The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-08

/ to create voters VINO are ready-1nade tools
0 of corrupt politicians, or the desire tt
evade certain labor laws creating dis
e ordinations against alien labor. All gooC
citizens, whether naturalized or nativ,
born are equally interested in protecting
our citizenship against fraud in any form
and on the other hand, in affording every
facility for naturalization to those who il
; good faith desire to share alike our priv
! lleges and our responsibilities.
, The Federal grand jury lately in session
in New York city dealt with this subjec
, and made q presentment which states the
situation briefly and forcibly and contains
important suggestions for the considera
ton of the Congress. This presentmcnt i:
included as an appendix to the report o.
the Attorney-General.
FOR ENFORCING TRUST AND INTER
STATE COMMERCE LAWS.
In my last annual message, in con
nection with the subject of the due regD-
lation of combinations OF capital which
are or may become injurious to the pub
lie, l recommended a special appropria-
ton for the better enforcement of the
antitrust law as it now stands, to bn
expended under the direction of the AT
torney- General Accordingly (by the leg
islative, executive, and judicial appropria-
ton act of February %, 1903, 50 Stat, SOL,
904, the Congress appropriated, for the
purpose of enforcing the various Federal
trust and interstate-commerce laws, the
sum of five hundred thousand dollars, to
be expended under the direction of the
Acknowledgement in the employment OF
special counsel and agents in the Depart
ment OF Justice to conduct proceedings
and prosecutions under said laws in the
courts of the United States. l now rec
ommend, a matter of the utmost I'M
portance and urgency, the extension Of
the purposes of this appropriation, SO
that it may be available, under the di-
rection 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 offenses and
the subject of naturalization. Recent in.
designations have shown a deplorable state
of affairs in these three matters Of vital
concern. BY various frauds and by tor
geries and periuries thousands CT acres
of the public domain, embracing lands
of different character and extending
through various sections of the country,
/ |
hardly necessary to urge the importance
, of recovering these dishonest acquisitions,
stolen from the people, and of promptly
and duly furnishing the offenders. l speak
in another part of this message OF the
widespread crimes by which the sacred
right of citizenship is falsely asserted
and that "inestimable heritage" perver-
ted to base ends. BY similar means-that
| &c frc11
juries, and by shameless briber:es-the
laws relating to the proper conduct OF
the public service in general and to the
due administration OF the Postoffce De
partment have been VIGOROUSLY violated.
, and many indictments have been found, and
the consequent prosecutions are in course
of hearing OF on the eve thereof For the
reasons thus indicated, and so that the
government may be prepared to enforce
promptly and with the greatest effect
! the due penalties for such violations OF
law, and to this end may be furnished
with sufficient instrumentaItles and
competent legal assistance for the lnves-
LEGATIONS and trials which will be neces-
, sary at many different points OF the
country, l urge upon the Congress the
> necessity of making the said appropria-
, ton available for immediate use for III
such purposes, to be expended under the
direction of the Attorney-General
NEED FOR TREATIES MAKING BRI
Berry EXTRADITABLE.
Steps have been taken by the State De
, partment looking to the making of bribery
, an extraditable cffense with foreign pow
ers. The need of more effective treaties
covering this crime is manifest. The eX
posures and prosecutions of official cor
rupton in St. Louis, Mo, and other cities
and States have resulted in number OF
gvers and takers of brides becoming fugi-
tives in foreign lands. Bribery has moi
been included in extradition treaties here
totore, as the necessity for it has not
arisen. While there may have been as
much official corruption in former years
there has been more developed and
brought to light in the immediate past
: than in the preceding century of our coun-
try's history 1t should be the policy OF
: the United States TO leave no place on
earth where q corrupt man fleeing from
{ this country can rest in peace. There
is no reason why bribery should not DC
, included in all treaties as eXtraditable
The recent amended treaty with Mexico.
whereby this crime was put IN the list OF
o extraditabie offenses, has established a sal
utary precedent in this regard. Under thu;
treaty the State Department has asked
, and Mexico has granted, the extraditlor
of one of the ST. Louis bride givers.
There can be no crime more serious
than bribery. Other offenses violate one
, law while corruption strikes at the foun
o dation of all law. Under our form Of
government all authority is vested in the
,, people and by them delegated to thost
6 who represent them in official capacity
There can be no offense heavier thar
that of him in whom such q sacred trust
has been reposed, who sells it for hi:
: own gain and enrichment and no les
heavy is the offense of the bride giver
. He is worse than the thief, for the thief
robs the individual, while the corrup
official plumbers an entire city Or State
He is as wicked as the murderer, for tn
murderer may Only take one life agains
the law, while the corrupt official ant
the man who corrupts the official alike
aim at the assassination of the common
wealth itself. Government OF the people
by the people. for the people Will perlsl
from the face of the earth # briber!
u l.. IL j -