Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-12-09
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
READ TO CONGRESS
Document Deals Voluminously with
Questions of State---Tariff Left for
Future Commu1nication---Po of
the Government Toward Organized
Labor---Dealing with Illegal Combi-
nations.

shortly lay before you In a special mes
sage the full report of the investigation
of the bureau of labor into the Colorado
mining strike. as this is strike in which
certain very evil forces which are more
or less at work everywhere under the
conditions of modern industralism, be-
came startlingly prominent.
Corporations.
When We come to deal with great cor
porations the need for the government to
act directly is lar greater than in the
case of labor. because great corporations
can become such only by engaging in in
terstate commerce. and interstate COM
merce is peculiarly the field of the gem
eral government. 1t Is an absurdity to eX-
pect to eliminate the abuses in great cor
porations by state action. 1t is difficult to
be patient with an argument that such
matters should be left to the states be-
cause more than one state pursues the
policy of creating on easy terms corpora
tons which are never operated within
that state at all. but in other states
whose laws they ignore. The national
government alone can deal adequately
with these great corporations. To try to
deal with them in an Incorporate, de-
structive. or demagogic spirit would, in
all probability. mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished. and. with
absolute certainty. that If anything We're
accomplished 1t would be of a harmful
nature The American people need to
continue to show the very qualities that
they have shown-that is. moderation.
good sense. the earnest desire to avoid
doing any damage, and yet the quiet de-
termination to proceed. step by step.
without halt and without hurry. in elm
mating or at least in minimizing what
of i.f 6 a,-u How 10 TO in
terstate commerce in the conduct of
great corporations. They are acting in
no spirit of hostility to wealth. either in
dividual or corporate. They are not
against the rich man any more than
against the POOR man. On the contrary.
they are friendly alike toward rich man
and toward poor man, provided only that
each acts in a spirit of justice and de-
cency toward his fellows. Great corpora
tons are necessary and only men of
great and singular mental power can
manage such corporations successfully,
and such man must have great rewards
But these corporations should be man.
aged with due regard to the interest of
the public as whole. Where this can
be done under the present laws it must
be done. Where these laws come short
others should be enacted to supplement
them.
The bureau of corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation of many
important corporations. 1t will make a
special report on the beef industry.
Bureau of Corporations.
The policy of the bureau is to accom-
plish the purposes of its creation by CO.
operation, not antagonism: by making
constructive legislatio not destructive
prosecution. the immediate object of its
inquiries; by conservative investigation
of law and fact and by refusal to issue
incomplete and hence necessarily inaccu-
rate reports. Its policy being thus one
of open inquiry into. and not attack up
on. business. the bureau has been able to
gain not only the confidence, but, better
still. the cooperation of men engaged in
legitimate business.
The bureau offers to the Congress the
means of getting at the cost of produce
ton of our various great staples of COM
merce.
Rebates.
Above all else. We must strive to keep
the highways of commerce open to all
on equal terms; and to do this it is nee
essary to put a complete stop to all re-
bates. Whether the shipper or the rail-
road Is to blame makes no difference; the
rebate must be stopped. the abuses of
tTt private gar private ttIHlllldl
track and side track systems must be
stopped. and the legislation of the Fifty
eighth Congress which declares it to be
unlawful for any person or corporation to
offer, grant. give. solicit. accept, or re-
ceive any rebate. concession. or uiscrim-
ina ton in respect of the transportation of
any property in interstate or foreign
commerce whereby such property shall
by any device whatever be transported
at less rate than that named in the
tariffs. published by the carrier must be
While am of the opinion that
at present it would be undesirable, II it
were not impracticabe. finally to clothe
the Interstate Commerce Commission
with general authority to fix railroad
rates l do not believe that. as a fair Sc
curity to shippers. the Commission should
be vested with the power. where Q given
rate has been challenged and after full
hearing found to be unreasonable, to DE-
eide. subject to judicial review, what |
shall be a reasonable rate to take its
place; the ruling of the commission to
take effect Immediately, and to obtain
unless and until it is reversed by the |
court OF review. In my judgment the
most important legisla tive act now need
ed as regards the regulation of corpora
tions is this act to confer on the Inter-
state Commerce Commission the power
to revise rates and regulations. the re-
vised rate to at once go into effect. and |
to stay in effect unless and until the |
court of review reverses it.
Much space is here devoted to a
consideration of the problem of the |
proper housing of the poor in our
great cities, and the Importance of
proper solution of the question shown. |
On this subject the message says:
There should be severe child labor and |
factory inspection laws. 1t is very desir-
able that married women should not FORK |
in factories. The prime duty of the man
Is to work. to be the breadwinner; the |
prime duty of the woman is to be the |
the housewife. All questions of |
tariff and finance sink into utter insig-
nifioance when compared with the ire
nendous. the vital Importance of trying
to shape conditions so that these two
lutes of the man and of the woman can
De fulfilled under reasonably favorable |
If a race does not have
plenty of children. or If the children do
not grow up. or If when they grow up
they are unhealthy in body and stunted
Or vicious in mind. then that race is de-
,adent. and no heaping up of wealth, no
;plendor of momentary material prosper
ty, can avail in any degree as offsets.
Agriculture.
ha ne, nrf,,, Of Aup 1ft,ra hoe