The fool who has Analyzing the central theme of Roosevelts speech requires students to carefully track his unfolding ideas. practice, whether in politics, business, or social life. For example, you may have recently learned that your town is not recycling according to code. in the public servants who are to deal in this shape with corporations, whether nothing more distressing to every good patriot, to every good American, than the People who focus on nothing but evil are themselves forces of evil . Terms of Use Assess the implications of such terms. Public domain. utterly reckless assaults on their character and capacity. Shawn Parry-Giles, University of Maryland, VOD Journal Volume 16 (2021): Rhetoric of Civil Rights Issue, VOD Journal Volume 15 (2020): Suffrage Centennial Issue, Copyright Voices of Democracy. Some persons are sincerely incapable of understanding that to denounce mud slinging does not mean the endorsement of whitewashing; and both the interested individuals who need whitewashing and those others who practice mud slinging like to encourage such confusion of ideas. People who focus on nothing but evil are themselves forces of evil. The Man with the Muckrake Speech -President Theodore Roosevelt A Time for Choosing -President Ronald Reagan from Self Reliance -Ralph Waldo Emerson In Defense of Native Religion -Red Jacket, Chief of the Seneca Why I Went to the Woods -Henry David Thoreau Choosing a Dream -Mario Puzo [American Dream] Muck-rake- n. What theme does Roosevelt use repeatedly to appeal to the audience's emotions? them from entering the public service at any price. One of the chief counts against those who make indiscriminate assault upon men in business or men in public life is that they invite a reaction which is sure to tell powerfully in favor of the unscrupulous scoundrel who really ought to be attacked, who ought to be exposed, who ought, if possible, to be put in the penitentiary. chill the ardor of those who demand truth as a primary virtue, they thereby In political science and communication studies, Theodore Roosevelt is said to have ushered in a rhetorical presidency. More than leaders before him, he spoke directly to the people and press to push his agenda. Many of Theodore Roosevelts archival papers are available on microfilm and may be ordered through your schools interlibrary loan department. Not good. the wild preachers of unrest and discontent, the wild agitators against the some such scheme as that of a progressive tax on all fortunes, beyond a certain In a 1906 speech, during the time known as the Progressive Era, President Theodore Roosevelt warned the American people against muckrakers. What might Theodore Roosevelt say about First Amendment rights today now that we have Internet, television, and cellular telephones? It is a prime necessity that if the present unrest is to result in permanent good the emotion shall be translated into action, and that the action shall be marked by honesty, sanity, and self-restraint. hope to every knave, and is the despair of honest men. almost sure to invite a reaction; and, unfortunately, the reactions instead of Bad though a state of hysterical excitement is, and evil though the results are which come from the violent oscillations such excitement invariably produces, yet a sodden acquiescence in evil is even worse. right type of men to dig the Panama canal is the certainty that they will be Thank you! Explore the timelines for important dates in TRs personal and political life, June 22, 2017. of our time, whether in the public press, or in magazines, or in books, are the How good a muckraker are you? The work of muckrakers influenced the passage of key legislation that strengthened protections for workers and consumers. Ever. strength, to offenders. reform. More important than The foundation stone of national life is, and ever must be, the high individual character of the average citizen. in politics. If they get their way they will lead the people into a deeper pit than any into which they could fall under the present system. Again, the national government must in some form exercise supervision Such taxation should, of course, be aimed merely at the inheritance or transmission in their entirety of those fortunes swollen beyond all healthy limits. government. Find a controversial issue you can research and write a muck-raking report on it. It is a foolish and timid, no less than a wicked thing, to blink the fact that the forces of evil are strong, but it is even worse to fail to take into account the strength of the forces that tell for good. In the next room is a spider, whose venom represents the sneaking power of sin. Over a century ago Washington laid the corner stone of the Capitol in what was then little more than a tract of wooded wilderness here beside the Potomac. We now find it necessary to provide by great additional buildings for the business of the government. No honesty will make a public man useful if that man is timid or foolish, if he is a hot-headed zealot or an impracticable visionary. Yet, on the other hand, it is vital not to permit this spirit of sanity and self-command to degenerate into mere mental stagnation. Of course, no amount of charity in spending such fortunes in any way compensates for misconduct in making them. Such legislation, if so framed, as I am sure it will be, as to secure definite and tangible results, will amount to something of itself; and it will amount to a great deal more in so far as it is taken as a first step in the direction of a policy of superintendence and control over corporate wealth engaged in interstate commerce; this superintendence and control not to be exercised in a spirit of malevolence toward the men who have created the wealth, but with the firm purpose both to do justice to them and to see that they in their turn do justice to the public at large. While some of them were shining a light on very real problems, others were launching attacks that were flat-out lies. There can be no such thing as unilateral honesty. George H.W. We can no more and sanity, and self-restraint. muckraker, any of a group of American writers identified with pre- World War I reform and expos literature. Text of speech courtesy of the Program inPresidential Rhetoric,Texas A&M University. It has been argued that the "Address of President Roosevelt at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Office Building of the House of Representatives Saturday, April 14, 1906 (The Man with the Muck-Rake)" is really two speeches in one (i.e., the first part of the speech is about investigative journalism and the second part is about a progressive There is nothing more distressing to every good patriot, to every good American, than the hard, scoffing spirit which treats the allegation of dishonesty in a public man as a cause for laughter. University of Maryland difficulties, which in public proceedings are innumerable and inevitable, they Yet, on the other hand, it is vital not to permit this spirit of sanity and self-command to degenerate into mere mental stagnation. One of the chief counts against those who make indiscriminate assault upon men in business or men in public life is that they invite a reaction which is sure to tell powerfully in favor of the unscrupulous scoundrel who really ought to be attacked, who ought to be exposed, who ought, if possible, to be put in the penitentiary. Let's roast that turkey!. Such painting finally induces a kind of moral color blindness; and people affected by it come to the conclusion that no man is really black, and no man really white, but they are all gray. leaders and allies of all engaged in the work for social and political to search for and expose corruption, scandal, or the like, esp. indiscriminate assault upon character does no good, but very great harm. Now, it is easy to twist out of shape what I have just said, easy to affect to misunderstand it, and if it is slurred over in repetition not difficult really to misunderstand it. If you wish to reprint something, please email me the publication name, link, title and link of article you would like to reprint, and I will get back with you as soon as possible. those who are well off from those who are less well off, then it will be fraught Overview. This growth in the need for the housing of the government is but a proof and example of the way in which the nation has grown and the sphere of action of the national government has grown. Some of the most famous muckrakers were women, including Ida Tarbell and Ida B. . toward evil that were evident in Washington's time, and are helped by the same TR campaigning and doing his thing in 1900 In other words, they neither believe in the truth of the attack, nor in the honesty of the man who is attacked; they grow as suspicious of the accusation as of the offense; it becomes well nigh hopeless to stir them either to wrath against wrongdoing or to enthusiasm for what is right; and such a mental attitude in the public gives hope to every knave, and is the despair of honest men. If so, do you think Roosevelt made a wise rhetorical choice? Students will analyze how Roosevelt believes sensationalistic journalism produces a cynicism about public servants and journalists alike. that I ask the war be conducted with sanity as well as with resolution. We now administer the affairs of a nation in which the extraordinary growth of population has been outstripped by the growth of wealth in complex interests. At the end of the day, America has a lot of problems. Key During Reading Passages and Discussion Questions, Ideas for Post-Reading and Assessment (English and History), Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project The Text Roosevelt starts his speech off by calling journalists out. so far as it is taken as a first step in the direction of a policy of The only public servant who can be trusted honestly to protect the rights of the public against the misdeeds of a corporation is that public man who will just as surely protect the corporation itself from wrongful aggression. feel that there should be no rest in the endless war against the forces of evil If they get their way they will lead the people into a deeper pit than any into which they could fall under the present system. It puts a premium upon knavery untruthfully to attack an honest man, or even with hysterical exaggeration to assail a bad man with untruth. It is a foolish and timid, no less than a wicked thing, to blink Instead of fussing over haves versus have-nots, America should be concerned with the individual character of its citizens. The speech addresses this theme through the creation of a logical syllogism connecting character, government, and journalism. willing to yield to popular clamor and do wrong to the men of wealth or to rich If so, write a letter to the editor of your school newspaper or your local paper articulating your position. The liar is no whit Understanding Roosevelts address requires students immersion and appreciation of key aspects of historical context, including: The Muck-Rake character in Roosevelts speech is from the second part of John Bunyans Christian allegory, As they read, students must consider how the muckrakers who go too far destroy the character of public servants. This truth should be kept constantly in mind by every free people desiring to preserve the sanity and poise indispensable to the permanent success of self-government. The muck was kicked up and it got on everything that the big leaders of industry of the day were trying to do to make more profit. purpose both to do justice to them and to see that they in their turn do justice The welfare of the wage worker, the welfare of the tiller of the soil, upon these depend the welfare of the entire country; their good is not to be sought in pulling down others; but their good must be the prime object of all our statesmanship. Or is it censorship to put limits on how citizens should communicate in public? But if they give good reason for distrust of what they say, if they chill the ardor of those who demand truth as a primary virtue, they thereby betray the good cause and play into the hands of the very men against whom they are nominally at war. to persuade a multitude that they are not so well governed as they ought to be exposed, both without, and, I am sorry to say, sometimes within, Congress, to movement of agitation throughout the country takes the form of a fierce In Pilgrims Progress the Man with the Muck Rake is set forth as the example of him whose vision is fixed on carnal instead of spiritual things. limits. (5 points) Evil man Nonstop lawbreaker Investigative journalist Unfair troublemaker So far as this movement of agitation throughout the country takes the form of a fierce discontent with evil, of a determination to punish the authors of evil, whether in industry or politics, the feeling is to be heartily welcomed as a sign of healthy life. It is of the utmost importance for our future that this should prove to No good whatever will come from that warped and mock morality which denounces the misdeeds of men of wealth and forgets the misdeeds practiced at their expense; which denounces bribery, but blinds itself to blackmail; which foams with rage if a corporation secures favors by improper methods, and merely leers with hideous mirth if the corporation is itself wronged. But if they Throughout his speech he concentrates on the wrong doings when he says, "But the man who never does anything else, who never thinks or speaks or writes, save of his feats with the muck rake, speedily becomes, not a help but one of the most potent forces for evil (Roosevelt 43)." his eyes with solemn intentness only on that which is vile and debasing. Bad though a state of hysterical excitement is, and evil though the results are which come from the violent oscillations such excitement invariably produces, yet a sodden acquiescence in evil is even worse. In his Ecclesiastical Polity that fine old Elizabethan divine, Bishop Hooker, wrote: He that goeth about to persuade a multitude that they are not so well governed as they ought to be shall never want attentive and favorable hearers, because they know the manifold defects whereunto every kind of regimen is subject, but the secret lets and difficulties, which in public proceedings are innumerable and inevitable, they have not ordinarily the judgment to consider. Muckraker Muckraker is the word used to describe any Progressive Era journalist who investigated and publicized social and economic injustices. Any excess is almost sure to invite a reaction; and, unfortunately, the reactions instead of taking the form of punishment of those guilty of the excess, is apt to take the form either of punishment of the unoffending or of giving immunity, and even strength, to offenders. as a profound deterrent to able men of normal sensitiveness and tend to prevent have a better chance to show the stuff of which he is made. The Man with the Muckrake Analysis Back Study Guide The Man with the Muckrake Analysis By Theodore Roosevelt Advertisement - Guide continues below Rhetoric Structure Writing Style What's Up With the Title? The Interpreter shows them that their faith can overcome even the deadly venom of such a spider. crime. Denise M. Bostdorff necessary that we should not flinch from seeing what is vile and debasing. the corporation itself from wrongful aggression. Now, it is very necessary that we should not flinch from seeing what is vile and debasing. The American foreign policy statement that provided the basis for Roosevelt's military intervention in Latin America. If it seeks to establish a line of cleavage, not along the line which divides good men from bad, but along that other line, running at right angles thereto, which divides those who are well off from those who are less well off, then it will be fraught with immeasurable harm to the body politic. or newspaper, with merciless severity makes such attack, provided always that he 2001-present, Bella Abzug engaged in interstate business-whether by license or otherwise, so as to permit Based on this excerpt, the audience members who heard this speech probably feltthat Roosevelt was looking out for their best interests. corporations, it may be set down as certain that if the opportunity comes he Hysterical sensationalism is the poorest weapon wherewith to fight for lasting righteousness. Spiritually and ethically we must strive to bring about clean living and right thinking. April 15, 1906. commerce; this superintendence and control not to be exercised in a spirit of betterment. To depend only on traces means that there will soon be a runaway Would he maintain his moderate position or would he argue that such innovations are evil because they extend freedom of speech too far? Wells. There results a general attitude either of cynical belief in and indifference to public corruption or else of a distrustful inability to discriminate between the good and the bad. the filth of the floor. What would you say? The forces that tend for evil are great and terrible, but the forces of truth and love and courage and honesty and generosity and sympathy are also stronger than ever before. Gross and reckless assaults on character, whether on the stump or in newspaper, magazine, or book, create a morbid and vicious public sentiment, and at the same time act as a profound deterrent to able men of normal sensitiveness and tend to prevent them from entering the public service at any price. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). Ashley Barrett Don't Even Google It. On the other hand, Hysterical sensationalism is the poorest weapon wherewith to fight for lasting righteousness. There should be a resolute effort to hunt every such man out of the position he has disgraced.It is because I feel that there should be no rest in the endless war against the forces of evil that I ask that the war be conducted with sanity as well as with resolution. He averred that journalists were indispensable to the well-being of society but urged them to see also the beautiful things above and roundabout them, because if the whole picture is painted black there remains no hue whereby to single out the rascals for distinction from their fellows. Roosevelt credited journalists with such power that they could affect the national outlook, and bring aboutif not carefula general attitude either of cynical belief in and indifference to public corruption or else of a distrustful inability to discriminate between the good and the bad. His speech was a call for journalists to be even-handed and objective in their reporting. Excellence in Literature by Janice Campbell 2023. Some persons are sincerely incapable of understanding that to denounce mud slinging does not mean the endorsement of whitewashing; and both the interested individuals who need whitewashing and those others who practice mud slinging like to encourage such confusion of ideas. On the contrary, there is almost as much of breeching work as of collar work. It is of the utmost importance for our future that this should prove to be not the unrest of mere rebelliousness against life, of mere dissatisfaction with the inevitable inequality of conditions, but the unrest of a resolute and eager ambition to secure the betterment of the individual and the nation. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (1858 1919) served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. This year we are This Speech Analysis Guide will allow your students to dig deep and analyze the famous and inspiring speech by President Theodore Roosevelt. I hail as a benefactor It is because I feel that there should be no rest in the endless war against the forces of evil that I ask the war be conducted with sanity as well as with resolution. There is any amount of good in the world, and there never was a time when loftier and more disinterested work for the betterment of mankind was being done than now. In Bunyan'sPilgrim's Progressyou may recall the description of the Man with the Muck Rake, the man who could look no way but downward, with the muck rake in his hand; who was offered a celestial crown for his muck rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth of the floor. Expose the crime, and hunt down the criminal; but remember that even in the case of crime, if it is attacked in sensational, lurid, and untruthful fashion, the attack may do more damage to the public mind than the crime itself. The Excellence in Literature website may occasionally provide a link to a specific book or resource. when a scoundrel is untruthfully assailed. If they fail to get their way they will still do incalculable Roosevelt expressed his negative feelings towards newspapers, magazines, and books that attacked public figures with insults and lies. If the whole hard, scoffing spirit which treats the allegation of dishonesty in a public man the fact that the forces of evil are strong, but it is even worse to fail to Site by, Shawn Parry-Giles, University of Maryland. Bad though a state of hysterical Also called: muckspread. Tough-o-Meter Shout-Outs Trivia Back Navigation Introduction The Text vision is fixed on carnal instead of spiritual things. He shows diversity. Roosevelt disapproved of journalists whom he considered to be so overly focused on the bad that they failed to notice and report on the good. Subheads have been added for easier scanning, and there is a definition of the term "muckrakers" below the speech. has disgraced. There are in the The American Civil Liberties Union hosts a free speech blog (. persons. I hail as a benefactor every writer or speaker, every man who, on the platform or in a book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless severity makes such attack, provided always that he in his turn remembers that the attack is of use only if it is absolutely truthful. Such taxation should, of course, be aimed merely at the inheritance One of the chief Pilgrims Progress is an optional Honors text in Module 1.9 of Introduction to Literature, Excellence in Literature, English 1 (link opens at study guide home page). Muckrakers were journalists and novelists of the Progressive Era who sought to expose corruption in big business and government. are times and places where this service is the most needed of all the services becomes well nigh hopeless to stir them either to wrath against wrongdoing or to slinging does not mean the endorsement of whitewashing; and both the interested The Famous Muckrakers of the Progressive Era. As an instance in point, I may mention that one serious difficulty encountered in getting the right type of men to dig the Panama canal is the certainty that they will be exposed, both without, and, I am sorry to say, sometimes within, Congress, to utterly reckless assaults on their character and capacity. exercised for or against corporations. spending such fortunes in any way compensates for misconduct in making them. In his speech President Theodore Roosevelt was referring to a character, with a Muckrake in his hand, who was as described as a "man who seeks worldly gain by . Kalen M. A. Churcher, Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project Research the issue and write a muckrake-style report of the case. In his speech, Roosevelt insisted that his plea is not for immunity to but for the most unsparing exposure of the politician who betrays his trust, of the big business man who makes or spends his fortune in illegitimate or corrupt ways. His face is depicted on Mount Rushmore, alongside those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. There are beautiful High School Lesson Plan created for Voices of Democracy by Michael J. Steudeman, University of Maryland. We participate in selected affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates for these links, so if a link takes you to Amazon, know that it is most likely an affiliate link. google_ad_height = 280; Copyright 2001-Present. like to encourage such confusion of ideas. The first requisite in the public servants who are to deal in this shape with corporations, whether as legislators or as executives, is honesty. He was a leader of the Republican Party (GOP) and . War & Peace, 1700-1899 For example, Roosevelt deleted some explanatory sentences about muckrakers in an early draft of his speech; specifically, he crossed out the words Where the exposure of evil results in some tangible good obtained in any one of these three methods, the man exposing it, whether he speak on the stump or write in magizine [sic] or newspaper, does real and great good. Why did he leave out parts like this, and/or why did he add the parts he added? pendleton wool fabric for sale,