The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-05

Labor and CapitaI-Secretary OF
Ommerc Needed in the Cabinet.
Hc Comments on Mott of Questions
That VIII Occupy Attention OF
Congress.
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
We still continue in u period of un-
bounded prosperity. This prosperity is
not the creature of law, bat undoubt-
eddy the laws under which we work
nave been instrumental in creating the
conditions which made it possible, and
by unwise legislation it would be easy
enough to destroy it. There will Un-
dOubtedly be periods of depression. The
wave Will Tecede; but the tide VIII ad-
v~nce. This nation is eated on a con-
tinent thanked by two great oceans. 1t
is composed of men the descendants OF
pioneers, or, in a sense, pioneers them
selves; OF men Winnowed out from
among the nations of the old world by
the energy, ~boldness, and love of adven-
ture fOund in their own eager hearts.
SUCH q nation. so placed, Will surely
wrest success from fortune.
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 for veal, our place
must be great among the nations. We
may either fail greatly or succeed great
lV- h1t Wa can nnt a void tho an6paI-a-
from which either great failure or great
SUCCESS must come. Even If We would,
we CSn not play a small part. If we
should try, all that would follow would
be that We should play a large part
IgnObly and shamefully.
But our people, the sons of the men
of the Civil War, the sons of the men
who had iron in their blood, rejoice in
the present and face the future high of
heart and resOlute of Will. Ours is not
the creed of the weakling and the
coward: ours is the gospel of hope n
of triumphant endeavOr. We do not
shrink from the struggle before s.
There are many problems for US to face
at the outset of the twentieth century
grave problems abroad and still gray
CT at home; but We know that We can
solve them and solve them well, provid-
ed only that We bring to the solution
the qualities of head and heart which
were shown by the men who, in the
days of Washington founded this gov
Tnmen and in the days CT Lincoln,
preserved it.
Our Great Prosperity.
No country has ever occupied u
higher plane of material ~well-being
than ours at the present moment. This
well-being is due TO no sudden or acct
dental causes, but 10 our laws, our Sus-
tanned and continuous policies; above
all To the high individual average of
our citizenship. Great fortunes have
been won by those who nave taken the
lead in this phenomenal industrial de
velOpment. and most of these fortunes
have been won not by doing evil, but
IS an incident to action which has ben
Gifted the community as q whole New
er before has material W~ell-being been
so widely diffused among our people.
Great fortunes are small indeed when
compared TO the wealth of the people
as 4 whole. The plain people are better
OFF han they nave ever been before.
The insurance companies, which are
practically mutual benefit SOcietieS-eS-
peCially helpful to men of moderate
means-represent accumulations of cap
itaI which are among the largest in this
country. There are more deposits ia
thsEavings banks more owners OF
farIES, more well-paid wage-wOrkers
in this country now than ever before
in our history. OF course when the
conditions nave favored the growth Of
so much that was good, hey have also
favored somewhat h growth of what
was evil. 1t is emlnentIy necessary that
NE should endeavOr to cut out this evil,
but let us keep a due sense of proper
ton; let us not in fixing u gaze upon
the lesser evil forget the greater good,
The evils are real and some of them are
menacing, but they are the outgrowth
not of misery or decadence. but OF pros
perity-of the progress of u gigantic
Industrial development. This industrial
development must not be checked but
side by side with it should go such
progressive regulation as Will diminish
the evils. We should fail in our duty
if we did not try II remedy the evils
but We shall succeed only if we proceel
patiently, with practical common sense
as we'll as resolution, separating tbs
good from the bad and holding on tC
the former while ~endeavorinS to Se'
rid OF the latter.
Trusts and M~onOpoIies.
In my message to the present con
gress at its first session l discussed a
length the question of the regulation D
| those big corporations commonly dolns
4 an interstate business. often with som;
u tendency to monopoly, which are popu
IL rIy known as trusts. The experience
II " the past year has emphasized, in m,
Oainion, the desirability Of the steps
hen proposed. a fundamental requi
site of social efficiency is high standar
Of individual energy and excellence; bu
this Is in no wise inconsistent with pow
err to act in combination for aims which
can not so well be achieved by the in
diyiduaI acting alone. a Fundamental
base Of civilization is the inviolabilit.
of property; but this is in no wise in
! consistent with the right OF society t
7 regulate the exercise of the artihcia
which it cnnfers upon the own
ers Of property. under the name OF cor
porate franchises, in such a way as t
prevent the misuse of these powers
Corporations, and especially combina
tions of c-orporations, should be man