Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-12-14
child labor AMI chila-labor legislation
n the several States.
CONGREGATIONAL,

: Whcl we come 70 zeal WITH great
corporations the need for the Govern
ment to act directly is far greater thar
il the case of labor, BECAUSE great cor
porations can become such only by en-
gaging In Interstate commerce, and
iRterstete commerce is peculiarly the
Eeld of the General Government. It is
an absurdity y, expect to eliminate the
abuses 1T great corporations by stats
action. It is difficult te b. patient with
an argument that such matters
should be left to the States, because
Sibre than one State pursues tho Policy
ol creating on easy t5rms corporations
which are never operated within that
State at all, but in other States Whosc
laws they ignore. The Rational Gov
srnment alone csn deal adequately with
these great corporations. To try. to deal
with them in an intemrera.a, destruc-
tive. or demagcgiG spirit would, in all
probability, mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished, and with
absolute certainty, that Il anything
wero accomplished it would be Of 4
harmful nature. Tho American. .psopis
need TO continue 10 shSw the very quail
tiles that .ney have shown-that is.
moderation, good sense, The earnest !deI
sire to avoid doing. any dsMasG, anu
yet the quiet dnteimination to proceed,
STEP ~ Step, without halt aud without
bury, in eliminating or at least in min
lmizing whatever Of mischief CT Of evil
there is to interstate commerce III the
conduct CT great c5i'porati6iis. They
are acting iii no Spirit OF hostility to
wealth, either individual or corporate.
Trey are not against the rich man an
more than against The D0orcpan. On
the contrary, they are friendly alike to-
ward rich man and toward poor man,
provided only that each acts in a Spirit
Of justice and decehcy toward his fell
lows. Great corporations arc neces-
sary, and only men of great and singu-
Iar mental power can manage such
corporations successfully, and SUCH
n,en must have great rewards. But
these corporations should be managed
with due regard TO The interest of the
public as a whole Where this can be
lone under the present laws 1t must
&c done. Where these laws come short
others should be enacted to supplement
them.
AGRICULTURE.
The Department of Agriculture has
grown into an educational institution
with q faculty OF two thousand special
lists making research into all the scien-
ces of production. The Congress appro-
PIRATES, directly and indirectly, six
millions OF dollars annually to carry on
this work 1t reaches every State and
Territory in the Union and the i5lands
fthe sea lately cpme under OUR flag.
Cooperation is had with The State en-
reriment stations, and with many other
institutions and individuals. The world
is carefully searched for new VarietieS
Of grains, fruits, grasses, vegetables.
hees, and shrubs, suitable to various
localities in our country: and marked
benefit to cur producers has resulted.
PENSIONS.
The veterans Of the Civil War have
a claim upon the Iaticn stch as no
other body Of onr citizens possess.
The Pension Bureau has never in its
history beeu managed in a more sat
isfactory manner than is new the
case. t,.s$s;5 s5 ..ssz5.s.
In 100 { there will be held at Hamp-
ten Roads the tricentennial celebra-
ton of the settlement at jamestown,
Virginia, with which the history OF
what has now become tile United
States really hegins. commend this
to your favorable consideration. 1t is
an event of prime historic significance
in which all the people OF the United
States should feel, and should show,
great and general interest.
POSTAL SERVICE.
In the Postofflce Department the
service has increased in efficiency,
and conditions as to revenue and eX-
penditure continue satisfactory. The
increase of revenue during the year
was $9,35S, ,1S1.l0, Or 60 per cent, the
total receipts amounting to S143,SS2,-
624.34. The expenditures were $152,-
1852, ,116.70, an increase Of about 8 per
cent over the previous year, being
thus $S,979, 1926 in excess Of the
current revenue. Included in these
expenditures was total appropriation
Of S12,956,637.35 for the continuation
and extension OF the rdral free-deliv-
cry service, which vas an, increase
Of s4,902.2S77.35 over. the amount eX-
pended for this purpose IN the pre-
ceing fiscal year. Large as this cx-
penditure has been the beneficent re-
suits attained in extending the free
distribution of mails to thc residents
Of rural districts have justified the
wisdom of the outlay. Statistics
brought down to the LIST of October,
1904, show that on that date there
we're PISS rural routes established,
serving approximately 100000 Of
people in rural districts remote from
postoffices, and that there were pend
ing at that time $3.50 petitions for the
establishment of new rural routes.
Unquestionably some part Of the gen
eral increase in receipts is due to the
increased postal facilities which the
rural service has afforded. The reye-
nues have also been aided greatly by
amendments III the classification OF
mail matter, and the curtallment OF
abuses OF the second.class mailing
privilege. The average increase III
tho volume Of mail matter for the
period beginning with l9O2 and enc.
ing June, 1906 (that portion for 1905
being estimated), is 4U.47 per cent,
as compared with 25.46 per cent for
the period Immediately preceding.
and 1892 for the four-year period im-
mediately preceding that.
CURRENCY.
The attention Of Congress Should be
especially given to the currency ques-
uon, and that the standing committees
on the matter in the two Houses
charged with the duty, take up the
matter Of our currency and sec wheth-
er it is not possible to secure an
agreement in the business world for
hettering the system: the committees
should consider the question of retire
ment of the greenbacks and the prob
lem Of securing in our currency such
elasticity as is consistent with safety.
Every silver dollar should be made by
law redeemablc in gold at the option
OF the holder.