Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-12-05
re Devotes Much Attention to the Trust
Problem, and Urges Congress to
Remedy Any Evils.
AGAINST CHANGES In THE TARIFF POLICY
Advocates Reciprocity Wants Duty Anthracite Coal Removed Urges
an Elastic Currency System Proper immigration Law Harmony
Between Capital and Labor the Creation of Secretary of
Commerce and a General Staff For the ARMY

-.,.,, message. which was read before the
Sc and House of Representatives, is, in
mart. as follows:
70 the Senate and House of Representa-
tiyes:
We sin continue in period of unbound
al nrosperity. This prosperity is not the
1.atrrs of law. but undoubtedly the laws
- which We work have been instru-
r,ortal in creating the conditions which
n.de If possible. and by unwise legislation
:. would be easy enough to destroy it.
There will undoubtedly be periods of de-
rrs..on. The wave will recede, but the
"a. will advance. This nation is seated
ointment hanked by two great oceans.
7. :, romposed of men the descendants OF
.;onssrs. or. in a sense, pioneers them
prIra.. Of men winnowed out from among
.Ss nations of the Old World by the en-
arIr badness and love of adventure found
IN their own eager hearts. Such nation,
50 paced, will surely wrest success from
fortune.
the Civil War, the sons OF the men who
had iron in their blood, rejoice in the pres.
emf and face the future high OF heart and
resolute of will. Ours is not the creed OF
me weaklinC and the coward; ours is the
aosnel of hope and of triumphant endeavor.
Ne do not shrink from the struggle be-
fare us. There are many problems for us
ia face at the outset OF the twentieth cen
tury grave problems abroad and still
,rayer at home but we know that we can
Ike them and solve them well, provided
orlr that we bring to the solution the
Gaities of head and heart which were
shown by the men who, in the days of
Washington. founded this Government,
and, in the days OF Lincoln, preserved 1t.
President Roosevelt then calls attention
to the great fortunes of the country,
which, he says, have been won not by
doing evil, but as an incident to action
which has benefited the community as a
whole In dwelling upon the evils which
have arisen in the course of our industrial
Development he says that the evils are real
and some of them are menacing, but they
are the outgrowth not of misery or deca-
dence but of our prosperity. This indus
trial development must not be checked,
but side by side with it should 90 such
progressive regulation as will diminish the
evils.
TRUSTS.
In my message to the present Congress
at its first session discussed at length the
question of the regulation of those big cor
porations commonly doing an interstate
business. often with some tendency to
monopoly which are popularity known as
trusts. The experience of the past year
has emphasized, in my opinion, the desir-
ability of the steps | then proposed A
fundamental requisite of social efficiency
is high standard of individual energy
81 l,,N l..
consistent with power to act in combina-
ton for aims which can not so well be
achieved by the individual acting alone. A
fundamental base of civilization is the in
volatility of property, but this is in no
wise inconsistent with the right of society
to regulate the exercise of the artificial
powers which 1t confers upon the owners
OF property, under the name of corporate
franchises. in such way as to prevent the
misuse of these powers. Corporations,
and especially combinations of corpora
tons, should be managed under public
regulation. Experience has shown that
under our system of government the neces-
gary supervision can not be obtained by
state action. 1t must therefore. be
achieved by national action. Our aim is
not to do away with corporations; on the
contrary these big aggregations are an in
Ism: and the effort to destroy them would
be futile unless accomplished in ways that
would work the utmost mischief to the
entire body polite. We can do nothing of
COCA IN the way Of regulating and super
vSing these corporations until we fix clear
y III our minds that we are not attacking
Inc corporations, but endeavoring to do
away, with any evil in them. We are not
hostile to them; we are merely determined
mat they shall be so handled as to SUBJ
serve the public. good. We draw the line
H9ainst misconduct, not against wealth.
Ine CAPITALIST who, alone or in conjunc-
ma with the fellows, performs some great
atlsral feat by which he wins money is
Mtdoer, not a wrong-doer, provided
GaF he works in proper and legitimate
H1e We wish to favor such man when
ne does well. We wish to supervise and
control his actions only to prevent him
rom doing i'll. Publicity can do no harm
10 the honest corporation, and we need
ioV De over-tender about sparing the dis
honest corporation.
40 more important subject can come be-
?fe the Congress than this of the regula-
uon OF interstate business. This country
. tth not afford to sit supine on the plea
mat under our peculiar system of govern
ment We are helpless in the presence of
we new conditions. and unable to grapple
I'th them or to cut out whatever of evil
mas arisen IN connection with them. The
i poHef OF the Congress to regulate inter
e a,e commerce is an absolute and unquali-
! ned grant, and without limitations other
q 1pah those prescribed by the Constitution
tle congress has constitutional authority
70 make all laws necessary and proper for
tthHetu{lrg this power, and l am satisfied
olaV 'hls power has not been exhausted by
II.i! legislation now on the statute books.
~ evident, therefore, that evils restrict
Vi commercial freedom and entailing
nS;sHttaht upon national commerce fall
r masnlh the regulative power of the Con-
siesS; and that wise and reasonable law
oSmHId be necessary aud proper exercise
Sn. congressional authority to the end that
uih evils should be eradicated.
a., oeiieve that monopoies. unjust dis
omo,nllnja.ttlons, which prevent or cripple
smghpetltlon, fraudulent over-capitalization
r rua other evils in trust organizations and
p.aVI'ces which injuriousy affect inter-
s'dIe trade can be prevented under the
pUMer OF the Congress to regulate com
nelce with foreign nations and among the
several States through regulations and
tequirements operating directly upon such
oslinerce, the instrumentalities thereof
ana those engaged therein.
~ earnestly recommend this subject to
we Ge consideration of the Congress with a
itiew 10 the passage of law reasonable in
~ ~ provisions and effective in it's opera
sGOhS, upon which the questions can be
aually adjudicated that now raise doubts
~ 70 the necessity of constitutional amend.
n nItht' If it proved impossible to accom-.
pi'Sn the purposes above set forth by such
lazy, then, assuredly, we should not
shrink from amending the Constitution SC
ersought.
~ Inc President then asks that Congress
en "11 special appropriation which will
tba the Department of Justice to secure
ave better enforcement of the antitrust
law as 1t now stands.
THE TARIFF.
,o 3ne proposition advocated has been thu
;nu Of the tariff as means of reach
;ns the evils of the trusts which fall with
the category | have, described. No