Woodruff County news., 1901-12-14
HIS ANNUAL MESSAGE
Synopsis of the Presidents Rec
 concentrations to Congress.
He Touches Upon Many Important Questions Among Them Trusts, Irrigation Works, Isthmian
 Canal and Other Things,

gress. giving a resume of his comments and recommendations upon the topics of greatest interest to the American people:
 The message opens with an official mo- tice of the death of the late President Mckinley, and eulogy of him in which the president says:
 'It is not too much to say that at the time of President McKinley's death he I was the most widely-loved man in all the United States, while we have never had any public man of his position who has mosities incident to public life. His po- ntical opponents were the first to bear the heartest and most generous tribute to the broad kindliness of nature the sweetness and gentleness of character which so endeared him to his close asso- ciates. To a standard of lofty integrity in public life he united the tender affec. tions and home virtues which are all important i'm ea in the makeup of n. national war for the union, he also shone as an example to all our people because of his of home relations. There could be no personal hatred of him, for he never act A ed with aught but consideration, for the respect him who knew him in public or private life. The defenders of those mur- derous criminals who seek to excuse their criminality by asserting that it is exer- ciSed for political ends inveigh against wealth and irresponsible power. But for this assassination even this base apology cannot be urged.
 In the same connection he recommends leSlSlaUOn TOT 06all0g WlIn dIdTCHyJ recommending law that will permit the federal courts to handle any man guilty or taking or attempting to take the life of the chief magistrate or any person in the line of succession to the presidency. Another is for a law that will prevent the preaching or teaching of anarchistic doctrines within our boundaries, and another Is for one that will prevent the landing upon our shores of any person with anarchistic tenden" cies.
 The Trusts.
 He deals with the trust proble~l at con- siderable length, citing both the advan- tages and disadvantages of these great corporations to the nation. He does not attribute their rise to the existence of protective tariff, but to natural causes that operate in other countries as well as own.
 He claims that to them the nation owes much of its present degree of prosperity and commercial and industrial advance ment; that it is the great corporations who have driven the railroads across the continent, and made us world power in the markets of the world
 He asks for legislation that will control and regulate them, but at the same time counsels congress to act with caution in enacting such legislation, and assigns number of reasons for the necessity for caution, and of this problem he says:
 '"The process has aroused much antago- nism, great part of which IS wholly the rich have grown richer the poor have grown poorer. On the contrary, never be- worker, o n@' the fua@ farmer, the small trader. been so well off as in this country anu s5use M ses With the of wealth. yet it remains true that a for tune accumulated in legitimate business can be accumulated by the person spe- cially benefited only on condition of con- ferring immense incidental benefits upon others. Successful enterprise of the type which benefits all mankind can only ex- ist if the conditions are such as to offer great prizes as the rewards of success.
 Artificial bodies, such as corporations and joint stock or other associations de pending upon any statutory law for their existence or privileges, should be subject to proper governmental supervision, and full and accurate information as to their operation should be made public regu- larly at reasonable intervals
 Among his reasons for caution he em- phasizes the fact that in whatever legis- lation is enacted it should not, any fur ther than be avoided, hamper the strong and forceful men upon whom the success of business operations inevitably rests
 Another of his reasons for caution is to be found in the international commercial conditions which have produced the great aggregations of cooperate can and ind1vidual tors in international commercial compe- tition. As we have only just begun to as- sume that commanding position Ill the in ternational business world which we be- leve will be more and more ours 1t is of the utmost importance that this position be. not jeopardized at the present time; "Under such conditions 1t would be most unwise to cramp or fetter the youthful strength of the nation"
 
 as reasons for caution in enacting trust legislation. he believes there are evils which need be remedied, and believes, also, that remedies may be applied which will not hamper our present position.
 Of the evils he considers H overcapital- these evils he says:
 ''The first essential in determining how to deal with the great industrial com publicity. In the interest of the public the government should have the right to inspect and examine the workings of the great corporations engaged in inter- state business. Publicity is the only sure remedy which we can now invoke, What further remedies are needed in the way of governmental regulation or taxation can only be determined after publicity has been obtained by process of law and in the course of administration The first requisite is knowledge, full and complete knowledge which may be made public to the world.
 "The large corporations, commonly called trusts, though organized in one state always do business in many states, often doing very little business in the is utter lack of uniformity in the state laws about them, and as no state has any exclusive interest in or power over their acts it has in practice proved inn possible to get adequate regulation through state action. Therefore in the interest of the whole people the, ration CT of the states in the matter itself, also assume power of supervision and regula- tion over all corporations doing an inter- state business. This is especially true where the corporation derives portion of its wealth from the existence of some monopolistic element or tendency in its business. There would be no hardship in such supervision. Banks are subject to it. and in their case it Is now accepted as a simple matter of course. Indeed it is probable that supervision of corpora tAaas by the national government need supervision exercised over them by so conservative a state as Massachusetts in