The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-12-08
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

President Roosevelt's message to
the fifty.eighth Congress at the be-
ginning of its third session is typical
of the man even more, it would seem,
than have been his previous messages.
Freedom and simplicity of speech and
independence Of Thought mark the
message The Presidents thoughts,
are spoken out with fear or favor of
no man.
A few extracts follow
The President calls attention to the
fact that as between labor and capital
the government has no right to in
terfere unless there is resistance to the
Federal courts, interference with the
mails, or interstate commerce, or
moleststion of Federal property, or
if the State authorities in some crisis
which they are unable to face call for
help, but though such interference
may be caused by condition of
things arising out of trouble connected
with some question of labor, the in
reference itself simply takes the
form of restoring order without regard
to the questions which have caused
the breach of order-foI to keep order
is primary duty and in time of
disorder and violence all other ques
tions sink into allegiance until order
has been restored.
The Presidents belief in the use
fulness of labor unions is thus eX-
pressed: I believe that under
modern industrial conditions it is
often necessary, and even where not
necessary it is often wise, that there
should be organizations of labor in
order better to secure the rights of
the individual sge-worker. All
encouragement should be given 90 any
such organization, so long as it is
conducted with n due and decent
regard for the rights of others. There
are in this country some labor unions
which have habitually, and other
labor unions which have often, been
among the most effective agents in
working for good citizenship and for
uplifting the conditions of those
whose welfare should be closest to
our hearts. But when any labor
union seeks improper ends, or seeks
to achieve proper ends by improper
means, all gcOi citizens and more
especially all homo rdble public SER
wants must oppose the wrong doing as
resolutely as they would oppose the
wrong doing of any great corporation
Of course any violence, brutality, or
corruption, should not for a moment
be tolerated Wage-Workers have an
entire right to organize and by all
peaceful and honorable means to en-
deavor TO persuade their fellows to
join with them in organizations
They have legal right, which, &C
cording to circumstances, may or may
not be a moral right, to refuse to
work in company with men who de-
cline to join their organizations.
They have under no circumstances the
right to commit violence upon those,
whether capitalists or wage-workers,
who refuse TO support their organiza-
tions or who side with thoe with
whom they are at odds; for n % rule
is intolerable in any form.
In behalf of the laboIeT a strength
ening of the employers liability act
is asked for the President referring
to the fact that the administration
has been Jealous in enforcing the pres
ent law. He thinks that should even
apply to the government
The President thus takes stand on
the question Of unionism among gov
ernmental employees: There is no
objection to employees OF the govern
ment forming or belonging to unions,
but the government can neither dis
criminate for nor discriminate against
union men who are in its employment,
or who sick to be employed under it,
Moreover, it is very grave impro-
priety for government employees to
band themselves together for the pur-
pose of extorting improperly high
salaries from the government Es-
pecially is this true of those within
the classified service. The letter
carriers, both municipal and rural,
are as a whole an excellent body of
public servants, They should be
amply paid But their payment must
be obtained by arguing their claims
fairly and honorably before the Con.
gress, and not by banding together fol-
the defeat of those Congressman who
refuse to give promises which they
cannot in conscience give.
The work of the department Of
commerce and labor is referred t(
especially ard certain additiona
powers are asked tor A report on thu
Colorado mining strike by this de
partment will be sent to Congress
later by the President. Publicity il
IL l.,