Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-12-13

Following is the first annual message
in part, of President Roosevelt to the
Congress of the United States
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
The Congress assemblies this year I'M
der a shadow of great calamity On
the sixth of September, President Nc
Klnley was shot by an anarchist while
attending the Pan-Amercan EXPOSE
ton at Buffalo, and died in that city
on the fourteenth of that month
OF the last seven elected Presidents,
he is the ehird who has been murder
ed, and the bare recital of this fact is
sufficient to justify grave alarm among
all loyal Aemricans citizens. Moreover,
the circumstances of this, the third as
sassination of an American President,
have a peculiarly sinister significance.
Both President Lincoln and President
Garfield were killed by assassins of
types unfortunately not uncommon in
history; President Lincoln falling the
victim to the terrible passions aroused
by four years of civil war, and Presi-
dent Garfield to the revengeful vanity
of disappointed ofiice-seeker. Presi-
Gent Mckinley was killed by an utterly
depraved criminal belonging to that
body of criminals who object to all gov
ernments, good and bad alike, who are
against any form of popular liberty if
1t is guaranteed by even the most just
and liberal laws, and who are as hos
tile to the upright exponent of a free
peoples sober will as to the tyrannical
and irresponsible despot.
The anarchist, and especially the an
archist in the United States, is merely
one type of criminal, more dangerous
than any other because he represents
the same depravity in greater degree,
The man who advocates anarchy direct
ly or indirectly, in any shape or fash
ion, or the man who apologies for an
archists and their deeds, makes him
self morally accessory to murder before
the fact
l earnestly recommend to the Con-
grcss that in the exercise of its wise
discretion it should take into consid-
Grafton the coming to this country of
anarchists or persons protesting prin-
ciples hostile to all governments and JUS
tying the murder of those placed in
authority. Such individuals as those
who were not long ago gathered i'll open
meeting to glorify the murder of King
Humbert of Italy perpetrate a crime,
and the law should ensure their rigor
Gus punishment They and those like
them should be kept out of this country
and iffound here they should be prompt
ly deported to the country whence they
came; and farreaching provision should
be made for the punishment of those
who stay. No matter calls more ur-
gently for the wisest thought OF the
Congress.
The Federal courts should be given
jurisdiction over any man who kills or
attempts to kill the President or any
man who by the Constitution or by
laws is in line of succession for the
Presidency while the punishment for
an unsuccessful attempt should be pro-
portioned to the enormity of the Of
fence against Our institutions.
Astounding Prosperity.
During the last five years business
confidence has been restored, and the
Nation is to be congratulated because
of its present Astounding prosperity.
Such prosperity can never be created
by law alone although it is easy enough
to destroy it by mischievous laws. If
the hand of the Lord is heavy upon
any country, if flood or drouth comes,
human wisdom is powerless to avert
the calamity. Moreover, no law can
guard us against the consequences of
our own folly. The men who are idle
or credulous, the men who seek gains
not by genuine work with head or hand
but by gambling in any form, are al
ways source of menace not only to
themselves but to others. If the bust
ness world loses its head, it loses what
legislation cannot supply. Fundamen-
tally the welfare of each citizen, and
therefore the welfare of the aggregate
Of citizens which makes the Nation,
must rest upon individual thrift and
energy, resolution and intelligence Moth I
ing can take the place of this individ-
ual capacity; but wise legislation and
honest and intelligent administration
can give it the fullest scope, the largest
opportunity to work to good effect.
Trusts.
The tremendous and highly complex !
industrial development which went on
with ever accelerated rapidly during
the latter half of the nineteenth CEN !
fury brings us face to face, at the be-
ginning of the twentieth, with very
serious social problems. The old laws,
and the old customs which had almost
the binding force of law, were once
quite sufficient to regulate the accumu-
lation and distribution of wealth Since
the industrial changes which have so
enormously increased the productive
power of mankind they are no longer
sufficient.
The growth of cities has gone on be-
yond comparison faster than the growth
OF the country, and the upbuilding
OF the great industrial centers has
meant a startling increase, not merely
in the aggregate OF wealth, but in the
number of very large individual. and
especially of very large corporate, for
tunes. The creation of these great cor
porate fortunes has not been due to
the tariff nor to any other governmental
action, but to natural causes in the
business world, oerating in other
countries as they operate in Our own
The first essential in determining how
to deal with the great industrial combi-
nations is knowledge of the facts-pub-
;icity In the interest of the public, the
Government should have the right to in
spect and examine the workings of the
great corporations engaged in interstate
business. Publicity is the only sure rem
edy which we can invoke. What further