The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-02-04

fHG Ae MN5sAI l&eMA.A 81
but II is 4 peculiarly fragrant iniquity.
whom Judge 10 the object. No man
should lightly cnticise = Judge; no
man should even IN hi1 own mind con
denim . Judge unless he 10 sure Of the
facts. II . judle lie assailed for stand.
Ing against popular folly and above
all for standing against mob violence.
all honorable men should rally instant.
ly to his support. Nevertheless. II he
Fclearly fails to do his. duty BY the
public In dealing with Law breaking
corporations, law breaking men OF
! wealth, he must expect to feel the
weight Of public opinion; and this IL
but right, for except in extreme cases.
this Is the only way In which he can
be reached at all. No servant Of the
people. has q right to expect to be free
from just and honest criticism.
First One, Then Another, Attacked.
The opponents OF the measures, we
champion single out now one and now
another measure for special attack,
and speak as II the movement in
which we are engaged was purely
economic. It has a large economic
side, but 1t is fundamentally an etht.
cal movement. It is not a movement
which can be completed in one year,
or two or three years. It Is a move.
ment which must be persevered in un.
til the spirit which lies behind 1t sinks
deep into the heart and conscience Of
the whole people.
It Is always important to choose
the right mean to achieve our pur.
pose, but 1t is even more important
to keep this purpose clearly before us;
and this purpose is to secure national
honesty in business and In politics.
We do not subscribe to the cyncical
belief that dishonesty and unfair deal
ing are essential to business success
and are to be condoned on when the
success is moderate. and applauded
when the success Is great
Cannot justify Standard OIL Methods.
The methods by which the Standard
OIL company people and those en-
gagged in other combinations Of which
l have spoken about above have
achieved great fortunes can only be
justified by the advocacy Of q system
OF morality, which would also Justify
every form Of crimtnality on the part
of q labor union, and every form II
violence, corruption and fraud, FROM
murder to bribery and ballot box stun.
ing in politics. We are trying to Sc.
fling in politics. We + trying to Sc.
cure equality Of opportunity for all;
and the struggle for honesty is the
same, whether 1t is made on behale Of
one set OF men or another.
Fighting the Land Frauds.
In the interest OF the small settlers
and land owners, and against the EN-.
Filtered opposition Of wealthy owners
of huge wandering focks of sheep, OF
of corporations desiring to rob the
people Of coal and timber we strive
to put. an end to the theft Of public
land in the west. When we do this
and protest against the action Of al
men whether in public life or IL
private. life, who either took part OF
refuse to try to stop such theft, We
are really engaged in the same policy
as when We endeavor to put q stoI
to rebates or prevent the upgrowth
Of uncontrolled monopolies. Our eff
fort is simply to enforce the princi
pies Of common honesty and com
mon sense. It would indeed be i'll fol
the country should there be any halt
in our work.
Justice Melted Out to All.
The laws must in the future be
administered as they are now being
administered, 80 that the department
OF Justice, may continue to be what 1,
now Isl in very fact. the department
Of Justice, where so far as our ability
permits, Justice is melted out with az
even hand to great and small, ricl
and poor. weak and strong. More
over, there should be no delay in sup
plementing the laws now on the stat
ute books by the enactment Of fur
Their legislation as outlined in tn.
message I sent congress- on it's az
semblage.
Under the existing laws, much, very
much, has been actually accomplish
ed during the past six years, and II
has been shown by actual experience
that they can be enforced against the
wealthy corporation and the riches,
and most powerful manager OF
manipulation Of that. corporation, al
vigorously and al fearlessly as against
the humblest offender. Above all,
they have been enforced against. the
very wrong-doers and agents OF
wrong-doers, who have for so many
years gone scot free and fiouted the
law with impunity: against great law
relying corporations Of immense