dishonest methods. And I challenge the right to your
support in one attitude just as much as in the other. I am glad you
applauded when you did, but I want you to go back now and applaud
the other statement. I will read a little of it over again. 'Every
manifestation of ignorant envy and hostility toward honest men who
acquire wealth by honest means should be crushed at the outset by the
weight of a sensible public opinion.' [Tremendous applause.] Thank you.
Now I'll go on."

Roosevelt's incessant emphasis was placed upon conduct as the proper
standard by which to judge the actions of men. "We are," he once said,
"no respecters of persons. If a labor union does wrong, we oppose it as
firmly as we oppose a corporation which does wrong; and we stand equally
stoutly for the rights of the man of wealth and for the rights of the
wage-worker. We seek to protect the property of every man who acts
honestly, of every corporation that represents wealth honestly
accumulated and honestly used. We seek to stop wrongdoing, and we desire
to punish the wrongdoer only so far as is necessary to achieve this
end."

At another time he sounded the same note--sounded it indeed with a
"damnable iteration" that only proved how deeply it was imbedded in his
conviction.

"Let us strive steadily to secure justice as between man and man without
regard to the man's position, social or otherwise. Let us remember that
justice can never be justice unless it is equal. Do justice to the rich
man and exact justice from him; do justice to the poor man and
exact justice from him--justice to the capitalist and justice to the
wage-worker.... I have an equally hearty aversion for the reactionary
and the demagogue; but I am not going to be driven out of fealty to my
principles because certain of them are championed by the reactionary and
certain others by the demagogue. The reactionary is always strongly
for the rights of property; so am I.... I will not be driven away from
championship of the rights of property upon which all our civilization
rests because they happen to be championed by people who champion
furthermore the abuses of wealth.... Most demagogues advocate some
excellent popular principles, and nothing could be more foolish than for
decent men to permit themselves to be put into an attitude of ignorant
and perverse opposition to all reforms demanded in the name of the
people because it happens that some of them are demanded by demagogues."