Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-22
Governor Hughes De-.
cIares Himself in Ad-
dress at Chicago.
BUSINESS MEN HONEST
Takes Occasion Again to Make
Differences With President
Roosevelt Clear.

chicago, req. ZZ-- dSHllSlOH
birthday was generally celebrated
throughout the city today, banks and
business houses being closed. The
principal feature of the celebration
was held under the auspicies of the
Union League club. The chief orator
of the day was Governor Hughes of
New York, who spoke at the Auditor
ium this morning, saying in part:
There is no legislative road to
character. If the spirit of Washing
ton could permeate our public and pri-
vate life, we should neither need nor
seek governmental panacea. And it only
in so far as in fact this spirit imbueS
administration that the government of
a free people can perform its function.
Country Morally Sound.
"The country is morally sound. It's
standards of business were never
higher. Making all allowance for the
extremes of avarice and artifice for
the unwholesOme spectaeles of exploit
tation and infidelity to trusts. without
blinking any evil or glossing over
any wrongs, the fact remains that the
business men of the country are for
| the most part honest men. represent
| ing fairly the moral standards of the
people. And never more than today
have they, taken as whole, earnestly
desired that abuses shall be stopped.
that an end shall be put to corrupt
dealings and unfair practices, that
gambling shall not parade in business
livery, and that American industry
and trade shall have free scope for
lines of honorable rivalry and with
| justice to stockholders. to employees,
and to the people at large
| Cynics Cannot Develop.
"Pessimists and cynics cannot de-
velop this country We must have
confidence in the stability of our in
stitutions, in the sanity of the people,
and in their lealization of what under
lies our prosperity.
"We have only begun to develop
the commerce of this country. We
take just pride in our present enter
believe that the commerce of the fu-
ture will as far exceed that of the
present as the varied production, the
vast extent of commercial exchanges,
and the means of communication of
today, transcend the hopes and even
the dreams of Washington.
This is no time for disceuragement
i Tor halting, but for appreciation OF
American opportunity, and for that
intelligent and united effort by which
alone we can avail of it and deserve
the blessings of posterity.
Policy Must BE Settled.
ITO support this confidence and tc
gain these ends we must have a set
tied governmental policy. And il
must be right policy.
1T must be policy consistent witt
the genius of our institutions. The
: people of this country do not desir,
9 socialism even as an experiment
r They do not propose to pass through
a dreadful quarter of an hour o
l. revolutionary changes to satisfy them
e selves of those imperfections of hu
:. man nature of which they are alread
= well apprised. and which make i'm
possible the constitution of society il
accordance with socialistic theor,
We must make progress, and it mus
{ be steady and consistent, conservin
I what is good and safeguarding tn
IL opportunities for honest effort Othei
wise, gains will be Offset by unnece!
isary losses and expert accountant
[may search in vain for credit ba
ance. We may accomplish needed r,
) forms by making our institution
re work as they were intended to wori
70 and by effecting, in the light of th
N benefits thus secered. such change
as experience may command and d
r Eberate judgment may approve.
~ should Secure Full Effciency.
Of .'It MUST be a policy consistent wit
ne our constitutional limitations and di
5! tribution of powers. BY making o.
Se institutions work in the way in whit
as they were intended to work, mes
~ that We should secure the maximu
as efficiency in both state and feder
a. administration to the end that eve
es matter OF national concern and eve
ct matter of local concern shall recei
on by the appropriate exercise of
TO powers of each jurisdiction that f