The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-12-14

Navy Commerce and other sublects
That VIII Come Before Congress.
foilowing is the substance of the an.
nual message of President Roosevelt,
read In both Houses of Congress-:
10 the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives
nc Nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity is
~ course primarily due to the high i'm
shyiuual average of our citizenship,
tskeR together with our great natural
resources; but an important factor
sneIeln is the working OF our long
'-Ieu governmental policies. The
people have emphatically EXPRESSED
Iheir approval of the principles under
4ylng these policies. and their desire
tsn,i aI these principles be kept substan-
eiaiiy unchanged. although of course
appleu IN progressive spirit to meet
changing conditions.
CAUTION AGAINST ExTRAvA.
GANCE.
Inc enlargement of scope of the
functions Of the National Government
REQUIRED by orr development as a ma
tloh involves, of course. increase OF
SHpehse; and the period of prosperity
iongh which the country is passing
yusliiles expenditures for permanenf
lmprovementments far greater than
WouIo be wise in hard times. Battle
snips and forts, public buildings. and
improved waterways are investments
Whlch should be made when we have
tne money; but abundant revenues and
large surplus always invite extrava-
Sanee' ana constant care should be
eh aneh 10 guard against unnecessary in
crease Of fho
ernment. The cost OF doing Government
BUSINESS should be regulated with the
same rigid scrutiny as the cost of
uolnS private business.
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
an the vast and complicated mechan-
ISM or 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-
tal and organized labor. to each other
and to the public at large come second
1h Importance only to the intimate
questions of family life. Our peculiar
1oIn or government, with its sharp
uiVlslon of authority between the Ma
tlon anu the several States. has been
On the whole far more advantageous to
foui deyeiopment than more strongly
StIaIiZed government But 1t is un-
Goubtedly responsible for much of the
dlHlculty OF meeting with ADEQUATE
leglslation the new problems presented
uy Ihe total change in Industrial condi-
SiOIS on this continent during the last
inaIL century. In actuai practice II has
proved exceedingly difficult, and in
many cases impossible, to get unanimity
VI wise action among the various States
on on these SUBJECTS. From the very nature
~ lne case this is especially true of the
Naaws affecting the employment of can't
TAI In huge masses
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY LAW.
Inc subject of liability of employ.
ers comes in for lengthy paragraph
or the message. 1t is argued that
persons or corporations using labor
should use every means possible to
protect employees.
EPREVENTIoH OF RAILROAD Accl. !
DENTS.
The ever-increaslng casualty list |
upon our railroads is matter of grave |
public concern, and urgently calls for
actlnn by the Congress. In the matter |
of speed and comfort of railway travel |
our railroads give at least as good ser
vice as those of any other nation, and
there is no reason why this service |
should not also be as safe as human in
genuity can make it. Many of our lead |
ing roads have been foremost in the |
adoption OF the most approved safe
guards for the protection of travellers |
and employees, yet the lisL of clearly |
avoldable accidents continues unduly |
large. Tie passage of law requiring |
the adoption OF Olocksignal system |
has been proposed to the Congress. I |
earnestly concur in that Tecommenda- |
ton, and would also point out to the |
Congress the urgent need OF legislation |
in the interest Of the public safety linn
iting the hours of labor for railroad !
employees in train service upon rail- |
roads engaged in interstate commerce,
and providing that only trained and |
experienced persons be employed in po-
Sitions of responsibility connected with |
the operation of trains OF course moth !
Ing can ever prevent accidents caused /
by human weakness or misconduct; !
and there should be drastic punish |
ment for ~any raliroaod employee, |
whether officer or man, who by ;ssu-
ance OF wrong orders or by disobedl- |
ence of orders causes disaster The |
law Of 1901, requiring interstate rail- !
roads to make monthly reports of all |
accidents to passengers and employees |
on duty, should also be amended so as |
to empower the Government TO make a
personal Investigation, through proper
officers, OF all accidents involving loss |
of life which seem to require inyestiga-
tion, with requirement that the re-
suit OF such investigation be made |
public.
UNIONS OF GOVERNMENT EN-
pLOYEE9.
On the subject Of organized labor
the President declares that all people |
have perfect right to organize for
their protection, but that the Govern.
ment cannot discriminate against non
union laborers.
BUREAU OF LABOR.
Much can he done by the Government
in labor matters merely by giving pub |
lIcity to certain conditions. The Bureau
OF Labor has done excellent work of
this Kind i'm many different directions. |