The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-12-03
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

hoN Nlt CItttuIc OF law, Dul undoubtedly
the laws under which we work have been
Instrumental In creating the conditions
which made 1t possible, and by unwise leg
flation II would be easy enough TO destroy
l. There will undoubtedly be periods of
depression. The wave will recedc, but the
tide will advance. This nation is seated
on a continent fanked by two great
oceans. IL Is composed of men the de-
scendants Of pioneers or. In Il sense, pio-
uecrs themsoives-of men winnowed out
from among the nations of the old world
" the energy boldness and love OF ad-
venture found in their own eager hearts.
Such nation 80 placed will ourely wrest
success from fortune.
AS "a people we have played a large part
in the world, and we are bent upon maxi
ing our future even larger than the past.
In particular the events Of the last four
years have definitely decided that FOR woe
or Tor veal our place hIvst be great among
the nations. Ne may either ran greatly
or succeed greatly, but We cannot avoid
the cnleaVor from which either great
failure or great success must come. Even
II we would We cannot play a small part.
II We should try, all tnat would follow
would be tnat We should play large part
ignobly ana shamefuny.
But our people. the sons OF the men OF
the civil war, the sons OF the men VINO
had iron in their blood, rejoice IN the
and resolute OF viii ours iS not the
creed OF the wsal.ling ana the coward
ours is the gospel Of hope and OF trl-
umphunt endeaNur. We do not shrink
from the struggle before us, mere a,e
many problems for rs to face at the out
set OF the twentieth century-graNe prop
leas abroad and sull graVer at home-Du.
We know that we can solve theln' anu
solve them we'll provided only that we
bring to the solution the qualities OF head
and heart wi .Ch We're shown by the men
who IN the days Of Washington founded
this government and in the days OF Lin
coin preserved II,
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
country for over a century, to our laws,
our sustained and continuous policies,
above all. to the high individual average
OF our citizenship. Great fortunes have
been won by those who have taken the
lead In this phenomenal Industrial deNel-
opment and most Of these fortunes have
been won not by doing evil, but as an In
cident to action which has benellted the
community as whole. Never before has
material well being been SO widely dit-
fused among our people Great fortunes
have been accumulated, and yet IN the
aggregate these fortunes are small IN
deed when compared TO the wealth OF the
people as a whole The plain people are
better off than they have ever been be
fore The Insurance companies, whlch
are practically mutual beneitt societies
especially helpful to men Of moderate
means-represent accumulatiuns OF capi-
tai which are among the largest In TINS
country There are more deposits IN the
savings banks. more owners OF farms
more well paid wageworkers IN this coun-
try now than ever before In our history.
OF course when the conditions have IA
yored the growth Of so much that was
good they have also favored somewhat
~ t.shu [ = l.
nCntly necessary that we should endeayor
TO cut out this evil, but let us Keep a due
sense of proportion; let us not In hNlng
our gaze upon the lesser evil forget the
greater good. The evils are real. and
some Of them are menacing, hut they are
the outgrowth not OF misery or decadence,
but OF prosperity. Of the progress OF our
gigantic industrial development Ihls IN
dustrial development must not be checked,
but side By side with II should go such
progressive regulation as VIII dlmlnlsll
the evils. We should fan in our duty II
we did not try to remedy the evils, but we
shall succeed only II We proceed PATENT
ly with practical common sense as well
as resolution. separating the good from
the bad and holding ON TO the former
while endeaYoring to get rid Of the latter.
In my message to the present congress
at its first session discussed at length
the question OF the regulation OF those
big corporations commonly doing an IN
terstate business often with some tenden-
known as trusts The experience of the
past year has emphasized In my opinion,
the dosirability OF the steps | then pro-
posed fundamental requisite OF social
efficiency is q high standard of individual
energy and excellence, but TINS Is IN no
wise inconsistent with power TO act IN
combination for aims which cannot so
well be achieved by the individual acting
alone. A fundamental base OF civilization
is the invio'ability OF property; but this Is
in nowsc 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 cor
porate franchises in such a way as TO
prevent the misuse Of these powers. Cor
porations. and especially combinations OF
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. II must therefore be
achieved by national action. our aim IS
not TO do away with corporations. On the
contrary. these big agsregations are an
Inevitable development Of modern indus
trialisro. 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
do nothing Of good in the way OF regulat-
ing and supervising these corporations
until we fix clearly In our minds that we
endeavoring to do away with any evil IN
them. We are not hostile to them. We
are merely determined that they shall be
so 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 n welldoer. not a wrong
doer provided only he works in proper
and legitimate lines. We wish to favor
such man when he does well. We wish
to supervise and control his actions only
D.. prevent him from doing i'll. 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
ful not to stop the great enterprises which
have legitimately reduced the cost OF pro-
suction, 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 wngeworker idle in the streets and
leaving the farmer without market Tor
what he grows. lnsistence upon the I'M
possible means delay In achieving the pos
sible exactly as, on the other hand' tne
stubborn defense alike Of what Is good
and what is bad in the existing system
the resolute effort to obstruct any at
tempt at betterment, betrays blindness 70
the historic truth that wise ey"iuuoh u
the sure safeguard against revolution.
No mere important subject can come
before the congress than this Of the regu-
latiou Of interstate business. This country
cannot afford TO SIT supine ON tne pied
that under our peculiar system OF govern
ment we are helpless in the presence OF
the new conditions and unable To grapple
with them or to cut out whatever OF eyll
has arisen i'm connection with them. The
mower Of the congress to regulate inter-
state commerce Is an absolute ana un-
qualified grant and without limitations
otber than those prescribed by the cOnsti-
tuition. The congress has constitutional
authority to make all laws necessary ana
proper for executing this power ana am
Satisfied that this power has not been eN-
haustcd by any legislation now on the
statute books II Is evident therefore,
that evils restrictive of commercial iree1
dom and entailing restraint upon national
commerce fall within the rcgulauve p W
or Of the congress and that n wise aug