The Springfield herald., 1903-12-11

infringe the rights of others No man is
above the law and no man is below it,
nor do we ask any mans permission when
We require him to obey it. Obedience to
the law is demanded as a right; not asked
as 4 favor.
Receipts and Expenditures.
From all sources. exclusive of the pos
tai service the receipts of the govern
ment for the last fiscal year aggregated
$500 396.6I. The expenditures for the
same period were $500 .099007. the surplus
for the fiscal year being s54 297. GG7. The
indications are that the surplus for the
present fiscal year will be very small. II
indeed there be any surplus. From July
to November the receipts from customs
were. approXima tely, nine million dollars
less than the receipts from the same
source for a corresponding portion OF last
year. Should this decrease continue at
the same ratio throughout the fiscal
year. the surplus would be reduced by.
approximately. thirty million dollars
Should the revenue from customs suffer
much further decrease during the fiscal
year, the surplus would vanish. a large
surplus Is certainly undesirable. Two
years ago the war taxes were taken on
with the express intention OF equaliZing
the government receipts and expenditures.
and though the first year thereafter still
showed surplus. 1t now seems likely
that substantial equality OF revenue
and expenditure will be attained. Such
being the case II is of great moment both
to exercise care and economy in appro-
priations. and to scan sharply any change
in our fiscal revenue system which may
reduce our income. The need of strict
economy In our expenditures is empha-
sized by the fact that We can not afford
to be parsimonious In providing for what
is essential to our national well-beinE.
Careful economy wherever possible Will
alone prevent our income from falling
below the point required in order to meet
our genuine needs.
Needs Of Financial Situation.
The integrity OF our currency is beyond
question. and under present conditions 1t
would be unwise and unnecessary to at
tempt reconstruction of our entire mon-
etary system. The same liberty should
be granted the Secretary of the Treasury
to deposit customs receipts as is granted
him in the deposit of receipts from other
sources. In my message OF Dec. .. 1902.
l called attention to certain needs of the
financial situation. and l again ask the
consideration of the Congress for these
questions.
Gold and Silver Standard.
During the last session OF the Congress.
at the suggestion Of joint note from
the Republic of Mexico and the Imperial
Government of China. and in harmony
with an act of the Congress appropriat-
ing $4,000 to pay the expenses thereof.
commission was appointed to confer
with the principal European countries In
the hope that some plan might be devised
whereby fixed rate of exchange could
be assured between the gold-standard
countries and the silver standard coun-
tries This commission has filed Its pre-
liminary report. which has been made
public. i deem 1t important that the
commission be continued. and that sum
of money be appropriated sufficient to
pay the expenses OF its further labors.
With regards to the improvement of
the American merchant marine the
President recommends that the Con-
gress direct the Secretary of the
Navy, the Postmaster-General and the
Secretary of Commerce and Labor, as
sociated with such a representation
from the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives as the Congress in its wis
dom may designate to serve as a COM
mission for the purpose of investigat-
Ing and reporting to the Congress at
its next session what legislation is de-
sirable or necessary for the develop
ment of the American merchant ma
rine and American commerce, and in
cidentally of a national ocean mail
service of adequate auxiliary naval
cruisers and navel reserves.
On the subject of immigration the
message calls attention to the report
of a committee of New York citizens
OF high standing. Messrs. Arthur V.
Vriesen. Lee X. Frankel, Eugene A.
Philbin, Thomas w Hynes, and Ralph
Trautman which deals with the whole
situation at length and concludes with
certain recommendations for admins
trative and legislative action. 1t is
now receiving the attention of the
Secretary of Commerce and Labor.
The message continues:
Antitrust Laws.
On the subject of the antitrust
measures which have been dealt with
by the Congress the President says:
In my last annual message. in connec-
tion with the subject of the due regula-
ton of combinations of capital which
are or may become Injurious to the pub
lie, l recommended special appropria-
tion for the better enforcement of the
antitrust law as it now stands. to be
expended under the direction OF the At
torney- General. Accordingly (by the leg
islntivc. executive. and judicial appro-
priation act of February %. 1903. 32
Stat, SD, 90D. the Congress appropriated.
Tor lne purpose OF enforcing tnc NdrlOus
Federal trust and lnterstn nte-commerce
laws. the sum of five hundred thousand
dollars, to be expended under the direc-
ton OF the Attorney General In the en-
ployment of special counsel and agents
in the Department of Justice to conduct
proceedings and prosecutions under said
laws in the courts of the United States
l now recommend. a matter of the ut
most Importance and urgency. the extern
sion of the purposes of this appropria-
tlon. that it may be available. under
the direction of the Attorney-General and
until used, for the due enforcement of
the laws OF the United States in general
and especially of the civil and criminal
laws relating to public lands and the laws
relating TO postal crimes and oncnse5 and
the subject OF naturalization. Recent In
vestigations have shown deplora BILE
state of affairs in these three matters of
vital concern. BY various frauds and
by forgeries and perjuries. thousands of
acres of the public domain, embracing
lands of different character and extend
ing through various sections of the coun-
try. have been dishonesty acquired. 1t
Is hardly necessary to urge the Import
ance OF recovering these dishonest acqui-