The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-12-05

- N IarlH- Qulck ana hauAcaI CnanSes
Observation-Disclosures of Capital and
Labor Must Be Brought Into Har-
mony With Interest of General Pub
lic-Matters Relating to Cuba and
the Philippines Touched Upon
Washington, Dec 2.-The presidents
message was delivered to congress
D today. 1t deals largely with the
trusts and the bbor problem. 1t de-
clares for trade reciprocity with other
nations; for Conservative revision of
the tariff. andSn enlarged navy. The
president infOnns congress of progress
in inyestigabg the titles Of the 18TH
milan canal gants, and of the practicai
completion b the Pacific cable to Hong
Kong by wy of Honolulu and the
Philinpine stands The following alb
stracts ctpthe most important points OF
the mesSge'
No country has ever occupied higher
nlane ofmaterial well-being than ours
Of tbo nesent moment Great fortunes
have been accumulated, and yet in the
aggregate these fortunes are small in
doo5 when compared to the wealth of
+ho pqopIe as a whole. The plain peo-
n1o are better off than they have ever
bee1 before. There are more deposits
in he savings banks, more owners of
farms, more well-paid wage workers in
tbis country now than ever before in
mir history OF course, when the con-
n 5tfops have favored the growth of so
mpch that was good, they have also
favored somewhat the growth of what
was evil The evils are real and some
of them are menacing, but they are the
outgrowth not of misery or decadence,
but Of prosperity-of the progress of our
gigantic Industrial development This
industrial development must not be
checked. but side by side with it should
20 such progressive regulation as will
diminish the evils.
| believe that monopolies, unjust
determinations, which prevent or
cripple competition, fraudulent over
capitalization, and other evils in trust
organizations and practices which in
juri0u5ly affect interstate trade can be
prevented under the power of the con-
gress The question of regulation of
the trusts stands apart from the ques.
ton Of tariff revision.
Our past experience shows that great
prosperity in this country has always
come under protective tariff; and that
the country can not prosper under fit
full tariff changes at short intervals.
Moreover, if the tariff laws as whole
work WE'LL and If business has prospered
under them and is prospecting, it is bet
ter to endure for time slight incon-
veniences and inequalities in solne
schedules than to upset business by too
quick and too radical changes I'm
questionably business interests will
best be served If together with fixity
of principle as regards the tariff we
combine system which will permit us
from time to time to make the necessary
reapplication of the principle to the
shifting national needs. There must
never be any change which will
jeopardize the standard of comfort, the
standard of wages of the American
wage worker. The cases in which the
tariff can produce a monopoly are SO
few as to constitute an inconsiderable
factor in the question; but of course
If in any case it be found that given
rate of duty does promote monopoly
which works ill, no protectionist would
object to such reduction of the duty as
would equaliZe competition. In my
Judgment, the tariff on anthracite coal
should be removed, and anthracite put
actually, where it now is nominally, on
the free list
Exactly as business men find they
must often work through corporations,
and as it is a constant tendency of
these corpora tons TO grow larger. so it
is often necessary for laboring men to
work in declarations, and these have be-
come important factors of modern in
dustrial life. Organized capital and
organized labor alike should remember
that in the long run the interest of each
must be brought into harmony with
the interest of the general public. Every
employer, every wage worker, must be
guaranteed his liberty and his right to
do as he likes with his property or his
labor so long as he does not infringe
upon the rights of others.
1t is earnestly hoped that secretary
T commerce may be created, with q
In the cabinet. The rapid multi
alton of questions affecting labor
capital, the growth and complexity
he organiza tons through which both
r and capital now find expression.
steady tendency toward the EN-.
rment of capital in huge corpora
is. and the wonderful strides of this
ntry toward leadership in the inter
ional business world justify an ur-
( Remand for the creation of such
ition.
urge the adoption of reciprocity with.
Ia not only because it is eminently
our own interests to control the
Jan market and by every means to
er our supremacy in the tropical
Is and we ters south of us, but also
ause we, Of the giant republic of the
Ia. should make all our sister ma
OF the American continent feel
whenever they will permit it We
re to show ourselves disinterestedly
effectively their friend.