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

been obtained, by process of law. and il
the course of administration. The frs
requisite is knowledge, full and com
plete-knowlcdge which may be mad,
public to the world
Artificial bodies, such as corporation.
and joint stock or other associations
depending upon any statutory law fol
their existence or privileges, should bt
subject to proper governmental super.
vision, and full and accurate informa,
ton as to their operations should be
made public regularly at reasonable in
ter as.
The large corporations, commonly
called trusts, though organized in one
State, always do business in many
States. often doing very little business
in the State where they are incorpor-
ated. There 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 prac-
tice proved impossible to get adequate
regulation through State action. There
fore, in the interest of the whole peo-
pie, the Nation should, without inter
tcrng with the power of the States in
the matter itself, also assume power of
supervision and regulation over all cor
poratlonS doing an interstate business.
This is especially trte where the cor
poration deiveS a portion Of its wealth
from the existence of some monopo-
listic element or tendency in its bust
ness. 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.
When the Constitution was adopted
at the end of the eighteenth century,
no human wisdom could foretell the
sweeping changes, alike in industrial
and political conditions, which were to
take place by the beginning of the
twentieth century. At that time it was
accepted as matter of course that the
several States were the proper author
ties to regulate, so far as was then
necessary, the comparatively insignif-
cant and strictly localized corporate
bodies of the day The conditions are
now wholly different and wholly differ
ent action is called for. believe
that a law can lie framed which will
enable the National Government to ex-
crcise control along the lines above in
dicated profitable by the experience
gained through the passage and admin
Act. If, however, the judgment Of the
Congress is that it lacks the conStltu-
tional power to pass such an act, then
a constitutional amendment should be
submitted to confer the power.
There should be created a Cabinet
officer, to be known as Secretary of
Commerce and Industries, as provided
in the bill introduced at the last ses-
sion of the Congress. 1t should be his
province to deal with commerce in its
broadest sense; including among many
other things whatever concerns labor
and all matters affecting the great
business corporations and Our merchant
marine.
The Farmer aud Wage Worker.
With the sole exception of the farm
ing interest no one matter is OF such
vital moment to our whole people as
the welfare of the wage-workers. IT
the farmer and the wage-worker are
we'll off, it is absolutely certain that all
others will be we'll off, too. 1t is there
fore a matter for hearty 'congratulation
that on the whole wages are higher to-
day in the United States tnan ever be-
fore in Our history, and far higher than
in any other country The standard of
living is also higher than ever before.
Every effort of legislator and admins
traitor should be bent to secure the
permanency of this condition of things
and its improvement wherever pos
sible. Not only must our labor be pro-
tected by the tariff, but it should also
be protected so far as it is possible
from the presence in this country of
any laborers brought over by contract,
or of those who, coming freely, yet rep
resent a standard of living, SO depressed
that they can undersell Our men in the
labor market and drag them to lower
level. | regard it as necessary, with
this end in view, to re-enaCt immedl-
ately the law excluding Chinese labor ;
ers and to strengthen it wherever nee
essary in order to make, its enforce
ment entirely effective.
Our present immigration laws are
We need every honest
and efficient immigrant fitted to be-
come an American citizen, every inn
migrant who comes here to stay, who !
brings here a strong body, stout
heart, a good head, and resolute pur-
pose to do his duty well in every way, .
and to bring up his children as law
abiding and God-fearing members of
the community. But there should be
cd
object of working threefold improve
ment over our present system. First,
we should aim to exclude absolutely
not only all persons who are known to
be believers in anarchistic principles
Or members of anarchistic societies.
but also all persons who are of low
moral tendency or of unsavory reputa-
ton This means that we should re-
luire a more thorough system of in
;pection abroad and more rigid system
If examination at our immigration
,orts, the former being especially neces-
AIRY
The second object of proper immi-
grafton law ought to be to secure by a
areful and not merely perfunctory ed
ication test some intelligent capacity
O appreciate American institutions
nd act sanely as American citizens,
his would not keep out all anarchists,
or many of them belong to the intel
gent criminal class. But it would do
THAT is also in point, that is, tend to
decrease the sum of ignorance, so po-
ent in producing the envy, suspicion,
Malignant passion and hatred of order
ut of which anarchistic sentiment in
vitality springs. Finally, all persons
hould be excluded who are below
ertain standard of economic fitness to ,
inter- our industrial field as competi- (
,rs with American labor. There should ;
e proper proof of personal capacity to {
nrn an n,erican living and enough 1