Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-01-04


mitted to Blind the Fact That There Are
,Othsr sides-Be Recommends the Repeal
of the New York Prize Fighting Law.
----p5 IL 1su "A ae@ .
Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires
Albany, N. y, Jan. 3.--In the course
of his message, which was read in the
Legislature today, Gov. Roosevelt treats
at considerable length of the subjects
Of modern industrial conditions and
Trusts.
1.-The contrast offered in highly
specialized industrial community be-
tween the very rich and the very poor"
says the governor, is exceedingly dis
tressing and while under normal con-
ditions the acquilement of wealth by
an individual is, necessarily Of great
incidental benefit tn the community as
n whole, yet this is by no means always
the case. In our great cities there is
plainly in evidence much wealth con-
trasted with much poverty, and some
of the wealth has been acquired, or is
| used, in manner for which there is
no moral justification.
In further discussion of the subject
| the governor says in part:
Probably the large majority of the
! fortunes that now exist in this country
have been anassed not by injuring
mankind but as an incident to the con-
ferring of great benefits on the COM
muuity, whatever the conscious purpose
Of those ainassing them may have been.
The occasional wrongs committed OF
| injuries endured are on the whole fair
-outweighed by the mass Of good which
has resulted. The true questions to be
asked are
"Has any given individual been in
| jured by the acquisition of wealth by
any man. We're the rights Of that in
dividual, IL they have been violated,
insutficiently protected by law. If so,
these. rights and all similar rights
ought to be guaranteed by additional
legislation. Tho point to be aimed at
is the protection OF the individual
against wrong, not the attempt to
limit and hamper the acquisition and
output of wealth.
1T is almost equally dangerous either
| to blink evils and refuse to acknowledge
their existence OF to strike at them In
a spirit Of ignorant revenge, thereby
| doing far more harm than is remedied.
but among all these phases, the one
which at this time has the greatest
| prominence is the question of what are
commonly termed trusts, meaning by
| the name those vast combinations of
capital, usually hourishing by virtue
Of some monopolistie element which
have become 30 startlingly common a
| feature IN the industrial revolution
which has progi essed SO rapidly during
recent years. In some cases, while
recognizing the evil it lis impossible
without present knowledge to discover
any remedy. In others remedy can
be applied, but as yet only at a cost
that would make it worse than the
trouble itself. In yet others, it is eos
sible by acting with wisdom, GOODNESS
and fearlessness. to apply remedy
which will wholly or in great part re-
move the evil while leaving the good
| behind. IS lal{..s ~. .,ss.s-,.7 i /.
"Very many Of the Antitrust laws
which have made their appearance on
the statute books of recent years have
i been almost or absolutely ineffective
because they have blinked at the all
| important fact that much of what they
thought to do way with was incidental
to modern industrial conditions and
could not be eliminated unless We were
| willing to turn back the wheels of
modern progress by also eliminating
the forces which had brought about
i
\ "What remains for US to do, as prac-
4 tical men, is to look the conditions
sausreIy in the face and not to permit
| the emotional side of the question,
which has its proper place, to blind us
to the fact that there are other sides.
We must set about firding out what
the real abuses are, with their causes
and to what extent remedies can be
applied. ...,.. ,.,.,,,.., ;, ,,,.,.,o.,.,,,,
4 the State has an immediate right to
/ interfere. Care should be taken not to
| stife enterprise or disclose any facts OF
q business that are essentially private /;
i but the State for the protection of the
public should exercise the right to in
spect, TO examine thoroughly all the
4 workings of great corporations Just as
is now done with banks; and wherever
the interests of the public demand it,
it should publish the results of its OK
animation. Then If there are inordi-
nate profits, competition or public
sentiment will give the public the
benefit in lowering prices and If not
the power Of taxation remains.
/. Gov. Roosevelt also devotss SOME
space to review of LABOR legislation
in New York, and commends the work
| OF the Board OF Mediation and Arbi-
4 tration ntdeahng with strikes during
the past year.
The Cover nor recommends the repeal
of the Horton Boxing law, on the
ground that "when any sport is carried
on primarily for money-that is, as q
husiness-it is in danger of losing
much that is valuable, and Of acquiring
some exceedingly undesii able charao-
teristics. In tho case of prize fighting,
not only do all the objections which
apply to the abuse of other professional
sports apply in aggravated form, but
in addition the exhibition has very
demoializing and brutalizing effect.
Moreover, the evils are greatly agra
waited by the fact that the fight is for
a money prize, and is the occasion for
unlimited gambling and betting"