The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-12-10

nual message to Congress today. Those
portions of greatest interest follow in
full, minor points being summarized:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatves:
The country is to be congratulated
on the amount of substantial achieve
ment which has marked the past year
both as regards our foreign and as
regards our domestis policy.
With a nation as with a man the
most important things are those of the
household, and therefore the country
is especially to be congratulated on
what has been accomplished in the
direction of providing for the exercise
of supervision over the great corpora
lions and combinations of corporations
engaged in interstate commerce. The
Congress has created the department
of commerce and labor including the
bureau of corporations, with for the
first time authority to secure proper
publicity of such proceedings of these
great corporations as the public has
a right to know. 1t has provided for
the expediting of suits for the enforce
ment of the federal antitrust law;
and by another law it has secured
equal treatment to all producers in the
transportation ftheir goods, thus
taking long stride forward in making
| effective the work of the interstate
commerce commission.
Department of Commerce and Labor.
The establishment of the depart
ment of commerce and labor, with the
bureau Of corporations Hereunder,
marks a real advancement in the di-
rectiOn of doing all that is possible
for the solution of the questions vital
ly affecting capitalists and wage
workers The act creating the depart
ment was approved on February IA,
1903. and two days later the head of
| Inno ~, foI
confirmed by the Senate. Since then
the work of organization has been
pushed as rapidly as the initial appro-
priations permitted and with due re-
gard to thoroughness and the broad
purposes which the department is de-
signed to serve.
Bureau Of Corporations.
The preliminary work of the bureau
Of corporations in the department has
shown the wisdom of it's creation.
Publicity in corporate affairs will tend
| to do away with ignorance. and will
afford facts upon which intelligent ac-
ton may be taken. Systematic in
teligent investigation is already de-
veloping facts the knowledge of which
is essential to a right understanding
of the needs and rights of the bust
ness world. The corporation which is
honestly and fairly organized. whise
managers in the conduct of it's bust
ness recognize their obligation to deal
squarelv with their stockholders, their
competitors and the public, has moth
ing to fear from such supervision. The
purpose of this bureau is not to en-
barrass or assail legitimate business,
but to aid in bringing about a better
| industrial condition. condition un-
der which there shall be obedience to
law and recognition of public obliga-
ton by all corporations, great or small.
Capital and Labor.
The consistent policv of the national
government, so far as it has the power,
is to hold in check the INSCRIPTIONS
man, whether employer or employee;
but to refuse to weaken individual
initiative or to hamper or cramp the
industrial development of the country.
We recognize that this is an era of
| federation and combination, in which
great capitalistic corporations and
labor unions have become factors of
| tremendous Importance in all indus
trial centers. Hearty recognition is
given the far-reaching, beneficent work
which has been accomplished through
both corporations and unions, and the
line as between different corporations,
as between different unions, is drawn
as 1T is between different individuals
that Is, 1t is drawn on conduct, the
effort being to treat both organized
capital and organized labor alike; ask
ing nothing save that the interest of
each shall be brought into harmony
with the interest of the general public,
| and that the conduct of each shall
conform to the fundamental rules of
obedience to law, of individual freedom,
and of justice and fair dealing towards
all. Whenever either 2 Incorporation,
labor union or individual disregards
the law or acts in a spirit Of arbitrary
or tyrannous interference with the
rights of others, whether corporations
or individuals, then, where the federal
government has Jurisdiction, 1T will see
to ii that the misconduct is stopped,
paying not the slightest heed to the
position or power of the corporation,
the union or the individual, but only
to one vital fact-that is the question
whether or not the conduct OF the in
dividual or aggregate of individuals
is in accordance with the law of the
land. Every man must be guaranteed
his liberty and his right to do as he
likes with his property or his labor, so
long as he does not 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
ask him to obey it, Obedience to the
law Is demanded as a right; not asked
as a favor.
We have cause as a nation to be
| thankful for the steps that have been
so successfully taken to put these
principles into effect. The progress
has been by evolution, not by revolu-
ton. Nothing radical has been done:
the action has been both moderate and
resolute. Therefore the work will
stand. There will be no backward step.
II in the working of the law 1t proves
desirable that they shall at any point
be expanded or amplified. the amend
ment can be made as its desirability
is shown. Meanwhile they are being
Administered with Judgment, but with