The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-12-06
Sounds Note Of Warming Against
Extravaganza in Govern
ment Work.
Lucid Treatment Of Growing Problem Of
Labor-.-Expansion Of Policy
Toward Corporations.

Washington, Dec. 6.-President
Roosevelt's message to Congress was
received this morning and read be-
fore both houses of Congress. The
message is one of the most exhau stive
state documents ever transmitted to
Congress, and, is in full as follows:
10 the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
The nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity is
Of course primarily due to the high in
d1vidual average Of our citizenship,
taken together with our great natural
resources, but an important factor
therein is the working of our long con-
tinued governmental policies The peo-
pie have emphatically expressed their
approval Of the principles underlying
these policies and their desire that
these principles be kept Substantially
unchanged, although, Of course, applied
in a progressive spirit to meet chang
ing conditions.
Caution Against Extravaganza.
The enlargement Of scope Of the
functions of the national government
required by our development as a ma
t1on involves, of course, increase Of eX-
pense, and the period Of prosperity
through which the country is passing
justifies expenditures for permanent
improvements far greater than would
be wise in hard times. Battleships and
forts, public buildings and improved
waterways are investments which
should be made when we have the
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
ernment. The cost of doing govern
ment 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 and
labor, and especially Of organized capi-
tai and organized labor, to each other
and to the public at large come second
in Importance only to the intimate
questions Of family life. Our peculiar
form Of government, with it's sharp ,di-
vision Of authority between the nation
and the several states, has been on the
whole far more advantageous to our
development than more strongly cen
tralized government. But it is un-
doubtedly responsible for much Of the
difficulty Of meeting with adequate
legislation the new problems presented
by the total change in Industrial con-
d1tions on this continent during the
last half century. In actual practice It.
has proved exceedingly difficult, and in
many cases impossible, to get unanim-
ity Of wise action among the various
states on these subjects From the.
very nature Of the case this is especial
ly true of the laws affecting the en-
ployment of capital 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-.
treme which require interference by
the federal authorities, whether in the,
way of safeguarding the rights Of la,
Dor or in the way of seeing that wrong.
IS not done by unruly persons who
shield themselves behind the name OF
labor. If there is resistance to the fed
eral courts, interference with the
mails or interstate commerce or mo-
lestation of federal property, or if the
state authorities in some crisis which
they are unable to face call for help,
then the federal government may In
terfere; but, though such interference
may be caused by a condition Of
things arising out of trouble connect
ed with some question Of labor, the
interference itself simply takes the
form Of restoring order without regard
to the questions which have caused
the breach of order; for to keep order
is primary duty, and in time Of
disorder and violence all other ques-
tions sink into abeyance until order
has been restored. In the District Of
Columbia and in the territories the
| federal law covers the entire field Of
government, but the labor question is
only acute in populous centers Of COM