Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-09-02
b,ackmails the corporation.

blackmails the corporation.
Any man in his senses knows that
there are plenty of corporations in this
country who prosper by bribing legis-
latures just as they prosper by sWind-
ling the public; and any man in his
senses ought to know, in addition. that
there are plenty of corrupt men OF
small means who. in legislative or 9TH
or bodies, try to blackmait corporations
-and try to blackmail other people as
we'll If they doubt this let them look
at the revelations of corruption in my
own state-New York-and in yours.
my hearers--here in Missouri: let them
look ut what has occurred in California
and what has occurred in Illinois.
In Illinois, for instance, one of the ras-
calities developed by the recent inves-
tigation was the existence OF combi-
nation of legislators who blackmailed
fishermen along a certain river. forcing
them to pay to prevent legislation
which would have interfered with their
business.
Now scoundrels who do these kind
of things are. Of course, the very mer
who. on the one hand, will blackmail
a corporation, if they get a chance.
and. on the other hand. will cheerfully.
IL the chance occurs. sell themselves
to that corporation against the inter-
ests of the public. Their corruption is
no more due to the action Of the cor
poration than the corruption of the
corporation is due to their actions;
an6 evil. and not good, Is done by the
honest but misguided man who would
persuade you that either fact is true
n,,r 1,,k,, t., % ,,,tA Oh
ness against the corrupt man of great
wealth and the small man who makes a
trade of corruption: our fight is agains.
both the swindIing corporation and the
blaCkmailing or bribe-taking politician
We cannot afford to limit cam
paign against corruption to those who
happen TO have a certain social status
We need laws which shall put the cor
poration out of business. so far as con-
Germs corrupting the servants of the
public and betraying the rights of the
public. / believe that the great issue
now before the people is the doing
away with special privilege in all it's
forms: doing away with the power of
the big corporation tC control legisla
tion In its interests and to interfere in
politics in order to secure privileges to
which 1t is not entitled. But l regard
the essential factor in this campaign as
being an aroused civic conscience
which will unsparingly condemn dis
honesty in every form. and in every
man. high or low. The reckless. would :
be refOrmer. who. in speaking or writ
ing. seeks to persuade US that we need
pay heed to corruption only when it
shows Itself in the rich man. is doing
as great moral wrong as the ricl
man whose low moral standard tends
to lower the moral standard of the
whole community. The people of this
country will get justice from the cor
porations only il they both do justice
to them tnd rigidly exact it from them.
Unless they do justice to rich men. they
put premium upon injustice and dis
honesty among rich men. Let us hold
them to the strlctest accountability for
any wrong doing: but let US insist upon
honesty in our own ranks. no less than
theirs; let us war on croOkedness of ev-
cry kind in the man of small means as
we'll a5 the man of large means. Let
us judge each man by his conduct. and
not by bis social or financial condition
In his speech In Kansas Citp. kas.
Colonel Roosevelt advocated the en-
actment of a federal workmen's com
rensAtion act.
AS the guest of honor of the Kansas
City Commercial Club. Theodore Roose-
welt today drank toast to the President
was himself toasted as the first citizen
Of the United States" and listened to IA
rollicking song to the tune of The Good
Old Summer Time" which ran as fol-
lows:
AT next election time
At next election time.
Roaming round the woody West.
Getting things In line.
For we like him and he likes us
And that's very good sign
That he will be our President
At next election time
The colonel responded heartily to the
toast to the President. but looked on
statuesQuely as the references to him
self were made.
A song with the refrain For He's In
surgent Through and Through" Colonel
Roosevelt said could have been improved
"in technical accuracy IL the word pro
gressive" had been substituted for the
word 'insurgent.'
Three hundred men attended the lun-
cheon and gave Colonel Roosevelt a
noisy welcome.
Among the guests were Governor Had
ley of Missouri. Governor Stubbs of Kan
sas. Clifford .Pinchot. James r. Garfield.
Colonel W. r. Nelson. proprietor of the
Kansas City Star. Senator Bristow and
Representative Madison.
Colonel Roosevelt expressed his inter-
est in the improvement of the waterways
especially Of the Missouri river. and dis
cussed the question of rebates.
At the conclusion OF Colonel Roose-
velt's speech he was driven to the West
port High school to make an address.