The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-18

NEW YORK, June 17.-Dscussion OF
the political problems confronting the
country through the development OF power
of the large corpora tions IS made In
vigorous language by former President
Roogcvclt in his article in this weeks
Outlook.
Taking for his subject, The Thraldom
of Names" Mr.. Roosevelt says 1t be-
hooves our people never TO be misled by
designing men who appeal 10 the rever-
cnce for or antipathy toward a given
name, in order To achieve some alien
purpose. The rule OF mob he declares
may be as tyrannical and oppressive as
the rule of single individual, and the
rule Of an olicarchy. whether this dig
archy is plutocracy or q bureaucracy.
may he as sordd and bloodthirsty that
Of mob; but the mob leaders usually
state that all they are doing Is necessary
in order to advance the cause of lib
erty while the dictator and oligarchy are
usually defended upon the ground that
the course they follow is absolutely ncccs-
sary so as to secure order.
MANY excellent people are taken in by
the use Of the word liberty at the one
time" says Mr.. Roosevelt, "and the use
of the word order at the other and ig-
more the simple fact that despotsm is
despotism. tyranny tyranny. oppression
oppression, whether committed by one
individual or by many individuals, by
state or 10y private corporal tion All
forms of tyranny and cruelty must alike
he condemned by honest men.
we IN TINS country nave been Very for
tunate. Thanks to the teaching and the
practice Of the men whom we most
revere as leaders. OF the men like Wash
ington and Lincoln, we have hitherto es-
capped the twin gulfs OF despotism and
mob RUE. and we have never been in
any danger from the worst forms of re-
ligious bitterness. But we should there
fore be all the more careful as we deal
with our industrial and social problems
not 10 fall into mistakes similar TO those
which have brought lasting disaster on
less fortunately situated peoples,
First, We must stand firmly on "A basis
of good. sound ethics. If business Is hurt
by the stern exposure OF crookedness and
the result of efforts to punish the crooked
men, then business must be hurt, even
though good men are involved in the
hurting. On the other hand. we must
beware above all things of being msed
by wicked or foolish men, who would con-
done homicide and violence. and apologize
Tor the dynamiter and the assassin, be-
canse, Iorsooth, they choose to take the
ground that crime is no crime il the
wicked man happens also to have been a
shiftless and unthrifty lazy man who
has never amassed property, 1t is cs-
scnual that we should wrest the control
OF the government out of the hands OF
rich men. who use 1t for unhealthy pur-
poses. and should keep it ont OF their
hands: and to this end the first requisite
is 10 provide means adequately 10 deal
with corporations. which are essential to
modern business, but which under the
decision OF The courts and because OF the
short -siShtedness OF the public have been
the chief factor in political and business
debasement,
"But 1t would be Just as bad TO put the
control OF the government into tho
hands of demagogucS and Missionaries
who seek TO pauder to ignorance and
prejudice hy pcnalizing thrift and bust
ness enterprise and running all men of
means, with. as an attendant result the
ruin OF the entire community"
Mr. Roosevelt quotes an article by Ste
vens. an English journalist, on conditions
in the United States, written in 1896 in
which it was declared that If individual
ism Is left absolutely uncontrolled as n
modern business condition. the result will
follow that all power of Individual
achievement and individual effort In the
average man Will be crushed out On
this line. Mr. Roosevelt continues as fol-
lows.
"Those who advocate total lack Of
regulation. those who advocate lawess-
ness In the business world. themselves
give the strongest impulse to what be-
lleVe would be the deadcning movement
toward state socialism.
tThere must be law 10 control the big
man, and. therefore. especially the big
corporations in the industrial world in
the interest OF our industrial democracy
of today. This law must be efficient
and therefore IL must he aided by execu-
tive officers and by lawsuits In