents Reply.
The president responded as follows:
81 am in hearty sympathy with the
avowed object of the National Pros
perity association. 1t is excellent. We
which threaten our national life. Ia
ken as a whole the standard of hon
esty in our business life has been high
and today the standard, is, l believe
beyond what it has ever been, and this
largely because We have made deter
mined war on the abuses that lowered
it. AS you have said, the depression
and stagnation from which our coun-
try is now happily beginning to recover
was not caused by reform legislation,
but DY the r6V6ldIlOn OIL SHOChlHS Gull
ditions in certain of our corporations,
by reckless operations in high finance,
by calamity and by striking, though /
believe exceptional instances of bust
ness and civic dishonesty. or course,
all good men must agree with you IN
your condemnation of unwise agita-
ton. The apathetic acceptance of
abuses in our governmental and busi-
ness administration is no more danger
Gus than the demagogic appeals OF pro-
fessiona1 agitators to class hatreds.
Our national conscience. 1 firmly be-
lieve, has been awakened.
1--WE will not and can not go back
to the conditions which tolerated wrong
doing. Neither can we afford to be
led astray by those who would embark
us in visionary and the wisest cru
sade against all corporations, all busi-
ness methods. We should address our
selves to the faithful and honest OBJ
servance of laws and civic righteous
ness. The welfare of all of us can best
be obtained by striving for a policy
which will promote the welfare of each
of us. We must all cooperate in or
der that benefit may be derived by
the entire nation.
"Good laws make for good govern
ment but laws are of no avail unless
vitalized by the people who made |
them. Our recent legislation has
been good and it is to the interest of |
the entire country and especially of |
the business interests that we should |
be enforced. Should further regula- |
tor legislation as is required is merely
a building up on the broad foundation |
that has been laid. 1t conceals no |
menace to business any more than
that legislation which has already |
been enacted. There is no need for |
agitation concerning it; there is no |
excuse for demagogic excitement |
about it. 1t is as much our duty to |
as it is to conserve the real rights of |
labor. This we have done in the past
and this we ought to do and will do
In the future.
THE country realized that confidence
is not a matter of law. 1t is an intan-
gible something which exists in the re-
lation of men. Those relations have
been strengthened in our own country
by the economic reforms that have
been instituted. Therefore we are more
powerful today than we have ever been |
So far as the present administration is
concerned, it will continue unchanged
the policy of safeguarding the rights of
all and of embracing every possible and
legitimate means to advance the well
fare and prosperity of the country.
Let there be no misunderstanding
about this. The business and CONNER
cial interests of the country to be
prosperous in an enduring sense must
be administered honestly. With occa-
sional exceptions they have been and
are so now administered as you have
we'll said, wherever there is evidence
of dishonesty it must be pursued re-
lentlessly and punished, but having
thus moved forward to high plane
of business integrity and on that
plane built wisely, let no man seize
the moment when we have as ma
ton pillorized the real Indicators to
say that all American business men or
even any considerable number of them
are malefactors. l welcome your vs.-1
and shall be glad to cooperate WIN
you in any effort to establish prosper-
ity on right and honest lines"
A
mi D-AV