The Washington herald., 1908-02-01
PRESIDENT JUSTIFIES POLICY IN MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

respect the high office Of Judge. and our
judges. as a whole, are brave and up
right men, Respect for the law must 90
hand in hand with respect for the Judges;
and, as a whole, IL is true now as In the
past that the judges stand In character
and service above all other men among
their fellow servants Of the public There
is all the greater need that the few who
fail in this great office, who fall below
this high standard OF integrity OF wis
dom. of sympathetic understanding and
Of courage, should have their eyes opened
10 the needs Of their c0untrymen. A
judge who on the bench either truckles
10 the mob and shTinks from stenly re-
pressing violence and disorder. or bows
down before a cOrporatlOni who fails To
stand up yaliantly for the rights Of prop
ertv on the one hand or on the other by
misuse Of the process of injunction OF by
his attitude toward ali measures for the
betterment Of the conditions Of labor.
makes the WageWorker feel with bitter
ness that the courts are hostile 10 him.
or who fails To realize that all public
servants IN their several stations must
strive 10 stop the abuses of the criminal
richvsuch man performs an even
worse service to the body polite than
the legislator or . executive who goes
wrong. The judge who does his full duty
well stands highsg. and renders a better
service 10 the people. than amy other pub
lie servant, he is entitled 20 greater re-
SDeFt, ana 1T ne lr a. true servant or Illt
people. n ne Is upright wise and fear
less he VIII unhesitatingiy disregard
even the wishes of the people II they con-
hct with the eternal principles OF right
as against wrong. He must serve the
people but he must serve his own con-
science first All honor 10 such q Judge:
and an honor cannot be rendered him If
ii Is rendered equally 70 his brethren
who fail immeasurabiy below the high
ideals for which he stands Tntruthful
5g 1F
whoever may be the object, but IL is a
peculiarly fragrant .Riquity when a Judge
Is the object No man should lightly
cTitiCise a Judge, no man should, even In
his own mind. condemn Judge unless ne
is sure Of the facts II a judge is assaiied
for standing against popular folly, and
above all for standing against mob ViO-
lence. ali honorable men should rally In
stantly 10 his support Nevertheless, II
he clearly fails TO do his duty py the
public in dealing with laWbreaking cor
pOTatiOns, lawbreaking men OF wealth, he
must expect 10 feel the weight or public
opinion; and this is but right, for except
in extreme cases this is the only way IN
which he can be reached at all No ser
want Of the people has right TO expect
to be free from just and honest criticism.
Movement Is Ethical.
The opponents Of the measures We
champion single out now one and now an
other measure for especial attack. and
speak as if the movement in which we
are engaged was purely economic It
has a large economic side, but it IS fun
damentally an ethical movement Il is
not movement 10 be completed in one
year, or two or three years, il is d move
ment which must be perseyered IN until
the spirit which lies behind II sinks deep
into the heart ana the conscience OF the
whole people. il is always important 70
choose the right means 10 achieve our
zrrrrr rI.TaHa.
10 keep this purpose clearly before u.s.
and this purpose is 10 secure national
honesty in business and In politics. We
do not subscribe 10 the cynical belief that
dishonesty and unfair dealing are essen
tiai to business success. and are 20 be
cgRdOned when the success is moderate
and applauded when the success IS great
The methods by which the Standard oil
people and those engaged in the other
combinations Of which / have spoken
above have achieved great fortunes can
only be justified by the advocacy Of
system Of morality which would also jus
tIfy every form OF Crlmlnauty on the
part Of a labor union, and every form Of
violence, corruption, and fraud from
murder 10 bribery and ballOt-bOX stuffing
Z in politics. We are trying 10 secure
equality Of opportunity for all- and the
/ struggle for honesty is the same Whetn-
I ar IL is made on behalf OF one set OF men
/ or Of another. In the interest of the
small settlers and landowners. and
against the emhlttered opposition of
wealthy owners of huge wandering focks
/ Of sheep, or of corporations desiring 10
rob the people oi coal and timber. we
strive 10 put an end 10 the theft OF pub
lie land IN the West. When We do this
and protest against the action Of all men,
whether in public life OF in private life.
who either take part i'm or refuse 10 try
10 stop such theft, we are really engaged
in the same policy as when we eudeaypF
10 put a stop 20 rebates or To prevent the
upgrOwth of uncontrolled mpuupOlies.
Our effort Is simply % enforce the prin-
cipieS of common honesty and common
/ sense II would indeed be ili for the
country should there be any halt in our
work.
/ The laws must in the future be admin
I isteTed as they are now being administer
ed. SO that the Department OF Justice
may continue 20 be. what IL now is. I'm
very fact the Department of Justice
where So far as our ability permits JUS
I tiCe Is meted out with an even hand %
great and small. rich and poor. weak
and strong. Moreover. there should he
no delay i'm SupplementinE the laws now
! on the SrJTUte books by the enactment
of further legislation as outlined In the
Z meSSag &c J sent 10 the Congress on its
/ assembling. Under the existing laws
much. very much, has been actually ac-
cOmplished during the past six years. and
( II has been shown by actual experience
+ that they can br enforced against the
and most powerful manager or manipu-
/ latOr Of that corporation. as vigorously
and fe8rlessy as against the humbleSJ
offender Above all. they have been en-
/ forced against the very wr0nEdOeTs and
! agents of wr0uEdoers who have for so
many years gone SCOt-free and 1iOuted
I the laws with impunlty, against great
/ laW-detEing corporations OF lmmenca
wealth. which. until within the last half
/ dozen years, have treated themselves
I and have expected others 10 treat them
as being beyond and above all possible
check from law
/ Power Over Corporations Needed.
/ It is especially necessary 10 secure TO
/ the representatives of the national gov
/ eTnment full power To deal with the great
I corporations engaged in interstate COM
merce, and above all, with the great in
! terstate common carriers. Our people
should clearly recognize that while there
/ are difficulties in any course Of conduct
to be followed in dealing with these great
/ corporations these difficulties must be
/ faced, and one OF three courses followed
! The first course Is 10 abandon all ef-
/ fort to oversee and control their actions
I in the interest of the general public and
/ TO permit a return 10 the utter lack Of
control which would Olaain If they were
! left to the common law. / do not for
/ one moment believe that our people
would tolerate this position. The eX-
/ traordinary growth of modern indus
trislism has rendered the common law.
which grew up under and was adapt
ed to deal with totally different cen
ditiOnS. in many respects inadequate 20
deal with the new conditions These
new conditions make it necessary TO
shackle cunning as in the past we hG
shackled force. The vast individual AMI
corporate fortunes the vast cOmbina-
tons of capital which have marked the
development OF our industrial system,
create new conditions and necessitate q
State and the nation toward the rules
regulating the acquisition and untram-
maled husiness use Of nLuneLtE- ln or1er