New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-16
ROOSEVELT DEFINES
NEW NAT|ONA[|SM'
mot Revolutionary, but Merely
Applies Old MoraIitieS TO
New Conditions"
PLAIN TALK TO FARMERS
Seeks to Benefit Average Man,
He Says-Calls at Gaynor
Farm with Escort of
Clergymen.

Oyster Bay Sept 15--Theodore Roose-
welt said to-day that he was not talking
revolution in declaring his new political
creed. Neither is he making an appeal
to mob rule In a stanch defence Of
his doctrine of the new nationalisrn"
he declared that he was merely urging
the application Of old moralties 20 mod
ern 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
Mr.. RooseveIt's address was delivered
before d great crowd at the Suffolk
County Fair at Riverhead He rode
about 100 miles in an automobile TO and
from Riverhead- on his return to Oys-
ter Bay he stopped at Huntington to
take dinner with August Herkscher.
The ex-President's exposition Of new
national1sm~ came az the close OF 4
speech in which he also denounced dis
honest corporations. dishonest men OF
wealth and political bosses
He made no reference 70 the New
York State political situation. although
he was asked 10 do so by some in the
crowd One man who stood near him
called out. Tell US about direct pri-
maries." but Mr.. Roosevelt ignored him
Old Time MoraIities.
II have noticed a good deal OF COM
rnent on my speech on new nationals
ism" he said. All that new nation
alism' means is the application Of GER
tain oIdtime moralities 10 the changed
conditions of the day
Il wish TO see greater governmental
efficiency because we have TO deal with
greater business efficiency. Simple laws
are all that are necessary in small COM
rnunittes. where there is no big business
and each man works for himself When
you get masses of wealth gathered to-
gether and great corporations develop
ing. conditions then become so changed
that there must be an increase in gov
ernmental activity TO control the wealth
for business efficiency.
L would not do any wrong 70 the
great corporation. but I don't intend TO
rely only on the big corporations good
nature to see that the corporation doesn't
do harm against us. I want to see such
control of the wealth now gathered for
business uses as 10 favor the honest
man who uses the wealth genuinely for
the service Of the public. and 70 make
the dishonest man feel that he has 70 do
what IS right, and If he doesn't feel II
We shall see 10 IL that he does
That is my whole creed That is ali
there is in it. There is no revolution in
it. There is no appeal to mob rule
Mob Violence an Enemy
"On the contrary. 1 recognize mob vtO~
Ience as an enemy OF the public good
just as much as 1awless wealth I am
against the poor man who is guilty OF
the crime OF lawless violence, and when
il is in my power I shall try TO punish
him for his misdeeds. Just as whenever
I have the power I will join with those
that see 10 il that the corrupt man OF
wealth is good-not because he likes it
but because he has to be-
Mr.. Roosevelt spoke with even more
than customary. earnestness. shaking his
cIenched fists in the air as he stood on
the platform opposite the crowded
grandstand- His words were received
with cheers.
I have spoken 20 you as farmers, my
neighbors here" he said after he had
appealed to them to develop the Use
fitness of the individual TO the highest
degree.
Il now want 10 speak 10 you as Cit1-
zens Of the United States who are in
rerested in the great problems which
concern all OF US. I think every citizen
of a free democracy ought to distrusr
above all others the public man whose
daads do not square with his words
That has two sides. II has 20 do with
the politician who makes promises that
he does not keep. and II has 70 do with
newspapers which say what they know is
not true
Mark Twain or Lies.
Mark Twain said that there are SOP
different kinds OF lies. but the only one
which was authoritativeIy forbidden was
that of bearing false witness against
voI1r neIghbor There are one or TWO
daiIies which would do well
10 print that al the head OF their col
un1ns and then try 10 live up TO il
withhold their names. but the omission
is easily supplied.
There are two prime difficulties in get
ting good government. one arises from
the dishonest politician I think the
corrupt politician no worse an enemy OF
the people than the man who lies about
the honest public servant The damage
he does is TO the public. in so confusing
the public by attacking the men who are
honest that the public ceases 10 be able
- recognize and To war, against men
who are dishonest
such man is OF the greatest advan-
tage 10 the thief The corrupt politician
Is no worse than that corrupt politicians
the newspaper which says
what is not true about men in public
life Honesty. truth. cOurage-yOu need
them just as much in public as in pri-
vate life
II have no hostility TO corporations as
such I recognize the corporation as a
necessary method Of dealing with mod
ern business conditions. The corpora
ton has its rights and is entitled 70 full
prot SCtiOn in the exercise Of those -ipI~s