The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-30
CRUSADER ROOSEVELT.

The New York Journal of Commerce
has the following comment on the
western trip of former President
Roosevelt:
There may be a question of dignity
| and propriety in an ex-president TAX
| ing an active part in political manage
ment or thrusting himself in the con
| tentions Of party faction; but he is
surely free to preach the doctrine OF
honesty, justice and submission to law
| in public and private life. The doctrine
| Is not only sound but it needs to be
| persistently preached. 1t pertains more
to human salvation than many another
doctrine that is Numbered weekly from
a thousand pulpits. Mr.. Roosevelt
seems to be speeding westward on a
moral crusade. He declares and reiter-
ates in various forms that the prime
articles of his creed are justice for
every man, rich or poor, and the main
tenance OF public order at all hazards.
IF there is disorder" he says. "all re-
forms must stop until order is restored.
/ shall insist upon honesty If 1t breaks
up the best business Of the land, and
cumstances."
There Is overmuch "P' in Mr.. Roose-
velt's talks to the populace-they can
hardly be called speeches. There is too
much of what Il want" what Il stand
for" and what Il will do" and it does
not add especially to the force of his
preaching. 1t suggests unnecessarily
that he is in pursuit of power to be
exercised by himself in his own way,
instead Of inducing people to use their
power in support of his fine doctrine
OF honesty, even-handed justice, and
good order in every community and
under all circumstances There should
be no suspicion of self seeking in your
earnest crusader Much that the
ex-president says is character
lied as platitude and com
monplace. After all these CEN
turtles of preaching most moral max.
inns and precepts have become familiar
and may be called commonplace. from
those of decalogue and the sermon on
the mount to those of Rochefoucauld
and Roosevelt, but that does not de-
tract from their eternal validity or the
necessity of hammering them into the
minds Of men. If any man can arouse
the moral sense OF the people and stir
them into action in pursuance of the
principles of truth and juctice, of hon
esty and square dealing, let him repeat
the everlasting verities to his hearts
content.
Roosevelt is showing the courage as
we'll as the zeal of the crusader Ther.
is apt to be too much timidity in urg-
ing the cause Of righteousness. There
is too much fear Of hurting business IL
we attack abuses too severely and in
sist too much upon a high standard:
but i shall insist upon honesty If ii
breaks up the best business in the land
has the true ring. But there is no dam
ger. Honesty will not break up BUSH
ness, though 1t might force it to change
hands good deal. 1t was a heather
poet that said let Justice be done
though the heavens fall, but there is no
danger that justice would cause any
collapse of the heavens or that hon
esty would be the ruin of business.
Honesty is the best policy may be
a platitude, but it's truth is coming TO
be more and more acknowledged 1t
may not always be best, from the gross
material point Of view, for the individ-
ual man, but it is always best for tn.
community and best for every individ-
ual from the point of view of real we'll
being. Corruption wins not more than
honesty is true doctrine in public aad
private life, and when 1t is fully &c
cepted and really believed in there w,Il
be regeneration. Let the preaching 20
on in spite of the derision of the scorn
full and the hardened sinner.