The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-12-15
HIS SUGGESTIONS on LEGISLATION
The President Makes Strong Recon-.
menGations Concerning Capital and
Labor, Foreign Affairs. Army and
Navy, Commerce and Other Subjects
That Will Come Before Congress.

roHoWiug Is the substance OF tne an
nual message of President Roosevelt,
read in both Houses of Congress:
Tc the Senate aud House OF Repre-
sentativeS:
The Nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity is
CT course primarily due to the high in
dividual average OF our citizenship.
taken together with Our great natural
resources: but an important factor
therein is the working Of our long
continued governmental policies. The
people have emphatically expressed
their approval Of the principles under
lying these policies, and their desire
that these principles be kept su5stan-
tally unchanged. although OF course
applied In progressive spirit to meet
changing conditions.
CAUTION AGAINST ExTRAVA-
Il GAhcE.
The enlargement of scope of the
: functions OF the National Government
required by our development as ma
ton involves. Of course, increase of
expense; and the period OF prosperity
through which the country is passing
justifleS expenditures for permanent
improvementmentS far greater than
would be wise in hard times. Battle
ships and forts, public buildings. and
improved waterways are investments
which should be made when We have
TIE money: but abundant revenues and
large surplus always invite eXtrava-
gance, and constant care should be
taken to guard against unnecessary in
crease Of the ordinary expenses of gov
business should be regulated with the
same rigid scrutiny as the cost OF
doing private business.
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
In the vast ana complicated mechan-
ism OF our modern civilized life the
dominant note is the note OF Industrial
ism; and the relations of capital and
labor, and especially OF organized CAPT.
tai and organized labor. 10 each other
and TO the public at large come second
In Importance only 10 the intimate
questions of family life. Our peculiar
form of government. with its sharp
division of authority between the Ma
tion and the several States, has been
Oh the whole far more advantageous to
our development than more strongly
centralized government But it is un-
Goubtedly responsible for much of the
difficulty of meeting with adequate
legislation the new problems presented
by the total change in industrial condi-
tions on this continent during the last
half century. In actuai practice it has
proved exceedingly difficult, and in
many cases impossible. TO get unanimity
Of wise action among the various States
en- these subjects. From the very nature
OF the case this is especially true Of the
laws affecting the employment Of capi-
tai in huge masses
With regard to labor the problem is
no less important. but it is simpler
AS long as the States retain the pri-
mary control of the police power the
circumstances must be altogether eX-
trenp. which require interference by
ths>Federal authorities, whether in the
Gay Of safeguarding the rights Of
labor or In the way OF seeing that
wrong Is not done by unrllly persons
who shield themselves behind the name
o. labor. Ii there is resistance to the
Federal courts. interference with the
mails, or interstate commerce, or mole
station of Federal property, OF If the
\ State authorities N some crisis which
: they are unable 20 face call for help,
then the Federal Government may in
terfere; but though such interference
may be caused by condition Of things
arising out of trouble connected with
scme question OF labor, the interfer-
ence itself simply takes the form Of
reatoring order without regard to the
Qusrtlons which have caused the breach
OF erder-for to keep order is pri-
mary duty and in a time Of disorder
and violence al, other questions sink
into allegiance until order has been
rexfored. In he District Of Columbia
and in the Territories the Federal law
covers the entire field Of government;
but the labor question is only acute in
popular centerS OF commerce, manufac-
tures, or mining. Nevertheless, both in
the enactment anG N the enforcement
of law the Federal Government within
its restricted sphere should set an eX-
ample to the State governments, es-
pecially in q matter So vital as this
affecting labor. l believe that under
modern Industrial conditions it is often
necessary, and even where not neces-
sary it Is yet often wise, that there
should be organization OF labor in
order better to secure the rights Of the
individual wage-worker. All encourage
ment should be given to any such or
ganization, so long as it is conducted
with due and decent regard for the
rights OF others There are in this coun-
Try some labor unions which have ha-
bitually, and Other labor unions which
have often, been among the most effec-
tive agents in working for good citi-
zenship and for uplifting the condition
OF those whose welfare should be clos
est to our hearts But when any labor
union seeks improper ends, or seeks to
achieve proper ends by improper
means, all good citizens and more es-
peSally all honorable public servants
nlrst oppose the wrondoing as resolute-
~ as tney would oppose the wrong
doing of any great corporation. or
course any violence. brutality, or cor
ruption. should rot for one moment be
tolerated. Wage-workers have an en-
tire right to organize and by all peace