Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-12-15
PRESIDENT RCOSEVELT'S MESSAGE 70 CONGRESS-
To the Senate and House of Representa-

The country is to be congratulated on
the amount of substantial achievement
which has marked the past year both as
regards our foreign and as regards our
domestic policy.
With q nation as with a man the most
important things are those of the house
hold, and therefore the country is es-
pecially TO be congratulated on what has
been accomplished in the direction of
providing for the exercise of supervision
over the great corporations and combi-
nations of corporations engaged iii in
terstate commerce The Congress has
created the Department of Commerce
and Labor. including the Bureau of Cor
porations with for the first time author
ity TO secure proper publicity of such
proceedings of these great corporations
as the public has the right to know 1t
hes provided for The expediting of suits
fof the enforcement of the federal anti
trust law; and by another law it has
secured equal treatment to all producers
in the transportation of their goods, thus
taking a long stride forward in making
effective the work of the Interstate Com
H4erce Commission.
The establishment of the Department
of Commerce and Labor, with the Blu
reau of Corporations Hereunder, marks
real advance in the direction of doing
all that is possible for the solution of
the questions vitality affecting capitalists
and wage workers. The preliminary
work of the Bureau of Corporations in
the department has shown the wisdom
of its creation. Publicity in corporate
affairs will tend to do away with ignor-
ance, and will afford facts upon which
intelligent action may be taken.
The Department of Commerce and La
Dor will be not only the clearing house
for information regarding the business
transactions of the nation, but the execu-
~ Of flan nnraf 70 oil in
strengthening our domestic aud foreign
markets, i'll perfecting our transportation
facilities, in building up our merchant
marine in preventing the entrance of
undesirable immigrants, in improving
commercial and industrial conditions, and
in bringing together on common ground
those necessary partners IN industrial
progress-capital and labor.
Capital and Labor.
The consistent policy of the national
government, so far as it has the power,
is to hold in check the unscrupuous
man, whether employer or employee; but
10 refuse to weaken individual initiative
or to hamper or cramp the industrial de-
yelopment of the country. We recognize
that this is an era of federation and COM
binltion, in which great capitalistic cor
porations and labor unions nave become
factors of tremendous Importance in all
industrial centers. Hearty recognition is
given the far-reaching, benefcent work
which has been accomplished through
both corporations and unions, and the
line as between different corporations, as
between different unions is drawn as it
is between different individuals; that is,
it is drawn on conduct, the effort being
to treat both organized capital and or
ganized labor alike; asking 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 corpora
ton, labor union or individual disre-
CARDS the law or acts in a spirit of arbl-
trary and tyrannous interference with
the rights of others, whether corpora
tons or individuals, then where the fed
eral government has jurisdiction, 1T will
see to it that the misconduct is stopped,
paying not the slightest heed to the posi-
ton 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 individual 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 in
fringe 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. Obedi-
ence to the law is demanded as a right;
not asked as favor
Government Finances.
From all sources, exclusive of the
postal service, the receipts of the govern
ment for the last fiscal year aggregated
$3.50, 396,674 The expenditures for the
same period were $5Uc, 099,00T, the sur
plus for the fiscal year being S34. 291 ,66I. |
The indications are that the surplus for !
the present fiscal year will be very 5pI'til,
If indeed there be any surplus. From |
July to November the receipts from Gus !
toms were, approximately, nine million !
dollars less than the receipts from the
same source for a corresponding portion |
of last year. Should this decrease con-
tinue 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 hscal
year, the surplus would vanish. n large |
surplus is certainly undesirable. Two
years ago the war taxes were taken oil
with the express intention of equalizing
the governmental receipts and eXpendl-
lures and though the first year thereat- |
ter still showed Il surplus, 1t now seems
likely that n substantial equality of reve-
nlle ana expenditure W III bt AltGlASh.
Such being the case, it is of great mo-
ment both to exercise care and economy
in approximations 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
emphasized by the fact that we cannot
afford to be parSimonious in providing
for what is essential to our national we'll
being. Careful economy wherever possl-
BILE will alone prevent our income from
FILLING below the point required in order
TO meet our genuine needs.
The integrity of our currency is be
You'd question. and under present cOndi-
tons il would be unwise and unneces-
sary to attempt a reconstruction of our
entire monetary system. The same lib
crty should be granted the Secretary of
the Treasury to deposit customs receipts
as is granted him in the deposit OF re-
ceipts from other sources. IN my mes
sage Of Dec ., 1902. | called attention
TO certain needs of the financial situation.
and | again ask the consideration of tue
Congress for these questions.
Merchant Marine.
4 majority of our people desire that
steps be taken in the interests of Amer
lean shipping. so that we may once more
resume our former position in the ocean
carrying trade. But hitherto the differ
euces of opinion as 10 the proper method
of reaching this end have been so wide
that it has proved impossible TO secure
the adoption of any particular scheme.
Having in view the facts. | recon-
mend that the Congress direct the Sec
rotary Of the Navy, the Postmaster Gen
eral and the Secretary of Commerce and
Labor, associated with such representa-
ton from the Senate and House of Rep
reSentativeS as the Congress in its wis
dom may designate. TO serve as COM
mission for the purpose OF investigating
and reporting TO the Congress at its next
session what legislation is desirable or
necessary for the development OF the
American merchant marine and Ameri-
can commerce and incidentally of a ma
tional ocean mail service of adequate
auxiliary naval cruisers and naval re-
serves. While such n measure is desira-
BILE in any event. il is especially desira-