286 Presidential Addresses 



but the price for such action seems high. The al 

 ternative is to do exactly what has been done dur 

 ing the life of the Congress which has just closed 

 that is, to endeavor, not to destroy corporations, but 

 to regulate them with a view of doing away with 

 whatever is of evil in them and of making them sub 

 serve the public use. The law is not to be admin 

 istered in the interest of the poor man as such, nor 

 yet in the interest of the rich man as such, but in the 

 interest of the law-abiding man, rich or poor. We 

 are no more against organizations of capital than 

 against organizations of labor. We welcome both, 

 demanding only that each shall do right and shall 

 remember its duty to the Republic. Such a course 

 we consider not merely a benefit to the poor man, 

 but a benefit to the rich man. We do no man an 

 injustice when we require him to obey the law. 

 On the contrary, if he is a man whose safety and 

 well-being depend in a peculiar degree upon the ex 

 istence of the spirit of law and order, we are render 

 ing him the greatest service when we require him 

 to be himself an exemplar of that spirit. 



BEFORE THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE, ST. 

 PAUL, MINN., APRIL 4, 1903 



Mr. Governor, Mr. Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Speak 

 er, Members of the Legislative Body, Men and 

 Women of Minnesota: 

 I thank you for greeting me and for giving me 



the chance to say a word or two in welcome and in 



acknowledgment of your greeting. 



