Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-17
DEFENDS NEW NATlONALISM
Roosevelt Says He is Merely Urging
Application of Old Moralities.
MORE EFFICIENCY IS NEEDED
Government Must Cope with Greater
Ability Among Business Inter-
ests-NO Reliance ON
Good Nature.

OYSTER BAY, n. Y, Sept 16-Theodore
Roosevelt said today that he was not talk
ing revolution in declaring his new politi-
cal creed. lie is not making an appeal to
mob rule. In a staunch defense OF his
doctrie Of new nationalism" he declared
that he was merely urging the application
Of old moralities to modern conditions At
the same time he replied with spirit to
those who have been opposing him and
hotly denounced newspapers which. he said.
attacked honest public men. Colonel Roose-
velt's address was delivered at the Suffolk
county fair at Riverhead. l.. l. He rode
about twenty miles in an automobile to and
from Riverhead and spoke to a great
crowd on the fair grounds
The colonel's exposition Of new nauoal-
ism" came at the close OF a speech in which
he also denounced dishonest corporations,
dishonest men Of wealth and political
bosses He made no reference to the New
York state political situation.
Il have noticed good deal OF comment
on my speech new nationalism." he
said. 'All that new nationalsm means is
the application of certain old-time moral
tiles to the changed conditions of the day.
Wants More Efficiency.
II wish TO see greater governmental ef-
ficiency because we have to deal with
are all that are necessary in small COM
munities, when there is no big business and
each man works for himself. When you
get masses of wealth gathered together and
great corporations developing, conditions
then become so changed that there must be
an increase in governmental activity to
control the wealth for business efficiency.
II would not do any harm to the great
corporation, but l do not intend to rely on
the corporations good nature to that
the corporation does no harm to u.s. want
to see the control of the wealth now gath
cred for business purposes used so as to
favor the honest man. who uses wealth
genuinely for the service Of the public, and
to make the dishonest man feel that he has
to do what is right. and il he does not feel
It we shall see to 1t that he does.
That is my whole creed. That is all
there Is In 1t. There is no revolution in It,
There is no appeal to mob rule On the
contrary. 1 recognize mob violence as an
enemy OF the public good just as much as
lawless wealth. l am against the poor
man who is guilty Of the crime of lawless
violence, and when IT is in my power
shall try to punish him for his mlsdeed,
lust as, whenever have the power. 1 Will
Join with those that see to 1t that the cor
rupt man Of wealth is good-not because
Talks Very Earnestly.
Col. Roosevelt spoke with even more than
customary earnestness. His words were
received with cheers.
Il now want to speak to you as citizens
Interested in the great problems which
concern all of us. 1 think every citizen
Of a free democracy ought to distrust
above all others the public man whose
deeds do not square with his words That
has two sides. 1t has to do with the
politician who makes promises that he does
not keep and 1t has to do with newspapers
which say what they know is not true
Mark Twain said that there are 500 diff
ferent kinds of lies, but the only one which
was authoritRtively forbidden was that OF
bearing false witness against your neigh.
Dor. There are one or two metropolitan
dailies which would do well to print thai
at the head of their columns and then try
TO live up to 1t. withhold their names
but the omission is easily supplied.
Two Prime Difficulties.
There are two prime difficulties in get.
ting good government. One arises from the
dishonest politician. I think the corrupt
politician no worse enemy of the people
than the man who lies about the honest
public servant. The damage he does is &c
the public, in so confusing the public by
attacking the men who are honest thai
the public ceases to be able to recognize
and war against men who are dishonest
Such man is OF the greatest advantag,
to the thief. The corrupt politician is ne
worse than that corrupt politicians main
stay, the newspaper which says what 1,
not true about men In public life. Honesty
truth, courage-you need them just al
much in public as in private life"
Concluding his speech he urged greater
respect for manual labor. AS for ricf
mRlefactors he believed that the railway
man who gets rich by gambling in tn,
stocks of the road he holds in trust SHOULD
be punished and that II IL is impossible L
punish him under present laws that tn,
laws should be changed.