The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-12-08
'1HE MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT ROOSE-
WELT IS GIVEN To CONGRESS

In enacting the laws above enumer-
ated the congress proceeded on sane
and conservative lines. Nothing re-
volutionary was attempted; but a COM
mon sense and successful effort was
| made in the direction of seeing that
corporations are so handled as to sub
serve the public good.
The legislation was moderate. It
was characterized throughout by the
idea that we were not attacking cor
porations, but endeavoring to provide
for doing away with any evil in them:
that we drew the line against miscon-
duct, not against wealth. gladly recog-
nizing the great good done by the cap
italist who alone, or in conjunction
with his fellows, does mis- work along
proper and legitimate lines. The pur-
pose of the legislation. which purpose
will undoubtedly be fulfelled, was TO
favor such a man when he does well.
and to supervise his action only TO
prevent him from doing ill., Publicity
car do no harm to the honest corpora
tion. The only corporations that has
cause to dread it is the cordporation
that shrinks from the light, and aboul
the welfare of such corporations we
need not be over sensitive. The work
o. the department of commerce and
10 Dor has been conditioned upon this
theory, of securing fair treatment alike
for labor and for capital.
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
The consistent policy of the national
government, so far as it has the pow
er, is to hold in check the unscrupul-
Gus man, whether employer or EN-.
ploye; but to refuse to weaken indl-
yidual 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
anu loipol uAAlOllS nave DGCOlile IdClOIS
Of tremendous Importance in all indus
trial centers. Hearty recognition is
given the far-reaching, beneficient
work which has been accomplished
through both corporations and unions,
and the line as between different cor
pCrations. as between different unions,
Is drawn as it is between different
individuals; that is, it is drawn on con-
duct, the effort beng to treat both or
50 nized capital and organized labor
alike; asking nothing save that the in
terest of each shall be brought into
eral public, and that the conduct or
each shall conform to the fundamental
rules of obedience to law, of individuaI
freedom, and of justice and fair deal
ing towards all. Whenever either cor
poration, labor union, or individual dis
regards the law or acts in a spirit OF
arbitrary and tyranous interference
with the rights of others, whether
corporations or individuals, then where
| tne federal government has jursdic-
| zion, it viii Sc 10 it that the miscon-
duct is stopped, paying not the slight
lhe corporation, the union or the indI-
vidual, but only to one vital fact
mat is, the question whether or not
the conduct of the individual or aggre-
gate of individuals is in accordance
with the law of the land. Every man
must be guaranteed his liberty ana
mis- 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
| De ermission when we require him to
obey it. Obedience to the law is de-
manded 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 revolution.
Nothing radical has been done; the
action has been both moderate and re-
solute. Therefore the work will stand.
There shall be no backward step. IL
in the working of the laws it proves
desirable that they shall at any point
be expanded or amplifed, the amend
ment can be made as its desirability
is shown. Meanwhile they are peihs
administered with judgment but win
insistence upon obedience to them
and their need has been emphasizd IN
signal fashion by the events OF the
, past year.
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS AND
EXPENDITURES.
From all sources, exclusive oil the
nostal service. the receipts of the gov
eminent for the last fiscal year aggre-