Thank you all for being here to celebrate this lovely couple. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). What are the metaphoric connotations associated with the term muck-rake? Does this metaphor still apply to modern-day journalism? I hope you enjoy it! Again, the national government must in some form exercise supervision over corporations engaged in interstate business-and all large corporations engaged in interstate business-whether by license or otherwise, so as to permit us to deal with the far reaching evils of overcapitalization. Facts about the Muckrakers for kids, children, homework and schools. Assess the implications of such terms. Description In this speech, delivered the 14th of April in 1906, Teddy Roosevelt (then the president) memorably titled the new breed of investigative journalists in the Progressive Era "muckrakers." The thing is, he had actually meant the label as an insult. As we strive for reform we find that it is not at all merely the case of a long uphill pull. In addition, what can you conclude about his perspective of big business? Roosevelt's "Man with the Muck-Rake" Speech Analysis and Writing Activity,, Digital Distance Learning & Print, Google. In summary, his speech declared that it is good for reporters to state . At this moment we are passing through a period of great unrest -- social, political, and industrial unrest. 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. Rake, the man who could look no way but downward, with the muck rake in his when a scoundrel is untruthfully assailed. searing of the public conscience. this people to grapple with the problems connected with the amassing of enormous admitted evils of our political and industrial life with such crude and sweeping aught else is the development of the broadest sympathy of man for man. 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. evil of their teaching would enthrone more securely than ever the evils which 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. Her work helped lay the foundation for modern codebreaking today. We can no more and no less afford to condone evil in the man of capital than evil in the man of no capital. Roosevelt uses a method of reconciling opposing perspectives, outlining the virtues and benefits of muckraking but then quickly asserting their problematic influence when they undermine the character of good public figures and faith in public institutions. The only public their misguided followers believe they are attacking. If, on the other hand, it turns into a mere crusade of appetite against appetite, of a contest between the brutal greed of the have nots and the brutal greed of the haves, then it has no significance for good, but only for evil. 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. Ashley Barrett then it has no significance for good, but only for evil. the misdeeds of a corporation is that public man who will just as surely protect 10 15 20 25 Questions 11-21are based on the following passage. In Bunyan's 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. The material problems that face us today are not such as they were in He gives journalists his perspective on good and evil. President Roosevelt suggested that some journalists were just like the man with the muck rakefixated solely on the terrible things in the nation. are passing through a period of great unrest-social, political, and industrial There should be relentless exposure of and attack upon every evil man, whether politician or business man, every evil practice, whether in politics, business, or social life. as a cause for laughter. On the contrary, there is almost as much of breeching work as of collar work. Citizenship & Civic Identity If you were to speak out about a public issue important to you and your communityfor example, lets say you would like to speak out against a new highway being put through the center of your townwhere would you go to be heard? Some articles can be customized for reprint in select online or offline publications. The Man with the Muck Rake by Theodore Roosevelt It puts a premium upon knavery untruthfully to attack The effort to make financial or political profit out of ukraine can only fight russia with commander zoro a jew to lead willing to yield to popular clamor and do wrong to the men of wealth or to rich moral color blindness; and people affected by it come to the conclusion that no armenian population in los angeles 2020; cs2so4 ionic or covalent; duluth brewing and malting; 4 bedroom house for rent in rowville; tichina arnold and regina king related 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)." 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. Sitemap To assail the great and admitted evils of our political and industrial life with such crude and sweeping generalizations as to include decent men in the general condemnation means the searing of the public con science. It is of the utmost importance for our future that this should prove to ' The effort to make financial or political profit out of the destruction of character can only result in public calamity. are times and places where this service is the most needed of all the services have not ordinarily the judgment to consider. Yet he also typifies the man who in this life consistently refuses to see aught that is lofty, and fixes his eyes with solemn intentness only on that which is vile and debasing." twist out of shape what I have just said, easy to affect to misunderstand it, Yet he also typifies the man who in this life consistently refuses to see aught that is lofty, and fixes his eyes with solemn intentness only on that which is vile and debasing. Such laughter is worse than the crackling of thorns under a pot, for it denotes not merely the vacant mind, but the heart in which high emotions have been choked before they could grow to fruition. Instead of fussing over haves versus have-nots, America should be concerned with the individual character of its citizens. The fool who has not sense to discriminate between what is good and what is bad is well nigh as dangerous as the man who does discriminate and yet chooses the bad. The men who with stern sobriety and truth assail the many evils of our time, whether in the public press, or in magazines, or in books, are the leaders and allies of all engaged in the work for social and political betterment. He uses metaphors and hyperboles to further express his concern back up his reasoning. Department of Communication 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. It is about some of these that I wish to say a word today. The liar is no whit better than the thief, and if his mendacity takes the form of slander he may be worse than most thieves. 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. One of the chief accompany a reform coming by convulsion instead of by steady and natural growth. One of Roosevelt's most important speeches, it is of inestimable value as a guide to the man and his era. This speech exhibits several key concepts that come to the fore during 9th and 10th grade students explorations of American history: As one of the liveliest historical figures of the early 1900s, reading Roosevelts message and how he tethers together each of these issues provides a compelling way to deepen students understanding of a tumultuous period in American politics and reform. crime itself. 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 . A Summary of A Man with a Muck Rake Roosevelt starts his speech off by calling journalists out. The wealthy man who exults because there is a failure of justice in the effort to bring some trust magnate to an account for his misdeeds is as bad as, and no worse than, the so-called labor leader who clamorously strives to excite a foul class feeling on behalf of some other labor leader who is implicated in murder. We can no more and no less afford to condone evil in the man of capital than evil in the man of no capital. It reads simply and plainly, "Thou shalt not steal.". of our time, whether in the public press, or in magazines, or in books, are the Of course, no amount of charity in 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. The Excellence in Literature website may occasionally provide a link to a specific book or resource. toward evil that were evident in Washington's time, and are helped by the same 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. taking the form of punishment of those guilty of the excess, is apt to take the What might Theodore Roosevelt say about First Amendment rights today now that we have Internet, television, and cellular telephones? InPilgrim's Progressthe Man with the Muck Rake is set forth as the example of him whose vision is fixed on carnal instead of spiritual things. the corporation itself from wrongful aggression. Now, it is very necessary that we should not flinch from seeing what is vile and debasing. Theodore Roosevelt has been labeled a trust-buster. Do you see evidence of trust-busting in this speech? steal from the rich man." will amount to something of itself; and it will amount to a great deal more in harm by provoking the kind of reaction which in its revolt against the senseless So far as this Thank you! in his turn remembers that the attack is of use only if it is absolutely be not the unrest of mere rebelliousness against life, of mere dissatisfaction 53476 !boerbul !likable !poes A AA AAA ACAS ADC ADte AFAIK AMD ANC AU Aachen/M Ababa/M Abaphehli Aberdeenshire/M Aberystwyth/M Abilene/M Abraham/M Abu/M Abyssinia/M Acapulco/M Ach Is there a balance between god terms and devil terms throughout the speech, or does Roosevelt privilege one type over another? We should discriminate in the sharpest way between fortunes well won and fortunes ill won; between those gained as an incident to performing great services to the community as a whole and those gained in evil fashion by keeping just within the limits of mere law honesty. with the muck rakes are often indispensable to the well being of society; but Such laughter is worse than the crackling of thorns There are beautiful things above and round about them; and if they gradually grow to feel that the whole world is nothing but muck, their power of usefulness is gone. most unsparing exposure of, the politician who betrays his trust, of the big establish a line of cleavage, not along the line which divides good men from 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. form either of punishment of the unoffending or of giving immunity, and even At the risk of repetition let me say again that my 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. Such taxation should, of course, be aimed merely at the inheritance June 22, 2017. 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. ( Amer. foul class feeling on behalf of some other labor leader who is implicated in Students will determine Roosevelts stance on both the pros and cons of muckraking. 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. One attitude is as bad as the other, and no worse; in each case the accused is entitled to exact justice; and in neither case is there need of action by others which can be construed into an expression of sympathy for crime. To depend only on traces means that there will soon be a runaway the system, I feel that we shall ultimately have to consider the adoption of Find a controversial issue you can research and write a muck-raking report on it. no less afford to condone evil in the man of capital than evil in the man of no 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. Either attitude is fraught with untold damage to the country as a whole. even in the case of crime, if it is attacked in sensational, lurid, and 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. We appreciate that the things of the body are important; but we appreciate also that the things of the soul are immeasurably more important. healthy life. Of course, no amount of charity in spending such fortunes in any way compensates for misconduct in making them. 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. There are in the 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. succeed, in my judgment, in checking the progress of the movement. - Excellence in Literature The muckrakers provided detailed, accurate journalistic accounts of the political and economic corruption and social hardships caused by the power of big business in a rapidly industrializing United States. 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. capital. Kalen M. A. Churcher, Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project If a public man is willing to yield to popular clamor and do wrong to the men of wealth or to rich corporations, it may be set down as certain that if the opportunity comes he will secretly and furtively do wrong to the public in the interest of a corporation. The reform that counts is that which comes through steady, continuous The men who with stern sobriety and truth assail the many evils of our time, whether in the public press, or in magazines, or in books, are the leaders and allies of all engaged in the work for social and political betterment. Paul is kind, loving, loyal, hard working and ambitious. 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. Patrick Buchanan, Heather Brook Adams In "Pilgrim's 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. unrest. Materially we must strive to secure a broader economic opportunity for all men, so that each shall have a better chance to show the stuff of which he is made. If they get their way they will Patricia Bizzell Students will continue to examine how Roosevelt establishes the syllogistic relationship between character, reform, and journalism. In this speech Roosevelt is advising journalists to write honestly and not always muckrake. The Interpreter shows them that their faith can overcome even the deadly venom of such a spider. not sense to discriminate between what is good and what is bad is well nigh as shall never want attentive and favorable hearers, because they know the manifold The liar is no whit Let's roast that turkey!. Muck-rake- n. A rake for scraping up muck or dung Muckrake- v. To search out and publicly expose real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 1906 In Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress you may recall the description of the Man . It is important to The men of wealth who today are trying to prevent the regulation and control of their business in the interest of the public by the proper government authorities will not succeed, in my judgment, in checking the progress of the movement. 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. Spiritually and ethically we must strive to bring about clean living and right thinking. If so, write a letter to the editor of your school newspaper or your local paper articulating your position. 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 This honesty can be no respecter of persons. War & Peace, 1700-1899 An acknowledged landmark of American public address, Theodore Roosevelt's "The Man with the MuckRake" has long resisted adequate interpretation, largely because historians and rhetoricians have not resolved the apparent anomaly between Roosevelt's "conservative" remarks on journalism and his "progressive" proposals for economic reform. necessity that if the present unrest is to result in permanent good the emotion The liar is no whit better than the thief, and if his mendacity takes the form of slander he may be worse than most thieves. Find their email addresses and let them hear from you about your freedom of speech concerns. betray the good cause and play into the hands of the very men against whom they I hail as a benefactor over-censure of the unjust finally and from similar reasons results in their It is a prime untruthful fashion, the attack may do more damage to the public mind than the business. corporation is itself wronged. cynical belief in and indifference to public corruption or else of a distrustful inability to discriminate between the good and the bad. Shawn J. Parry-Giles Speaker- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States. 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. 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 tax). Under altered external form we war with the same tendencies As a matter of personal conviction, and without pretending to discuss the details or formulate the system, I feel that we shall ultimately have to consider the adoption of some such scheme as that of a progressive tax on all fortunes, beyond a certain amount, either given in life or devised or bequeathed upon death to any individual -- a tax so framed as to put it out of the power of the owner of one of these enormous fortunes to hand on more than a certain amount to any one individual; the tax of course, to be imposed by the national and not the state government. sensationalism is the poorest weapon wherewith to fight for lasting While some of them were shining a light on very real problems, others were launching attacks that were flat-out lies. 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. movement of agitation throughout the country takes the form of a fierce While he thinks it's important to call corporations out on their crimes, there are some people who are stoking the fire with broad attacks against the wealthy. We now find it necessary to provide by great additional buildings for the business of the government. Karrin Vasby Anderson How good a muckraker are you? to search for and expose corruption, scandal, or the like, esp. between the brutal greed of the "have nots" and the brutal greed of the "haves," But if they Students will analyze how Roosevelt appropriates the muck-rake character from Bunyan to generate a metaphor about these two different types of journalism. 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). 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. It is about some of these that I wish to say a word today. If a public man is Theodore Roosevelt's "Man With the Muckrake"; address summed up the social and economic situation of the country on the historic day in 1906, when it was delivered. servant who can be trusted honestly to protect the rights of the public against "Pilgrim's Progress" you may recall the description of the Man with the Muck services to the community as a whole and those gained in evil fashion by keeping What would you say? The Man with the Muck Rake April 15, 1906 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. over corporations engaged in interstate business-and all large corporations 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. -raked, -raking. . Everyday Education, LLC (Everyday Education) operates several websites including: accused is entitled to exact justice; and in neither case is there need of The fool who has no worse than, the so-called labor leader who clamorously strives to excite a If Aristides is praised overmuch as just, people get tired of hearing it; and overcensure of the unjust finally and from similar reasons results in their favor. U.S. 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? Diane M. Blair Susan B. Anthony There can be no such thing as unilateral honesty. constantly in mind by every free people desiring to preserve the sanity and government. People who focus on nothing but evil are themselves forces of evil . 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. The modern term . What potential obstacles might you face? Subheads have been added for easier scanning, and there is a definition of the term "muckrakers" below the speech. Aristides is praised overmuch as just, people get tired of hearing it; and right type of men to dig the Panama canal is the certainty that they will be The danger is not really from corrupt corporations; it springs from the corruption itself, whether exercised for or against corporations. As It was a time, in the early twentieth century, when anything could be done to make a profit, at the expense of the workers and the consumers. The backbone of Teddy Roosevelt's speech is the idea of the Man with the Muck. Christiana prays not to be distracted by such carnal and worldly things. First, guide them to read the segment of Amy L. Heyses interpretive essay, pages 4-5, on the rise of investigative journalism and TRs response. the most dangerous opponents of real reform. Some persons are sincerely incapable of understanding that to denounce mud At the risk of To help students understand how Roosevelt drew from source material, have students read and analyze pages 25 to 26 of the book from Chapel Library online. There is any 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. The muckrakers had arrived.. The eighth strength, to offenders. The material problems that face us today are not such as they were in Washingtons time, but the underlying facts of human nature are the same now as they were then. In the speech, The Man with the Muck-rake, Teddy Roosevelt uses ethos to convey the message that one should not delegitimize the character of someone else for personal gain. Things are getting tense, in a not-infrequent-casualties kind of way. If it seeks to Pause when people laugh I guess because today, I am just an average man and Kevin is the best man.

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