C&3 Nebraska, Independent
DECEMBER 7, 1905
PAGE 5
THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
- President Roosevelt's message was delivered
to Congress Tuesday, December 5. -
In the beginning tbe people are congratulat
ed upon their "great prosperity" and are remind
ed that in our industrial and social system the
interests of 'all men are closelr intertwined.
Referring to corporations, the president says
that there must be governmental restraint or
supervision, and that experience has shown that
It is useless to try to get any adequate regulation
and supervision by state action. In his view this
can only be effectively exercised by th 3 national
government. He says that he believes that con
gress has the power to enavt a law to give effective
regulation, but If this proves impossib'.) "it will
certainly be necessary ultimately to confer in
fullest form such power upon the national gov
ernment by a proper amendment of the consti
tution." Attention is again called to the necessity for
legislation requiring the t.. 3 of block signals
upon" railroads, and congress is reminded that
"the number of serious collisions upon un
blocked roads that have occurred within the past
year adds force to the recommendation." '
Attention is called to "the excessive hours
of labor to which railroad employes in train
service are in many cases subjected," and tLe
president says' "if there are any . easons for lim
iting by law the hours of labor In any employ
ment, they certainly apply with peculiar force
to the employment of those upon whose vfcilance
and alertness in the performance of their duties
the safety of all who travel by rail depends. . .
While admitting that some judges ha . j mis
used the power of injunctions, tbe president says
that it would be unwise to deprive courts of
the power to issue injunctions in labor disputes.
He says "the remedy is to regulate the procedure
by requiring the judge to give due notice to the
adverse parties before grant -g the writ, the
hearing to be ex parte if the adverse tarty does
not appear at the time and place ordered." He
explains that "due notice" must der end upon
the. facts of the case, saying "it should not be
used as a pretext to permit violatio . of law or ,
the jeopardizing of life or property," and add3
"of course .this would not authorize the issuing
of a restraining injunction in any cases in which
it is not already authorized by existing law."
- He renews the recommendation made in his
last message for an investigation by the depart
ment . of commerce and . labor of general labor
conditions, especial attention to be paid to the
conditions of chfld labor and child labor legisla
tion in the several states. A similar recommend
ation is made with respect to an Inquiry into the
conditions of women in industry. v
The president says that the employer and
employe are not the only ones interested in any
great . labor disturbance, but that the interests
of a third party the general public must be
considered, and he says "every considerable la
bor difficulty in which interstate commerce
is involved should be investigated by the govern
ment and the facts officially reported to the
public."
Referring to the recent disclosures before
the insurance investigating committee, the pres
ident says "it has been only too clearly shown
that certain of the men at the head of these
large corporations take but small note of the
ethical distinction between honesty and dishon
esty; they draw the line only this sld. of what
may be called law honesty, the kind of honesty
necessary in order to avoid falling into the
clutches of the law." The president ays that
while the only complete remedy for this condi
tion must be found in an aroused public con
science, that "much eau be dono by , legislation
which is not, only drastic but practical." He rec
ommends "adequate national supervision of com
mercial Interests which are clearly natiouil In
character." He says that "tho congress has al
ready recognized that Interstate insurance may
be a proper subject for federal legislation, for In
creating t' - bureau of corporations It authored
It to publish and supply useful Information con
ct'iulr. interstate corporations 'Including corpor
ations engaged in Insurantv.'" He mya that
Insurance business has outgrown In mutyiltudo
tho possibility of adequate Mate supervision, also
thn confess should can-fully consider whether
lobulation can be had," adding "thU legislation
should apply with fuuil force to fraternal and
benevolent orMnlaatWm."
Approaching Xhtt tariff question tho pn silent
ay: "There fa more need of stability than of
Out attempt to a't;tln an Ural perfection In tho
me I hod a of raining revemie; and tho shock and
Strain to th butdnes world certain to atft ml any
serious change in these methods render such
change inadvisable unless for grave reason. It
is not possible to lay down any general rule
by which to determine the moment when the
reasons for will outweigh the reasons against
such a change. Much must depend not merely
on the needs but on the desires of the people as
a whole; for needs and desires are not necessar
ily Identical. Of course no change can be made
on lines beneficial to, or desired by, c i3 section
or one state only. There must be something like
a general agreement among the citizens of the
several states, as represented in congress, that
the change Is needed and desired in the interest
of the people as a whole; and there hould then
be a sincere, intelligent and disinterested effort
to make it in such shape as will combine so far
as possible the maximum of good to e people
at large, with the minimum of necessary disregard
for the special interests of localities or sections."
The president says that of course the income must
equal the expenditure, or else the revenues must
be increased, saying "unless our expenditure can
be kept within the revenue, then our revenue
laws must be readjusted," He adds: "It is as yet
too early to r.ttempt to outlie what shape suchs
a readustment should take, for it is as yet too
early to say whether there will be need for it.
It should be considered whether it is not de
sirable that the tariff laws should provide for ap
plying as against or in favor of any other nation
the maximum and minimum .tariff, rates estab
lished by the congress, so as to secure a certain
reciprocity of treatment between other nations
and ourselves. Having in view even larger con
siderations of policy than those of a purely
economic" nature, it would, in my Judgment, be
well to endeavor to bring about closer commer
cial connections with the other peoples of this
continent. I am happy to be able to announce
to you that Russia now treats upon the most-favored-nation
basis." -
Calling attention to the need of economy the
president recommends "a rigid scrutiny of ap
propriations." He says that all unnecessary
offices should be abolished, and particularly rec
ommends the abolishment of what is known as
the office of receiver of public moneys for United
Sta'. .3 land offices. He says this will effect a
saving of about $250,000 a, year. He al. i says
that considerable money may be saved th3
public printing offi-1, where "there is a constant
ly growing tendency to publish masses o un
important information." He ,warns the congress
against what he calls 'false economy," explain
ing " a cutting down of the navy, for instance,
would be a crime against the nation. To fall to
push forward all work on the Panar" canal would
be as great a folly."
On the currency question the president says
that there should be "the element of elasticity
to our currency system." While "inflation must
be avoided," he says "some provision sh ;ld be
made that will insure a larger volume of mcaey
during the fall and winter months than in the
less active seasons of the year." " j wants a
currency that will "contract against speculation
and will expand for the needs of legitimate
business."
Referring to federal elections the presi-lnt
renews tho recommendation made in the last an
nual message concerning the enactment of a law
directed against bribery and corruption in elec
tions. On lais point he says:
"In political campaigns in a country as large
and populous as ours It is inevitable that there
should be much expense of an entirely legitimate
kind. This, of course, means that many contribu
tions, and some of. the of 1 rf size, must
be made, and, as a matter of fact, in any big
political contest such contributions are always
made to both sides. It is entirely proper both
to give and receive them, unless there Is an Im
proper motive connected with either gift or re
ception. If they are extorted by any kind of pre
pnr or promise, express or implied, direct or In
direct, In tho way of favor or Immunity, then
the giving or receiving becomes not only im
proper but criminal. It will undoubtedly be diffi
cult as a matter of practical detail to shape an
act which shall guard with reasonable certainty
against such misconduct; but if It Is possible
to secure by law the full and verified p bllcatlon
in detail of all the sums contributed to and ex
pended by the candidates or committees of any
political parties tho result can not but be whole
some. All 'contribution by corporations to any
political committee or for any j)Utlcal nurpow
should bo forbidden by law; director should
not bo permitted to nm stockholders' money for
such purposes; and, moreover, a prohibition of
thin kind would be, as far flf It went, an effective
method of stopping the evil aimed at In cor
rupt prattle' acta. Not only should both tho
national an I the secral sthla Ie?rUlturesi forbid
any officer of a rorjorati(m from usinR tho money
of tho corporation in or atmt nny flection, tut
they should also forbid such use of money in
connection with any legislation save by the em
ployment of counsel in public manner for dis
tinctly legal services."
Reamrmlhg the -Monroe doctrine,, the presi
dent says that it must be made clear that that
doctrine is not to be treated as an excuse for
aggrandizement on our part at the expense of the
republics to the south, and we must try to con
vince all the nations of is continent f .t "no
just and orderly government has anything to fear
from us." He says that some nation by being
unable to keep order among ho own people or
unable to secure justice from outsiders, or un
willing to do justice to those outsiders who treat
it well, may make it necessai y for the "nited
States to take action to protect their righls, but
he adds that such action will not be taken with
a view to territorial Lrgrandlzemenv and will be
taken at all only with extreme reluctance and.
when it has become evident that every other re
course has been exhausted. He says that this
country 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 wv must under
take to bring about such arrangements by which
so much as possible of a just obligation shall
be paid. He maintains that this position is in
the interest of peace as well as in the Interest
of Justice. ' - -.
Referring to the army, the president says
"we now have a very small army indeed, one
A t M lit. .1.
wen nign inuiiuesuicu wueu uuuiyaieu wim iub
army of any other nation." He recommends bri
gade and division garri ions rather than regimental
garrisons, and says that the number of army
posts should be materially diminlshe and the
posts that arc left should be made correspond
ingly larger. He says that in both the array and
navy there s auld bo 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 na jpecial
efficiency. He recommends material Improve-
navy. '
Referring 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 be maintained, but increased."
He says that it is not : cessary that th; navy
should at least in the immediate futuresbe in
creased beyond the present number of units. He
thinKS perhaps best results wouid be obtained
by adding a single battleship each year, the
superceded or outworn vessels being laid up c
broken up as they are .us replaced. He pays
a tribute to the sea-going torpedo boat or de-
eifnvcp
The president recommends changes in the
public land laws such as will fit these laws to
antunl tirpRAnf' ennrlitiona. He savs that the
monopolization of the public lands must be pro
hibited. Ho pays a tribute to the efficiency of the
work of irrigation under the reclamation act, and
says that tho act should be extended b- include
the state of Texas. -
Devoting a paragraph to the praise of the
"excellent work of the pension bureau," t - pres
ident says: "Seven years ago my lamented pre
decessor, President McKlnley, stated that the
time had come for the nation to caro for tho
graves of th confederate dead. I recr miend
that congress taken action toward this end. The
first need is to take charge a the graves oi
the confederate dead who died In northern
prisons." ,
Ho recommends changes in our immigration
law, saying that pcrfcaaa .. 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 tho south, this being neet ssary,
In his view, In order that the Immlgrat n should
bo properly distributed: but he says that under
all circumstances a strict effort should be mado
to see that only immigrant i of tho rlgl kind
corno to our country anywhere. Ho sugjrests
that no Immigrants bo allowed to come In Trom
Canada and Mexico save natives of the two
countries therpKclve. and he advise that exist
ing laws for tho etch: Ion i undesirable Immi
grants should 1 e strengthened no as tr compel
steamship companies cnwM ,n passencer hurl
ne to oi f rvft In god fa!th t .o law which for
bids them to rneour'W or solicit Immigration to
thf tVd 8Mf. Ho navi that we can not ..fford
to pay iM-t'd whether an Immigrant U of one free I
or another, or of one nation or another, but that