The sun., 1908-05-12
"MYPOLICIUS" "UNCHANGTADLE
PRESIDENT TO NATIONAL PROS
PERITY ASSOCIATION.
Its Members Asked Ills Cooperation Ia
Restoring Business Prosperity the
"NaEElng Talk Of the DemagOEue' anu
Threats OF More Drastic Legislation" b"

| "NngElng TalN Of the DemakObue anu
! Threats OF More Drastic Legislation"
WASHINGTON. May Ito the end that
the period Of Roosevelt Prosperity may
! be brought TO a speedy close and that the
era Of business and commercial progress
which began with the administration OF
President Mckinley may be restored, sew
eral members OF the National Prosperity
Association had a formal meeting with
! President Roosevelt at the White House
this morning. The members Of this asso.
ciation are imbued with the idea OF obtaining
such assurances from the President Of the
United States and others high In authority
that the restoration Of prosperity may not
he deferred until after the coming political
campaign.
The visiting delegation consisted OF the
following: st. Louis Business Men, b. o.
Simmons, chairman; W X BiIby, vice chair
man; J. II. Smith, president; Business Mems
League. Edward D. Every, president Mer-
chants Exchange Murray Carleton George
A. Meyer, jackson johnson and +. j. Wade'
executive committee.
The plea setting forth the aims and scope
Of the association says in part;
The National Prosperity Association has
been formed 10 improve business conditions
II has in view no backward step from reforms
| which have been instituted, IL raises no
| question as to the wisdom Of laws which have
been placed upon the national statute books,
II applauds the correction Of evils In business
methods.
After ten years Of great prosperity, the
I body commercial entered upon a period OF
depression and stagnation. The signs that
the period il passing begin to multiply, There
| ia promise OF bountiful crops. The untm-
ployed are eager for work. Relations be
tween capital and labor are not strained, The
! financial stringency has passed Capuhl n
au xlous for safe investment
With such conditions, prosperity waits only
on confidence We believe this is an oppor-
tune time for business men with honorable
ideals to get together. We believe lhe as
position Of business interests Il in the righi
direction and should receive encouragement
The association recognizes the dept lhe
business interests indeed, the whole country
owes you for what you have done. II ieels
now that the time has come to take stock. 10
cali halt upon radical. hasty and expert
mental legislation designed to regulate IN
dustry. II the law officers have knowledge OF
violations Of statutes let prosecutions proceed
| vigorously and eXpeditiously before grand
| iuries and i'm courts The association IL I'M
alterablv opposed 10 trial by newspapers
The dishonest corporation. the dishonest
railroad management. should be punished
But the honest corporation, the honest rat
road management should be protected, aud
this the association relies upon you to pro-
vide The Hepburn law, for which you are
responsible. has introduced a higher standard
Of administration, but there have been un'
wise State enactments and agitation Tor harsb
Federal laws harmful to the properties from
the standpoint Of the operator and employee
and the investor.
II is from the latter that the association
will seek relief II wants the reform legiSla'
ton that has been enacted Justly enforced
Not what has been done retards the return
TO normal prosperity, The continuous threat
eninR OF more drastic legislation the naggni
talk Of the demagogue, these are the m
Auences which are filing the side tracks
With empty cars and shutting down rallroao
shops on half time. which are delaying th'
rsonening Of factories or increase OF time IL
those mills which have been running on
reduced hour scale; which are preventing
prompt revival Of national prosperity
national political campaign Ia opening
Platforms are TO be adopted. The Natlona
Prosperity Association will ask for iar-mlndet
consideration Of business issues by bolt
narties. But the association does not believe
that prosperity depends upon politics II II
convinced that business may revive, that lh'
unemployed may find work; that the norma
volume Of trade may be reached without
waiting for the November elections. IL
that end the association will address itself.
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY.
To the delegation President Roosevelt,
replied
am in hearty sympathy with the avowed
object of the National Prosperity Assocla
tion. II il excellent We have gone far in
uprootinR abuses which threaten our national
life. Taken as a whole, the standard OF
honesty in our business life has been hlgh
and to-day the standard is, believe, becom
, ing what il has ever been, and this largely
because We have made determined war OF
tho abuses that lowered IT, As YOU hay,
said the depression and stagnation from
which our country is now happily beRnninI
IN recover we're not caused bv reform legis
, lation but bv the revelation Of shocking condi
, lions m certain OF our corporations. by reck
less operations in high finance, by calamity
! and bv certain striking, though | beiev,
:
exceptional, instances OF business and civi,
dishonesty.
OF course all good men must agree Will
| vou in vour condemnation OF unwise leRsla
lion. The apathetic acceptance OF abuse'
: in YOUR governmental and business admin
, istrations Is no more dangerous than
the demagogic appeals Of professional agi
tators to class hatreds. our national con.
, science. firmly believe. has been awakened
We will not and cannot 20 back to the con
ditions which tolerated wrongdoing. Neither
4 can we AFFORD to be led astray by those VIII,
, would embark us in a visionary and twisted
D crusade against all corporations all business
, methods. We should address ourselves to
= the faithful and honest observance Of the
laws Of civic righteousness
The welfare Of all Of MS can best be OBJ
tanned by striving for a policy that will pro
, mote the welfare Of each Of US, We mus
, au cooperate In order that benefit may be
| derived by the entire nation, Good laws
= make for good government, hut laws are o
= no avail unless vitalized by the people who
make them. Our recent legislation ha'
been good, aud II Is to the interest OF tht
entire country, and especially OF the bust
. ness interests that IL should be enforced
sucb further regulatory legislation as IL
required is merely building upon the broaC
foundations that have been laid It con
ceals no menace to business, any more thai
! that legislation which has already been en
u acted There is no need for agitation con
, cerpinp IL; there is no excuse for dema gog
h excitement about Il. IL IL az much our dut
!, IN conserve the real rights Of property a
c II ia 10 conser We the real rights Of labor Thi
y we have done 10 the past aud this We ough
d I - do aud will do in the future.