The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-09

NaVy-Otnef Important SUBJECTS
Dealt With and Recommendations
Made for Congressional Legislation.
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
The Nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity is
of 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
living these policies, and their desire
tina these principles be kept substan-
TALLY unchanged, although of course
applied in a progressive spirit to meet
changing conditions
Caution Against Extravaganza.
The enlargement of scope of the func-
lions OF the National Government re-
CURED by our development as a nation
involves. OF course, increase OF expense;
and the period of prosperity through
which the country is passing justi1es
expenditures for permanent improve
nents far greater than would be wise
liz hard times. Battle ships and forts.
pubrc buildings. and improved water
ways are investments which should be
made when We have the money; but
abundant revenues and a large surplus
always invite extravaganza, and con-
slant care should be taken to guard
against unnecessary increase of the
ordinary expenses of government. The
cost of doing Government business
should be regulated with the same rigid
scrutiny as the cost of doing a private
business.
Capital and Labor.
In the vast and complicated mechan-
ism Of our modern civilized life the
dominant note is the note of industrial
ism; and the relations of capital ana
labor. and especially of organized capt.
tai and organized labor, to each otner
and to the pubic at large come second
in Importance only TO the intimate ques-
tons of family life. Our peculiar form
of government, with its sharp division
of authority between the Nation and the
several states. has been on the whole far
more advantageous TO our development
than a more strongly centralized gov
eminent. But it is undoubtedly respon-
sible for much of the difficulty of meet
ing with adequate legislation the new
problems presented by the total change
in industrial conditions on this con-
tinent during the last half century. In
actual practice it has proved exceeding
" difficult. and in many cases impossi-
Bile. TO get unanimity of wise action
among the various States on these sub
iects. From the very nature of the
case this is especially true Of the laws
affecting the employment of capital
IN huge masses
With regard to labor the problem Is
no less important. butt is simpler. AS
long as the States retain the primary
control of the police power the circum-
tance must be altogether extreme
which require interference by the Fed
eral authorities, whether in the way OF
safeguarding the rights of labor or il
the way OF seeing u'dI "AohS h0
done by unruly persons who shield he
selves behind the name of labor. L
there is resistance to the Fedora
courts. interference within the mails, d
Interstate commerce, or molestation o.
Federal property. or if the State au
thorities in some crisis which they ar
unable to face call for help. then tn
Federal Government may interfere; blu
though such interference may be causes
by a condition of things arising out o
trouble connected with some question
Of labor, the Interference Itself simpl!
takes the form of restoring order with
out regard to the questions which hav
caused the breach of order-for to keel