Mower County transcript., 1904-12-07
PRESIDENT 'SuESSAGL

s.Sssa'ssM 1st
President Roosevelt's message has
been delivered to congress. Its main 9
features are as follows: j. ss5 Is
The enlargement. of scope OF the
functions of the national government
required by our development as d ma,
tion involves, Of course, increase OF sex.
pense, and the period Of prosperity
through which the country is passing
justifes expenditures forS l1ernan nent
improvements far greater than would
he wise in hard times, but abundant
revenues and a large surplus lWaya
invite extravaganza, and, constant care
should be taken to guard against un:
necessary increase. of the ord uinarys exs
penses Of government. s.s53s %s 81 a,
Capital and Labor.
The relations Of capital and labor,
and especially Of organized capital and
organized labor, to each other sand to
the public at large come second in i'm.
oortance only to the intimate questions
Of family lie. Our peculiar form Of
government, with it's sharp division, Of
authority between the nation and the
several states, has been on the whole
far more advantageous to our develop,
ment than ii more strongly centralized
government: But it is undoubtedly re.
sponsible for much of the difficulty OF
meeting with adequate: legislation the
new problems presented by the total
change in Industrial conditions on this
continent during the last half century.
In actual practice it has proved. eX'
ceedingly difficult, and in many easea
impossible, to get unanimity of wise
action among the various states Oh
these subjects. From the very nature
Of the case this is especially true OF
the laws affecting the employment OF
capital III huge masses. a,
With regard to labor, the problem Is
no less important. but it Is simpler Aa
long as the states retain the primary
control Of the police power the circum
stances must! be. altogether extreme
which require interference BY the fed
eral authorities, whether in the way OF
safeguarding the rights oe labor o.. in
the way Of seeing that wrong IL not
done by snruly persons who shieid
themselves behind tho nazne Il labor.
II there II nesistAnce to the federal
courts, Interference with. the maiis q
iutervtate eom.nerce or moleotatton o&
federal property. o. Il tho state auta1ott'
ties In some crisis which they are an
able to face call for help, then tho fed
eral government may interfere; but.
though such interference may be caus~
ed by a condition OF things arising out
of troqbie connected with some ques'
ton Of labor, the interference itself
simply takes the form Of restoring or
der without regard to the questions
which have caused the breach of or
der. In the District Of Columbia and
In the territories the federal law coy
ers the entire field Of government. But
the labor question is only acute III
populous centers Of commerce, manu-.
factures or mining. Nevertheless botl,
In the enactment and in the enforce
mealt Of law the federal government
within ,its, restricted sphere should set
an example to the state governments.
especially in matter 80 vital As this
labor.
Labor Unions.
I beliere that under modern indus !
trial conditions It is often necessary and
even where not necessary It Is yet Of
ten wise that there should be- otganiza-'
ton Of labor In order better to- secure
the rights Of the Individual wagework
er. All encoura cement should be given
to any such organization so long as it
is conducted with due and decent re-
gard for the rights Of others. There
are in this. country some labor unions
which have habltually and other labor
unions which have often been among
the most effective agents In working
for good citizenship and for uplifting
the condition 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 good citizens,
and more especially all honorable pub
lie servants, must oppose the wrongdo
ing as resolutely as they would oppose
the wrongdotng Of any great corpora
ton. Violence, brutality or corruption
should not for one moment be tolerat-
ed.
Entire Right to Organise.
Wageworkers have an entire right
to organize and by all peaceful I'D
honorable means to endeayor to per-
suade their fellows to join with them
in organizations. They have, legal
right. which. according to circun-
stances. lnay or may not be q moral
right, to refus" to work III company
with men who decline to join their Or
gantzations. They haze under no cir
cumstanres the right t. commit yiO-
lence upon t.:o e. W!lc.lr,' r.:i,.t',i,ts