Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1905)
- -fwynr"TTTfHp p 8 unablo to secure justice from outsiders, or un willing to' do justice to those outsiders who treat it well, may make it necessary for the United States to take action to protect their rights, but he adds that such action will not be taken with a view to territorial aggrandizement and will bo taken at all only with extreme reluctance and whon it has become evident that every other re course has been exhausted. Ho says that this colmtry would not go to war to prevent a foreign government from collecting a just debt from a South American republic, but on the other hand it would not permit a foreign power to take pos session, even temporarily, f the custom house of an American republic in order to enforce the payment of its obligations; for such temporary occupation might turn into a permanent occupa tion. The only escape from these alternatives, in the president's opinion, is that wi must under take to bring about such arrangements by which so much as possib'j of a just obligation shall be paid. Ho maintains that this position is in the interest of peaco as well as in the interest of justice. He refers to tho trouble of Santo Domingo, saying that a treaty is now before the senate, but that in the meautimo a temporary arrange ment has been made which will last ur.il the senate has had time to take action upon the proposed treaty. He sill's he has rea W to be lieve that some of Ssato Domingo's creditors who dare not expose tluUJ claims to haAest scru tiny are endeavoring to stir up sedition in the island and opposition to the treaty. Referring to the army, the president says "we now have a very small army indeed, one well nigh infinitesmal when compared with the army of any other nation." He recommends bri gade and division garrisons rather than regimental garrisons, and says that the number of army posts should be materially diminishe and the posts that are left should be made correspond ingly larger. He says that in both the army and navy there slould be some principle of selection, that is, of promotion for merit, and there should be a resolute effort to eliminate the aged officers of reputable character who possess no special efficiency. He recommends material improve ments in the medical provision for the arr-y and navy. il "?etei;ring to the navy, the president says It has now reached a fairly high standard of efficiency," and adds "this standard of efficiency must not only bo maintained, but increased." He says that it is not i pessary that the navy should at least in the immediate future be in creased beyond the present number of units. He thinks perhaps best results would be obtained by adding a single battleship each year, the superceded or outworn vessels being Jaid up o broken up as they are Uus replaced. He pays a tribute to the sea-going torpedo boat or de stroyer. Referring to naturalization laws, the president directs attention to the recommendations made by a commission appointed on this subject. These recommendations provide for a federal bureau of naturalization to be established in the depart ment of commerce and labor. Uniformity of nat uralization certificates; more exacting qualifica tions for citizenship; the preliminary declaration of intention to be abolished and no alien to be naturalized until at least ninety days after the fll ng of his petition; jurisdiction to naturalized aliens to be confined to federal courts and to such state courts as have jurisdiction in civil actions in which the amount in controversy is unlimitedin cities of over 100,000 inhabitants . u0enfederal courls are t0 bave exclusive jurisdic- R?e7i!?,g t0 crimal laws, the president says that the criminal process of any federal court should run throughout the entire territo rial extent of our country and to this end the criminal laws should be revised He recommends legislation to amend existing & reSPGCt t0 the Punishment of United States attorneys or other officers of the govern ment who corruptly agree to wrongfu ly do or wrongfully refrain from doing any act when the actual present conditions. He sayl thaf thS SSSSl Uon of th0 publlc lands s lo- He pays a tribute to the efficionov nt w work of irrigation under the reclamSact and Bays that the act should be extended to 2 the state of Texas. tuuea to include He recommends that the government more 1 ml The Commoner. for the protection of the great system of levees, along the lower course of the Mississippi river. Referring t the merchant marine, he says that it is important that this be built up; and he asks congress to give "earnest consideration to the report with which the merchant marine commission has followed its long and careful inquiry." He suggests that congress make suitable appropriation for the aid of the Jamestown Ter centennial, to be held at Jamestown, Va. Devoting a paragraph to the praise of the "excellent work of the pension bureau," the pres ident says: "Seven years ago my lamented pre decessor, President McKinley, stated that the time had come for the nation to care for the graves of tho confederate dead. I reccjmend that congress taken action toward this end. The first need is to take charge of the graves of the confederate dead who died in northern prisons." He recommends changes in our immigration law, saying that perhaps it would be possible to limit the number of immigrants allowed to come in any one year to New York and other cities, while leaving unlimited the number al lowed to come to the south, this being necessary, in his view, in order that the immigrat' n should be properly distributed; but he says that under all circumstances a strict effort should be made to see that only immigrants of the right kind come to our country anywhere. He suggests that no immigrants be allowed to come in from Canada and Mexico save natives of the two countries themselves, and he advises that exist ing laws for the exclusion of undesirable immi grants should be strengthened so as to compel steamship companies engaged in passenger busi ness to observe in good faith te law which for bids them to encourage or solicit immigration to the United States. He says that we -can not afford to pay heed whether an immigrant is of one creed or another, or of one nation or another, but that what we should desire to find out is the individ ual quality of the individual man." He makes an exception on Chinese immigration, saying that the questions in connection with that class "stand by themselves," explaining "the conditions in China are such that the entire Chinese coolie class, that is, the class of Chinese laborers skilled and unskilled, legitimately come under the head of undesirable immigrants to this country because of their numbers, the low wages for which they work, and their low standard of living." He says that the exclusion of these people is prox er and that these laws have been, are being and will be thoroughly enforced. This, however, does not apply to merchants, students, business men and professional men of all kinds, but theie should be encouraged to come here ana should be treat ed on precisely the same footing that we treat students, business men, travelers and the like of other nations. The president pays a tribute to the operations of the civil service law, and says that that law is being "energetically and impartially enforced." Ho recommends revision of the copyright laws, because at present they are impei'ect in definition, confused and inconsistent in expres sion; they leave out provision for many articles which are entitled to protection, and he intimates that the copyright office has prepared a bill which will be presented to congress He recommends the enactment 'of a law to regulate interstate commerce in misbranded and adulterated foods, drinks and drvgs niofSf nfVne? th,f lQ ant-smoke law for the District of Columbia be made more stringent He recommends adequate provision for the proper care and supervision of all national parks, ,?!lggests that some reservation, like the Wichita reserve and game refuge be provided for the bison, commonly known as' the buffalo Pie suggests that pensions be given to the members of the life saving service. Referring to the Indians, he recommends that congress make generous appropriations tor Indian day schols. , "umu w Gorf"fning the Pnll,PPnes, the president says that affairs are progressing there at a satisfactory rate, and that tranquility has existed during "the past year through the Archipelago excent in four proyinces,;but that these have been brought under control. He says that in April, 1906, the first legislative assembly for the islands will be held . and adds that "on the sanity and self-restraint of this body much will depend so far as the self government of the islands is concerned" He recommends free trade between the Phil, ippines and the United States saying "wlm the actual benefit has doubtless been exaggerated it will be of great importance from a poHtical and sentimental standpoint," and 'aat "it will aid AmeX"n08 With0Ut tongerinrinterSts in Referring to Hawaii, he suggests that im- VOLUME 5, NUMBER 7 Sand!6 StePS b taken fr the fortification of lhat Touching Porto Rico, he recommn,, i 4, adoption of .legislation which will SSj tho fer American citizenship on all citize m ,i Vn" Rico," adding, "there is, in my Judmnent cuse for failure to do this." Juutineut. no ox. He asks that Alaska be given in nu delegate and suggests that the government n in the construction of a railroad from Sn81.! ofjlaska to the Yukon rivern 1 rfii g Ho recommends that Indian Territnrv ,. Oklahoma be admitted as one state an J tw New Mexico and Arizona be admitted a, S state. He thinks that th.d bLduW b done im dela aS there iS n justificatIou fr father Referring to the Panama canal, he says tint work Is progressing, and he hopes to lay before the congress at an early day the findings of thn advisory board of engineers as to the type of o canal. He says that marked improvement has been made in sanitary conditions surrounding the workmen on the canal, and Le exDects that by the middle of the approaching year the work of excavation on a large scale will be resumed Ho asks for prompt and liberal appropriations' for the purpose of carrying on the canal work, ac cording to the estimates provided in iie report of the secretary of war. He recommends more adequate provision than has been made heretofore for the work of the de partment of state. He thinks the consular service should be classified and appointments made to tho several classes, with authority to the executive to assign the members of each class o duty at such posts as the interests of the service require. Ho suggests, also, an inspection service, so the de partment may be able to Inform itself how the business of each consulate is being done, instead of depending upon casual private information or rumor. The fee system in consulates should he abolished, and an equivalent made in salary. He recommends more liberal appropriations for cable tolls and consular messenger service in order that our diplomatic officers may be more fully in formed of what is being done every day in the progress of diplomatic affairs with other coun tries. He recommends, also, that the salary list in the diplomatic service be readjusted, because it does not no'w correspond either to the import ance of the service to be rendered and the degrees of ability and experience required in the i ifferent positions, or to the conditions in the edst of liv ing. He concludes, that in many cases the sal aries are quite inadequate. CORPORATIONS AND RAILROAD RATES Referring in his message to the corporation and railroad questions, the president says: "The fortunes, amassed through corporate organizations are now so large, and vest such power in these that wield them, as to make if a matter of necessity to give to the sovereign that is, to the government, which represents the people as a whole some effective power of super vision over their corporate use. In order to in sure a healthy social and industrial life, every big corporation should be held responsible by, and be accountable to, some sovereign strong enough to control its conduct. I am in no sense hostile to corporations. This is an age of com bination, and any effort to prevent all combina tion will be not only useless, but in the end vicious, because of the contempt for law which the failure to enforce law inevitably produces. We should, moreover, recognize in cordial and ample fashion the immense pood effected by cor porate agencies in a country such as ours, and the wealth of intellect, energy, ; d fidelity de voted to their service, and therefore normally to the service of the publlc, by their officers and directors. The corporation has come to stay, just as the trade union has come to stay. Each. can do and has done great good. Each should be favored so long as it does good. But each should be sharply checked where it acts against law and justice. ''So long as the "finances of the nation are kept upon an honest basis, no other question of internal economy with which the congress has the power to deal begins to approach in import ance the matter of endeavoring to secure proper industrial conditions under which the individuals and especially the great corporations doing an interstate business are to act. The makers or our national constitution provided especially that the regulation of interstate commerce shoum come within the sphere of the general government. The arguments in favor of their taking this stand were even then overwhelming. But they are far stronger today, in view of the enormous de velopment of great business agencies, usually corporate in form. Experience has shown con h v i iuMm .tJm,mMni gauteMwMji&ang!JMM rv - v vu