TR's so set on discussing the climactic struggle between good and evil in "The Man with the Muckrake" that he may as well turn in his presidency and become a knight errant.
He firmly believes in absolutes and in every person's power to choose between good and evil. To him, there's no acceptable sin and no just target. We'd imagine he wouldn't be a big fan of Robin Hood, either. He doesn't believe that any one group can be all good and all evil, like rich people in this speech's instance, but each person has to make that choice for him or herself.
Questions About Good vs. Evil
- What public figure does Teddy Roosevelt think would betray the people for a corporation if he would betray a corporation for the people?
- Why does he single out labor leaders as a force of evil on the working-class side?
- Why does he think even rightly done investigative journalism can be a source of evil?
- Are there any dangers with this line of thinking?
Chew on This
Theodore Roosevelt, in his worldview of "everyone has moral choices," seems to ignore very real problems that move people to make certain decisions in this speech; however, in his presidency he was able to make some major changes to the system. This speech seems like his advice to the public, while his work in office attempted to cut down situations that might push people toward crime.
This mindset of good vs. evil casts Roosevelt, naturally, on the side of right and righteousness. His foreign policy, that of American expansionism through naval power, used that righteousness to justify military force.