Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-12-03
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To the Senate and House of Representa-


We still continue in a period of I'M
bounded prosperity. This prosperity Is
not the creature of law, but undoubtedly
the laws under which we work have been
instrumental in creating the conditions
which made it possible, and by unwise Leg
tslation it would be easy enough to destroy
1t. There will undoubtedly be periods Of
depression. The wave will recede. but the
tide will advance. This nation Is seated
on a continent fanked by two great
oceans. 1t Is composed Of men the de-
scendants of pioneers or. in a sense, pio-
neers themselves-of men winnowed out
from among the nations of the old world
by the energy. holiness and love of adj
venture found In their own eager hearts.
Such a nation so placed will surely wrest
success from fortune.
AS a people we have played large part
in the world, and we are bent upon max
ing our future even larger than the past.
In particular the events Of the last four
years have definitely decided that for woe
the nations. We may either fail greatly
or succeed greatly. but we cannot avoid
the endeavor from which either great
failure or great success must come. Even
II we would we cannot play small part.
If we should try, all that would follow
would be that we should play large part
ignobly and shamefully.
But our people, the sons OF the men or
the civil war, the sons of the men who
had iron in their blood. rejoice In the
present and face the future nigh Oh heart
and resolute of will. Ours is not the
creed of the weakling and the coward
ours is the gospel Of hope and OF tri-
umphant endeayor. we, we 6 do nor TSes snft are
many problems for us to face at the out
set Of the twentieth century-graVe prop.
lens abroad and still graver at home-ou,
we know that we can solve them, ana
solve them we'll, provided only that we
bring to the solution the qualities or head
and heart which were shown by tne men
this government and in the days of Lin
coin preserved it.
No country has ever occupied higher
plane of material well being than ours at
the present moment This well being Is
due to no sudden or accidental causes. but
to the play of the economic forces IN TINS
our sustained and continuous policies;
above all. to the high individual average
been won by those who have taken the
lead in this phenomenal Industrial devel-
opment, and most of these fortunes have
cident to action which has benefited the
community as a whole. Never before has
fused among our People. Great fortunes
have been accumulated. and yet In the
aggregate these fortunes are small In
people as whole. The plain people are
better off than they have ever been be
fore. The Insurance companies, which
are practically mutual benefit societies
especially helpful TO men OF moderate
means-represent accumulations of capi-
tai which are among the LARGEST n t tbs
savings banks. more owners OF farms,
more well paid wageworkers in this coun-
OF course when the conditions have ia
yored the growth OF 30 much that was
good they have also favored somewhat
nently necessary that We should endeavor
to cut out this evil. but let US keep due
sense OF proportion; let US not IN n1i ing
greater good. The evils are real. and
some OF them are msnacing. but they are
but of prosperity. of the progress Of our
gigantic industrial development This In
dustrial development must not be checked,
p pro T regulation as viii diminish
the evils. We should fail In our duty II
we did not try to remedy the evils, but we
shall succeed only IL we proceed patient
ly, with practical common sense as well
as resolution, separating the good from
while endeavoring to get rid of the latter.
In my message to the present congress
at It's first session / discussed at length
the question of the regulation OF those
big corporations commonly doing an in
terstate business. often with some tenden-
cy to monopoly, which are popularity
known as trusts. The experience OF the
past year has emphasized. in my opinion,
the desirability of the steps l then pro-
posed A fundamental requisite of social
efficiency is a high standard of individual
energy and excellence, but this Is In no
wise Inconsistent with power to act In
combination for aims which cannot SO
well be achieved by the individual acting
alone. fundamental base of civilization
Is the inviolability of property; but this Is
in nowise inconsistent with the right OF
society to regulate the exercise OF the
artificial powers which Ii confers upon the
owners of property under the name OF cor
porate franchises in such way as to
prevent the misuse of these powers. Cor
aSnaciallV
Corporations, should be managed under
public regulation. Experience has shown
that under our system Of government the
necessary supervision cannot be obtained
by state action It must therefore be
achieved by national action. Our aim Is
not to do away with corporations On the
contrary, these big aggregations are an
Inevitable Development of modern indus
triaIism. and the effort to destroy them
would be futile unless accomplished In
ways that would work the utmost mis-
CHIEF to the entire body polite We can
lng and supervising these corporations
until we AK clearly In our minds that we
are not attacking the corporations. but
endaavoring to do away with any evil In
them. We are not hostile to them We
are merely determined that they shall be
30 handled as to subserve the public good.
We draw the line against misconduct. not
against wealth. The capitalist who. alone
or In conjunction with his fellows. per
forms some great Industrial feat by which
he wins money Is welldoer. not wrong
doer provided only he works In proper
and legitimate Inca We wish TO favor
uuch a man when he does we'll. We wtSh
70 supervise and CONTROL his actions only
20 prevent him from doing Ill Publicity
can DO no harm to the honest corporation.
and we need not be overtender about
sparing the dishonest corporation
In curbing and regulating the combina-
tions OF capital which are or may become
injurious to the public we must be care
full not to stop the great enterprises which
have legitimately reduced the cost OF pro-
ductton. not to abandon the place which
our country has won In the leadership OF
the international Industrial world. NOT to
strike down wealth with the result OF
closing factories and mines. OF turning
the wageworker idle in the streets and
leaving the farmer without a market fol
what he grows Insistence upon the I'M
possible means delay III achieving the pos
sible exactly as on the other hand. the
stubborn defense alike OF what Is gooc
and what Is bad In the existing system
the resolute effort to obstruct any at.
tempt at betterment, betrays olindness e
the historic truth that wise evoiunon IA
the sure safeguard against revolution
No more important subject can come
before the congress than this OF the regu
iation of interstate business. This country
cannot afford to sit supine on the pee
that under our peculiar system or govern
ment we are helpless In the presence %
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