The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-08

met more Germans. They brought him
a stein of beer. but the colonel de-
served at the Press club. where there
were German and American news
paper men and German dinner.
Then the colonel went out to make
his speech. He was scheduled origin
ally to speak in the auditorium, but
the building would hold only a part
of the crowd and another was engaged
for an overflow meeting. Colonel
Roosevelt spoke at the overflow meet
ing first and then went to the audi
forum.
The American government, declared
the colonel, was bound to be the most
successful form of government on
earth. 81 am aware that we need GER
tain changes in the law" continued
Colonel Roosevelt.
Take, for instance, our corpora
lions; a corporation is a necessary in
strument of modern business. Steam,
electricity and the growth of cities, of
communication and the means of
transmitting news, all combined in
bringing into effect new type of
business organization. But corpora
tons are necessary. I would protect
them absolutely in their rights. Re-
member friends, that it is a very diff
ficult thing to get honest treatment
from any one unless you give honest
treatment yourself.
IT would not ask the corporations
to behave we'll as a factor. 1 would
tell them that they had to behave well
because if they did not, we would
make them.
1.-The corporation is entitled to it's
rights. 1t should be protected in its
rights, but it is not entitled to vote
and it is not entitled to own any man
in public life or to send any man into
public life.'
Leaving the hippodrome. the col
onel re-entered his automobile and
was hurled along dense1y crowded
streets to the auditorium, where for
several minutes after his appearance
upon the platform he was cheered.
Speaking especially to the newspas
per men, Col. Roosevelt talked to
them of the Importance of their work
and declared that in some ways their
profession ranked above all others.
The editor and publisher and writer
who honestly and truly placed facts
before the public, he said, rendered
an important public service and, in
fact, was practically holding public
office. IF a lewSpaperman is neu-
trail in the performance of his work,
does neither good nor evil but insists
upon being neutral on all moral ques-
tions, he simply is filling a position
with which you can not say much in
blame and not much in the way of
praise said the colonel. He must
have high ideals, and he must be
able to get those ideals adopted by
reasonable proportion of his fellows if
his profession is to rank as high as
it ought to-
A newspaper, he insisted, should
tell the truth and the whole truth,
and should carefully refrain from
scandalizing the character of good
men, although it should be fearless in
exposing corruption wherever it
might be found.
1.-THE politician-I am a politician
and the writer for periodicals and
the press-again, 1 am one of them
should always bear in mind that the
eighth and ninth commandments are
equally binding: Thou shalt not
steal and Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbour
The colonel concluded his address
by picturing the American republic as
the hope of the democracy of the
world.