Evening journal., 1912-02-21
1 Roosevelt in Columbus Speech Approves
Initiative and Referendum Favors Recall of Judges
and Stands For Other Progressive Measures

that tails for its betterment, man
whom his neighbors look up to and re-
spect. He is in no sense dangerous to
his community Just because he is an in
tegral part of his community, bone Of fits
bone and flesh Of It's flesh. His life hbers
are intertwined with the life fbers of
! his fellow citizens. Yet nowadays many
men OF this kind when they come to
make necessary trade agreements with
one another find themselves IN danger
J of becoming unwilling transgressors
+ OF the law and are at a loss to know
what the law forbids and what It per
mits. This Is all wrong. There should
J be fixed governmental policy, a policy
p which shall clearly define and punish
wrongdoing and shall give in advance
full information to any man ms 10 just
, what he can and just what he cannot
legally and properly do. IT is absurd
and wicked TO treat the deliberate law
breaker as on an exact par with the
man eager to obey the law, whose only
desire is to find out from some compe-
tent governmental authority what the
law is and then live up TO It. 1t is alb
eurd TO endeavor TO regulate business
IN the interest of the public by means
OF long drawn lawsuits without any
accompaniment Of administrative con
troll and regulation and without any
attempt to discriminate between the
honest man who has succeeded in bust
ness because Of rendering a service to
the public and the dishonest man who
has succeeded in business by cheating
the public.
SO much for the small business man
and the middle sized business man.
Now for big business It is imperative
TO exercise over big business a control
. and supervision which are unnecessary
as regards small business. All busi-
ness must be conducted under the law,
and all business men, big or little, must
act justly. But a wicked big interest
is necessarily more dangerous TO the
community than a wicked little inter
est. big business" in the past has
been responsible for much OF the spe-
cial privilege which must be unspar-
ingy cut out OF our national life.
do not believe I'm making mere size Of
and by itself criminal. The mere fact
OF size. however, does unquestionably
carry the potentiality Of such grave
wrongdoing that there should be by
law provision made for the strict super
vision and regulation Of these great in
) dustrial concerns doing an interstate
T. business. much as we now regulate the
@ transportation agencies which are en-
r gagged in interstate business. The anti.
l. trust law does good in so far "a it can
n be invoked against combinations which
really are monopolies or which restrict
production OF which artihcially rals'
=. prices. But In so far as its working
are uncertain or as IL threatens corpor
4 ations which have not been guilty o
\. anti-social conduct 1t does harm. More
over, il cannot by itself accomplish
. more than a trining part OF the gov
. ernmental regulation OF big business
~ which Is needed. The nation and thl
states must cooperate In this matter
Among the states that have entered
this field Wisconsin has taken a lead
ing place. Following Senator La Fol
lette, number Of practical worker
and thinkers In Wisconsin have turne'
that state into an experimental labora
!, tory Of wise governmental action in all
of socinl and industrial Justice. The,
!. have initiated the kind of progressiv
government which means not merel
!, the preservation of true democracy, bu
y the extension Of the principle of tru
democracy into industrialism as we
as into politics One prime reason VIII
the state has been so successful in thi
policy lies in the fact that It has don
justice to corporations precisely as
has exacted justice from them.
This Is precisely the attitude W
I should take toward big business.
Is the practical application Of the pril
ciple OF the square deal. Not only q
n matter OF justice. but In our ow
interest. we should scrupulously II
spect the rights OF honest and decer
. business and should encourage
where its activities make. as they ofte
4, do make. for the common good
T. other words. our demand is that bl
!, business give the people square de'
Il, and that the people give a square de-
4. to any man engaged in big busine:
n who honestly endeavors to do what
a. right and proper.
.re On the other hand. any corporation
big OF little. which has gained its p
en- sition by unfair methods and by inte
d ference with the rights Of other
which has raised prices or limited ou
m put I'm improper fashion and has bee
Icl guilty OF demoralizing and CORFU
A. practices. should not only be broke
10. up, but 1t should be made the busine
MS Of some competent governmental boo
,rn by constant supervision 10 see that
As does not come together again, save u
ro der such strict control as to insure q
Is community against all danger of a re
,ar etition OF the bad conduct.
H. Control Should Be Administrative.
rs1 All business into which the eleme
ia' OF monopoly in any way or degree c
Is ters and where 1t proves In practi'
at impossible totally to eliminate this el
lie ment OF monopoly should be careful
~ supervised, regulated and controlled
oe governmental authority. and such co
'o' troll should be exercised by administr
10 tive rather than by judicial officers.
g In emphasizing the part of the a
Up ministrative department In regulatir
TO combinations and checking absoluf
d monopoly do not, OF course, overloc
the obvious fact that the legislatul
D. and the judiciary must do their par
rs rrha Iagfelo f,,ra uhould mako n MOI