The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-12-11
PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE
COUNTRY STILL CONTINUES IN
A PERIOD OF uN5ouNDEo
PROSPERITY.
REGULATION or TIE TRUSTS
PRESIDENT URGES CONGRESS TO
GIVE THE SUBJECT EAR
NEST ATTENTION.
TARIFF MUST MOI BIZ DISTURBED
FINANCIAL LEGISLATION - HAIR
MoNY BETWEEN CAPITAL
AND LABOR.
TARIFF MUST NOT Be DISTURBED

The following is a synopsis Of the
| presidents message:
Ts the senate and House Of Representa-
! we sim continue In a period OF un-
bounded prosperity. This prosperity ls
not the creature OF law, but undoubtedly
the laws under which we work have oeen
/ Instrumental in creating the conditions
which made IL possible, and by unWlSe
legislation IL would be easy enough to de-
strey i; There win H ES pH Pee Pc.
cede; but the tide will advance. ms ma
ton Is seated on continent hanked by
two great oceans. II Is composed OF men
the descendantr ~ pioneers. or, IN
sense, pioneers II ELVES: OF men win
moved out from an.sng the nations OF the
Old World by the energy. ooidness ana
eager hearts Such nation. so placed,
will surely wrest success from fortune,
AZ a people we have played large
making 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 plSWSe e I may
either fall greatly or succeed sreauy.
but we cannot avoid the endeayor from
which either great failure or great sue.
cannot play a small part. II we should
try all that would follow would be that
We should play large part ignobiy ana
OF course. when the conditions have IA
vored the growth of so much that was
good, they have also favored somewhat
the growth Of what was evil IL Is EN-
inentIy necessary that we should enuea-
Yer to cut out this eveil. but let US keep
due sense of proportion; lot US not IN
get the greater good The evils are real
and some of them menacing, but they are
the outgrowth, not OF misery or Geca-
dence but of prosperity-or the pIosIess
10 l,tIl1 " IL.
This Industrial development must not pc
checked, but side by side with II shouio
GO such progressive regulation as VIII III
minish the evils. We should fall In our
duty IL we did not try TO remedy inc
evils but we shall succeed only II we pro-
coed patiently. with practical common
sense as we'll as resolution, separating
the good from the bad and holding on
to the former while endeaVorlng 10 get
rid OF the latter
Public Heguintion OF trusts.
In my message to the present congress
at its first session I discussed at length
the question of the regulation OF those Dig
corporations commonly doing an inter-
state business often with some tendency
to monopoly, which are popularity known as
trusts The experience of the past year
has emphasized, i'm my opinion. the deslr-
ability Of the steps then pr0p3se1I. -,
IS a high standard OF individual energy
and excellence; but this Is IN no wise m
consistent with power to act in compina-
achieved by the individual acting alone.
fundamental basis of civilization 10 Tie
inviolabillty OF property; but this - IN
no wise Inconsistent with the right of
society 70 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 10
prevent the misuse OF these powers.
Corporations, and especially combina-
tions of corporations, should be managed
under public regulation. Experience has
ahn thar nndQT EVgtHm of govern
ment the necessary supervision cannot De
obtained by state action. II must there
fore be achieved by national action, Our
aim is not to do away with corporations;
on the contrary, these big aggFegations
are an inevitable development of modern
industrialism. 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 I'm 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 handled as TO subserye the public
good. We draw the line against miscon-
duct not against wealth The capitalsJ
who. alone or in conjunction with his
fellows performs some great Industrial
feat by which lie wins money is a wellr
doer. not a wrongdoer. provided only he
works in proper and legitimate lines. We
wish to favor such a man when he does
well. We wish TO supervise and control
his actions only TO prevent him from do
ing III. Publicity can do no harm TO
the honest corporation, and we need not
be overtender about sparirg the dishonest
corporation.
lions of capital which are or may become
Injurious TO the public we must be careful
not to stop the great enterprises which
have legitimately reduced the cost Of pro-
duction, 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
the wage-worker idle In the streets ana
leaving the farmer without q market for
what he grows. Insistence upon the Inn
possible means delay In achieving the
possible, exactly as. on the other hand,
the stubborn defense alike of what is
good and what is bad in the existing sys-
tenn. the resolute effort TO obstruct any
attempt at betterment. betrays blindness
to the historic truth that wise evolution
Is the sure safeguard agains revolution.
No more important subject can come
before the congress than this OF the reg
ulation OF interstate business. This coun-
try can not afford to sit supine on the
plea that under our peculiar system Of
government we are helpless In the pre-
sence of the new conditions, and unable to
grapple with them. The power of the
congress to regulate interstate commerce
without limitations other than those pre-
scribed by the Constitution. The con-
BreSS mas CONSTITUTIONAL authority TO
make all laws necessary and proper for
executing this power. and / am salts
fed that this power has not been
exhausted by any legislation now on the
statute books. II Is evident. therefore,
that evils restrictive of commercial free
dom and entaillng restraint upon national
commerce fall within the regulative
power of the congress, and that a wise
and reasonable Jaw would be necessary
and proper exercise of congressional au-
therity to the end that such evils should
be eradlcated.
. / believe that monopolies, unjust dis
ordinations which prevent or cripple
competition, fraudulent overcapitalization
and other evils In trust organizations and
practices which injuriously affect inter-
state trade can be prevented under the
power Of khe congress to regulate COM
merce with foreign nations and among
the several states" through regulations
and requirements operating directly up
on such commerce, the instrumentalities
thereof, and those engaged therein.
/ earnestly recommend this subject to
the consideration of the congress with a
view TO the passage of a law reasonable
In its provisions and effective in Its op-
erations. upon which the questions can
be finally adjudieated that now raise
Anfrh . as - oate .f