East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-12-14
In After Banquet Speech Says
He Believes What He Pre-
viousIy Believed,
GOVERNOR-ELECT WAS
NOTICEABLE BY ABSENCE
Ex-Presidcnt Is Radical But Desires
to See Radical Program Carried
Out by ConservativesRights of Man
Must BE Paramount in a Republic
Corporations Must BE Controlled.

New Haven, Conn, Dec. 14.-Col-
onel Theodore Roosevelt, as the
guest of the chamber of commerce at
its annual banquet last night, made
his first public address since the re-
cent elections. He was cordially
greeted by gathering of 600 men rep
resentative of the business and COM
mercial interests and the professions
of the state.
The banquet had more than ordi-
nary significance through the pres
ence of the guest, who recently was
in controversy with Judge Simeon E.
Baldwin, governor r-elect, who had been
invited to attend.
Judge Baldwin was not present and
the place was assigned to him at the
guests table bore mute evidence of
his absence.
After the toasts had been drunk,
Colonel Roosevelt said he was glad
to say in New Haven precisely what
he had said to many former gather
ings In the west"
Colonel Roosevelt said that during
NiiC last lldll VI Tie ldSl y,
people had concerned themselves with
the accumulation of material we'll be-
ing. and that it's distribution would
take care of itself. But the people
had come to see, he added, that they
must concern themselves with an
equal distribution of wealth.
Bod cs like this chamber of COM
merce" said the colonel, "have been
industriously taught to regard me as
kind of modified anarchist. AS a
matter of fact l think that if you
will read what I have said, and not
what certain representatives of the
press have said, you will see that I
have tried to preach only the doctrines
on which the republic was founded I
am a radical but I am a radical who
earnestly desires to see a radical pro-
grm carried out by conservatives. I
wish to see great industrial reforms
carried out, not by the men who will
profit by them, but by men who lose
by them; by just such men as you
are around me. I believe most en-
phatically in the progress which shall
be sane"
Rcgulate corporations.
Colonel Roosevelt said he wished
to see the hand Of the state and the
nation placed on the great corpora
tions to regulate them.
''The rights of man must be para
mount in a republic such as ours" he
added.
The colonel urged the passing OF
legislation to benefit labor: 1t was his
criticism of former Judge Baldwin's
attitude toward such legislation which
led to their controversy.
In explaining his idea of the square
deal' Colonel Roosevelt said
II do not want the prize in the
race to go to the man who Is not fast
enough to win. I want them to start
even"
Equal opportunity, he said, repre-
sented the idea upon which the re-
public was founded.
II care for the fact" he continued,
'and not the least for the form. You
hear good deal of national rights
and Of states rights. I'm for both"
He explained this by saying that he
was for national rights where they
would best serve the welfare Of the
people and for states rights where
their exercise was most beneficial.
Colonel Roosevelt said corporations
should be treated with an exact meas
ure of justice.