Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1902-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The presidents message delivered to congress on Tuesday, December l, is document of about the average length of such documents. Thepresi- dent starts in without any prelim- inaries with reference to the pros porous condition which exists throughout the country, and adds that "the prosperity is not creature of law, but undoubtedly the laws under which we work have been in strumental in creating the conditions which made it possible, and by un- wise legislation it would be easy enough to destroy it"
 In speaking of the advancement of the United States as a world power, he utters sentiment which will be voiced by every patriotic citizen of the country, saying:
 "As a people we have played a large part in the world, and we are bent upon making our future even larger than the past. In particular the events of the last four years have definitely decided that, for woe or veal, our place must be great among the nations. We may either fail greatly or succeed greatly; but we can not avoid the endeavor from which either great failure or great success must come. Even if we would, we can not play small part. If we should try, all that would fol- low would be that we should play a large part ignobly and shamefully."
 Speaking of the material we'll be- ing of the country, he says that the plain people are better of than they have ever been before; there are more deposits in savings banks, more own CTS of farms and more we'll paid workers in this country than ever be- fore in our history. He also points to evils which have grown out of this general prosperity, but wisely adds: ''Let us not in fixing our gaze upon the lesser evil, forget the greater good, though the evils are real and some of them are menacing."
 He deals with the trusts at consid- erable length in a fearless, plain, forcible and straightforward manner saying:
 "The experience of thepast year has emphasized, in my opinion, the de- sirability of the steps I then pro- posed. A fundamental requisite of social efficiency is high standard of individual energy and excellence: but this is in no wise inconsistent with power to act in combination for aims which can not be so we'll achieved by the individual acting alone. A fundamental base of ciyili- zation is the inviolability,of property: but this IS in no wise inconsistent with the right of society to regulate the exercise of the artificial powers which 1t coHfers upon the owners of property, under the name of corpor- ate franchises, in such a way as to prevent the misuse of these powers. Corporations, and especially combin ations of corporations, should be managed under public regulation. Experience has shown that under our system of government the necessary supervision cannot be obtained bv state action. It must therefore be achieved by national action. Our aim IS not to do away with corpora- tions; on the contrary, these big aggregations are an inevitable devel opment of modern industrialism, 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 de nothing of good in the way of regulating and supervising these cor porations until we fix clearly in our minds that we are not attacking the corporations, but endeavoring to do away with any evil in them. We are not hostile to them; we are merely determined that they shall be so han dled as to subserve the public good. We draw the line against miscon- duct, not against wealth. The capi- talist who, alone or in conjunction with his fellows, performs some great industrial feat by which he wins money Is welldoer, not a wrongdoer, provided only he works in proper and legitimate lines, We wish to favor such man when he does we'll. We wish to supervise and control his ac- tiOns only to prevent him from doing i'll. Publicity can do no harm to the , honest corporation; and we need no,