Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-09

Washington Dec. 3.-President
RooseveIts message read to congress
today was $4,000 words long, and in
the opening an eloquent eulogy was
paid to William Mckinley, who was
spoken of as "the most widely loved
man in ali the United States" Then
the question Of anarchy is considered
and the president urges a more rigid
exclusion of undesirable foreigners.
1t is also recommended that the federal
courts be given Jurisdiction over any
man who kills or attempts to kill the
president or any man who by the
constitution or by law is in line of sue
cession for the presidency.
TRUSTS.
DEcing the last five years business con-
6dence, continues the president has been
restored, and the nation is to be congratu-
lated because of it's present Astounding
prosperity. Such prosperity can never be
created by law alone, although it is easy
enough to destroy it by mischievOuS laws.
Then follows a consideration of the trusts.
The creation of great corporate fortunes
has not been due to the tariff nor to any
other governmental action, says the presi-
dent, but to natural causes in the business
world, operating in other countries as they
operate in our own The process has
aroused much antagonism, a great part of
which is wholly without warrant. 1t is
not true that as the rich have grown richer
the poor have grown poorer. On the con-
trary, never before has the average man,
the Wage-Worker, the farmer, the small
trader, been so we'll off as in this country
and at the present time. A chief reason
for caution in dealing with corporations is
to be found in the international CONNER
cial conditions Oh today. The same bust
ness conditions which have produced the
great aggregatiOns on corporate and in
dividual wealth have made them very po-
tent factors in international commercial
competition. Business concerns which have
the largest means at their disposal and are
managed by the ableSt men are naturally
those which take the lead in the strife for
commercial supremacy among the nations
of the world. 1t cannot too often be
pointed out that to strike with ignorant
violence at the interests of one set of
men almost inevitably endangerS the in
terestS of all.
There is a widespread conviction in the
minds of the American people that the
great corporations known as trusts are in
certain Of their features and tendencies
hurtful to the general welfare. Corpora
lions engaged in interstate commerce
should be regulated If they are found to
exercise license working to the public in
jury. 1t should be as much the aim of
those who seek for social betterment to
rid the business world of crimes of cum
ming as to rid the entire body polite of
crimes of violence The first essential in
determining how to deal with the great in
dustrial combinations is knowledge Of the
facts-publicity. In The interest of the pub
lic 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 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
incorporated There is utter lack of uni
fOrmity in the state laws about them and
as no state has any exclusive interest in
power over their acts, it has in prac-
tice proved impossible to get adequate reg
ulation through state action. Therefore,
in the interest of the whole people, the ma
ton should, without interfering with the
power of the states in the matter itself
also assume power of supervision and regu-
lation over all corporations doing an inter
state business. The president believes that
law can be framed which will enable the
national government to exercise control
llong the lines above Indicated profting
by the experience gained through the
passage and administration of the inter
state-commerce act. If, however, the judg-
ment of the congress is that 1t lacks the
constitutional 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 intro
duced at the last session of the congress.
1t should be his province to deal with COM
Merce in its broadcast sense, including
among many other things whatever con-
Germs labor and all matters affecting the
great business corporations and our mer-
chant marine. If possible legislation should
be passed, in connection with the interstate
low hjnh iXyn
the efforts of different states to do away
with the competition of convict contract
labor in the open labor market. In all in
dustries carried on directly or Indirectly
for the United States government women
and children should be protected from eX-
eessive hours of labor, from night work,
and from work under unsanitary condi-
tons The government should provide in
it's contracts that all work should be done
under fair conditions, and in addition to
setting a high standard should uphold it,
by proper inspection, extending if neces-
sary to the subcontractors. The govern
ment should forbid All night work for
women and children
IMMIGRATION.
Our present immigration laws are
satisfactory. We need every honest and
efficient immigrant fitted to become an
American citizen, every Immigrant who
comes here to stay, who brings here
strong body, a stout heart, a good head,
and a resOlute purpose to do his duty well
IN every way ana TO DfllS up HIS cuIluIeH
as law-abiding and God-fearing members
of the community. but there shonld be
comprehensive law enacted with tie object
of working a threefold Improvement over
our present system. First, we should aim
to exclude absolutely not only all persons
who are known to be believers in anarchis-
tic principles or members of anarchistic
societies, but also all persons who are OF a
low moral tendency or of unsavory reputa-
ton The second object ought to be to Sc
cure by a careful and not merely perfume
tory educational test some Intelligent
capacity to appreciate American tnstitu-
ions and act sanely as American citizens.
Finally, all persons should be excluded who
are below a certain standard of economic
fitness to enter our industrial field as com
petftors with American labor. There
should be proper proof of personal capacity
to earn an American living and enough
money to insure a decent start under
American. conditions.
THE TARIFF.
There is general acquiescence in our pres
ent tariff system as q national policy. The
first requisite to our prosperity is the con-
tinuity and stability Of this economic pol