The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-06-18
ROOSEVELT
GIVES ADVICE.
-
Must Wrest Government
Control from Rich.
CURB THE CORPORATIONS
Says Beware Of Demagogues and
Visionafies,
The Former President Discusses Polit-
zeal Problems Confronting the
Country In An Article styled
sThe TArausem of Names.s
CURB The CORPORATIONS

New York June l7.-Discussion of
the political problems confronting the
country through the development OF
power by large corporations 10 made in
vigorous language by ex-President
Roosevelt in his article In this weeks
outlook. Taking for his subject "rhe
Thralldom Of Names" Mr.. Roosevelt
says 1t behooves our people never to
be misled by designing people who APP
peal to the reverence for or antipathy
toward given name In order to
achieve some alien purpose. The rule
Of single individual and the rule
of an oligarchy whether this oligarchy
Is plutocracy or bureaucracy may
be as 1sordid and bloodthirsty az that
Of mob: but the mob leaders usual
~ state that all that they are doing
IL necessary In order TO advance the
cause OF liberty" while the dictator
and oligarchy are usually defended up
on the ground that the course they fol-
low Is absolutely necessary 30 as to
secure order"
Many excellent people are taken In
by the use Of the word liberty at the
one time" says the ex-president. "and
the use Of the word order AZ the other
and ignore the simple fact that sdespot-
ism IL despotism. tyranny tryany, OPP
preston. oppression whethsg commit
ed by one individual or by many in
tion. All forms of tyranny and cruelty
must alike be condemned by honest
men.
We in this country have been vary
fortunate. Thanks to the teaching and
practice of the men whom we most re-
we're as leaders. OF the men like wash
ington and Lincoln. we have hitherto
escaped the twin CUFFS Of despotism
and mob rule. and We have nevar been
in any danger from the worst forms Of
religious Bitterness. But we should
therefore be all the more careful ~
we deal with our Industrial and social
problem, not to fall into mistakes
similar to those which have brought
lasting disaster on less fortunately
situated peoples.
A ssmma ON Exhics.
First and foremost, we must stand
firmly ON q basis az good. sound ethics.
We intend to do what Is right. for the
ample and sufficient reason that II IL
right. II business is hurt by the stern
| exposure Of crooksdness and the result
Of efforts TO punish the crooked men.
| then business must be hurt. even
lthough good men are tnxol&ed fn tha
hurting until IL 80 adtusts itself that
Il u possible to proseeuee wronGdoinR
without stampsding the business COM
OF the wrongdoers and an angry as
sault upon those who have exposed
them. On the other hand, we must
beware, above all things, OF being mis-
led by wicked or foolish man who
would condene homicide and violenco
and apologies for the dynaniter and
the assassin because. forsooth. they
chose to take the ground that crime
is no crime. II the lazy man happens
also to have been q shlftiess and uu.
tightly or lazy man wha has never am
assed property. 1t 10 essential that we
should wrest the control of the gov.
eminent out of the hands Of rich men
who use 1t for unhealthy purposes,
and should keep II out of their hands:
and to this end the dret requisite 10 To
provide means adequately to deal with
corporations which are essential TO
modern business. but which. under the
decision of the courts and because
of the shortsightedness of the public
have become the chief factors on NON.
tical and business debasement. But X
would be Just as bad to put the con-
troll of the government into the hands
of demagogues and Missionaries who
seek to pander to ignorance and pre-
JUDGE by pena1izing 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
Stevens, an English journalist on con-
ditions In the United States, written in
1895, in which 1t was declared that II
individualism IL left absolutely uncon-
trolled as a modern business condi-
ton II will follow that all power Of
individual achievement and individual
effort In ths average man will bo
crushed out just as effectively as II
the state took absolute control of
everything. On this line Mr.. Roose-
Welt continues as follows:
Fear state Socialism.
Those who advocate total lack Of
regulation, those who advocate law
selves give strongest impulse to what
believe would be the deadeninR
movement toward state socialism.
There must be law to control the
big man, and therefore especially the
big corporations. in the industrial world
in the interest Of our Industrial demo-
cracy OF today. This law must be eff
icient. and therefore Il must be ad-
ninistered by executive officers and
not by law suits In the courts. II this
Is not done, the agitation to increase
out of all measure the share of the
government In this work will receive
an enormous impetus. The movement
for government control Of the great
business corporations is no more a
movement against liberty than q move
ment to put q stop to violence is a
movement against liberty. The huge
irresponsible corporation which de-
mands liberty from the supervision Of
government agents stands on the same
ground as the less dangerous criminal
Of the streets who wishes liberty from
police Interference"
The article closes with direct re-
ference to newspapers.
yet, another thing" he says, 'nu
movement ever has done or evNr will
do good in this country where assault
is made not upon evil wherever found,
but simply upon evil as 1t happens 20
be found in . particular class. The
big newspaper, owned or controlled IN
wall street, which - sverlastinRly
preaching about the iniauIty of labor
ing men. which is quite willing to
hound politicians for their rnisdeeda.
hut which with raving fury defends
ali the malefactors OF great wealth.
atands on an exact. level with. and
neither above nor below, that other
newspaper whose whole attack is upon
men of wealth. which declines to con-
denim, or else condemns In apoIoRetie.
perfunctory ana wholly Inefficient
manner, outrages committed by labor.
This latter Ia the kind OF paper which
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