Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-15

on the eve of another great business ex-
pansion, an era of prosperity. Indeed, it
is already here in many branches of
business. The hum of prosperity and the
ecstasy of great profits are likely to dull
our interest in these reforms and to lead
us back again to the old abuses. unless
[ we insist upon legislation which shall
clinch and enforce those standards by
positive law.
Nothing revolutionary. nothing dis
turbing legitimate business is needed, but
we must set the marks clear In the
statutes by which the lines can be drawn
and the proper legitimate paths be laid
down upon which all business shall pro-
coed. and must have it understood by
means of prompt prosecution and pun
! ishment that the law is for all. and is to
! be enforced even against the most pow
erful.
| Then, too, the needs in respect to the
conservation of our national resources, the
amendment to the public land system the
execution of the pure food law and all
the rest of the important matters that
should demand attention make the legis-
lative and executive labor of the next
! three years heavy enough. if our pur-
poses are carried out, to exhaust the en-
ergy of the most enthusiastic and hopeful.
Replies to Gov. Johnson.
Still the world is making progress-our
country is making progress. Occasionally
one hears a note like that of Gov. John
son, denouncing the east and calling upon
the west to organize in a sectional way
| against the east, because the east is de-
irving more benefit from the government
policy than the west and at the expense
| of the west. 1t is difficult for one to treat
such an appeal seriously.
| ''ThroughOut this country there is free
| trade of the freest character, and due to
this the prosperity of the west, especially
| the agricultural west even more pro-
nOunced than that Of the east Moreover,
| the east is too close to the Pacific coast
too close to the middle west, too close to
the Rocky mountains, because all the peo-
pie of those western stretches have east
! ern ancestry and eastern associations and
eastern connections. and because they
| have eastern capital with which their Sec
tons have been largely built up. and be-
cause they are too much assisted by east
ern markets in enhancing the prices which
| their products bring. to make such an at
| tempt at sectionalism successful.
! 1T u true that at times public ques-
| tions will be given local color by what
| is thought to be local benefit, as distin-
| guished from the general and national
benefit. But such attitude is generally
| temporary, and 1t takes but few years
Of business experience it takes but panic
! or two, to present the most convincing
| evidence that in this country we are all
in the same business boat. and that the
| prosperity of one section adds to the pros
perity of the other, and that business dis
| aster in one section is only the forerunner
| of business depression and disaster in an
other.
Can Speak for Whole Nation.
Il was born and brought up i'm the mid
die west. / have had a New England
ancestry and New England associations.
Fortune threw me out into the Pacific, so
that l know something of the feelings Of
the west coast Jurisdiction as a Judge
gave me a somewhat intimate knowledge
of southern feelings and southern aspira-
! tions. feel, therefore, If L could speak
with confidence in respect to the whole
nation, and as President OF the United
States may we'll lift up my voice to pro-
| test against any effort by whomsoever
made to arouse section against section
and Americans against Americans. Not
in the history of the country since the
| war has the feeling between the north
and the south been more cordial and
| friendly than it is today, and a political
attempt to make a cleavage between New
| England and the east on the one side
and the west on the other will be found
to be SO utterly hopeless as TO confound
| those who prOpOse'it.
And now, my friends and fellow-citi-
ZenS, | take my departure for the
west. / feel that i carry from you to
every citizen and inha bitant of the United
States whom l shall meet the cordial
greetings OF New England and the east,
your congratulations on the prospective
prosperity In the whole country, and An
| earnest wish that the national govern
| ment shall be conducted in such a way
| as TO insure peace with all the nations OF
the world, and tranquility and prosperity
at home, growing out Of the conduct OF
business on lines OF commercial integrity
and within the law. which forbids the
organizing and maintenance of monopo-
lies and the systematic suppression of
competition.
Things are not perfect: but we have
made progress. We have a right to be
optimistic and believe that further prog
ress Is likely: that conditions are improv-
ing. and that we may continue to main.
tain for all citizens of the country that
equality of opportunity which it Is the
highest object Of a well-conducted gov.
eminent to preserve"