Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-18


1 the political problems confronting the
country through the development Of
mower by large corporations is made
in vigorous language by Ex-Presidcnt
Roosevelt in his article in this weeks
outlook. Taking for his subject ''The
Thraldcm of Names" Mr.. Roosevelt
says it behoOveS our people never to
be mislcd by designing people who APP
peal to the reverence for an antipathy
toward n given name in order to
achieve Some alien purpose. The rule
Of a mob, he declares, may be as ty-
7 rannical and oppressive as the rule of
single Individual, and the rule of an
Oligarchy, whether this Oligarchy is
Dlutocracy or a bureaucracy, may be
as sordid and hlOOdthirSty as that of a
mob; but the mob leaders usually state
that all that they are doing is neccs-
sary in order to advance the cause of
"libcrty," while the dictator and
oligarehy are usually depended upon
the ground that the course they follow
is absolutely necessary SO as to Sc
cure order"
Many excellent people are taken in
by the use of the word liberty at the
one time" says the cX-PreSident, land
the use Of the word order at the other
and ignore the simple fact, that
despotis'n is despotism, tyranny ty-
ranny, oppression oppression, whether
committed by one Individual or by
| many individuals, by a state or by d
b private corporation. All forms of ty-
ranny ard cruelty must alike be con-
demned by honest men.
I'VE in this country have been very
fortunate. Thanks to the teaching and
the practice of the men whom we
most revere as leaders. of the men like
Washington and Lincoln, we have
never been in any danger from the
worst forms of religious bitterness. But
We should therefore be all the more
careful, as we deal with our industrial
and social problems, not to fall into
mistakes similar to those which have
brought lasting disaster on less for
tunatcly situated peoples
"I'irSt and foremost we must stand
firmly on a basis of good sound ethics
We intend to do what is right for the
ample and sufficient reason that it is
right If business is hurt by the stern
exposure of crookcdncSS and the result
OF efforts to punish the crooked man.
then business must be hurt, even
though good men are involved in the
hurting, until it so adjusts itself that
It is possible to prosecute Wrongdoing
without Stampcding the business com
munity into tcrror-StruCk defence of
The Wron%-docrS and an angry assault
upon those who have exposed them. ON
the other hand, we must beware, above
all things. of being mislrd by wicked
or foolish men who would Condonc
homicide and violence, and apologies
4 for the dynamitcr and the assassin be
cause, fnrSuuth. they chooS" to take
the ground that crime is no crime if
/ The wicked man happens also to have
been .hiftlcss and uuthrifty or lazy
man VIII" has never anIaSS"d property.
\ IL Is essential that we should WrcSt
The control of the Government out of
j inc hands of rich men who use it for
uhh, althy purposes. and should keep it
out of their hands; and To this end
'he lrSt requisite is to provide means
%quatcly To deal with corporations,
which are essential tn modern business,
out which, under the decisions of the
court, and because of the short sight
e'ness of the public. have become the
chlcl factors in political and business
uebaEcmcnt. But it would he Just as
oad to nut the control of the Govern
ment into the hands of demagogucs
and vlSi"naricS who seek to pandcr to
sh"rancc aud prejudice by pcnalizing
"fltt and business enterprise, and
running all men of means. with as an
a'ehdant result. the ruin of the en-
ufe community"
Mr.. Roosevelt quotes an article by
Stevens, an English journalist, on
conditions in the United States, written
N iN'b in Which it WAS declared that
hdlEilualiSm is left absolutely I'M
controlled as II modern business con-
u'"n, the result viii follow that all
y power of individual achievement and
'huiVidual effort in the average man
viii be crushed out just as effectively
'S II the state took absolute '"'1t'"'
everything. On this line Mr.. Roosevelt
continues as follows
those who advocate total lack of
equation. those who advocate lawlcSs-
& MSS IN the business world, themselves
s'e the strongest impulse to what |
nj De"eVe would be the deadening move
III "ent toward state Socialism.
|. mere must be law to control the
VI ,,s men. and therefore especially the
N corporations, in the industrial world,
n "'e interest of our industrial democ-
~ N VI today. This law must be cf-
;' and therefore it must he admin
Vu by executive officers and not by
sui's in the courts. If this is not
am the agitation to increase out of
easure the share of the govern
- III THIS work will receive an
ous impetus. The movement for
'hrhent control of the great bust
!. corporations is no more movement
st liberty than Il movement to put
ny mp 10 violence is a movement again
~, " The huge irresponsible -
S"0h which demands liberty #. %! a.?
ST. VISION of government agents
ds, us on the same ground as the less
serous criminal of the streets who
1 IN liberty from police interference"
me ex-President closes with direct
. iee to newspapers.
mon let another thing" he saws mo
do sheht ever has done or ever will
i,,