The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-12-06
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
lcontinned from page ID



The safety appliance Lew, aa amended 10y
the set Of March q 1903. has proved bene-
fetal 10 railway employees. ana in order
thar its provisions may ue property carried
out NE force of inspectors provided Tor hy
Augmentation should be largely increased.
This service is analogous TO The steamboat
inspection service and deals with even
more important interests lt has passed
ihe experimental stage and demonstrated
hs utility and should receive generous
recognition by The congress
Unions Of Government Employees.
There rs no objection 70 employees of the
government forming or belonging 20
nnions bat she government can neither
discriminate for nor discriminate against
nonunlon men who are in its employment,
or who seek 10 BE employed unter b.
Moreover il Is a very grave improprety
for government employees 10 band them
selves together for the purpose OF eNtorung
improperly high salaries from the govern
ment Especially Is this true of those With
Ia the classified service. The letter car-
ricrs. both municipal and rural. are as a
unoie an excellent body OF public servants.
They should be amply paid But their pay
meni must be obtained boy arguing their
claimt fairly and honorabiy before the
congress and not by banding together for
the defeat OF those congressman who re-
fuse 20 give promises which they cannot
81 conscience give The administration has
already taken steps TO prevent and punish
ihuses OF this nature; but it Will be wise
ior the congress to supplement this action
BY legislation
Corporations.
when We come TO deal with great cor
porations the need for the government TO
act directly is far greater than IN the case
Of labor, because great corporations can
become such only by engaging In interstate
rommerce AND Interstate commerce Is pc
rullarly the field Of the general govern
.nent II is an absurdity TO expect to eiim-
inate the abuses Ia great corporations by
state action II Is diffcult to bs patient
with an argument that such matters should
be left TO the states because more than
one state pursues the policy Of creating on
easy terms corporations which are never
operated within that state at all but Ia
other states whose laws they ignore. The
nation,I government alone can deal ade-
quafely w.th tacse great corporations To
t.y to deal with them IA an Incorporate,
destructive OF demagogic spirit would, IN
Al probability, mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished and with alb
tolute certainty that n anything were sc-
complshed II would be Of a harmful ma
lure. The American people need to con-
iinue TO show the very qualities that they
have shown-that is moderation. good
sci B. the earnest desire to avoid doing any
damage ard set The quiet determination to
proceed, step by step. without halt and
without hurry, in eliminating or al least In
minimizing Whatever OF rn1tftltt OF OF tNtl
y there Is TO Interstate commerce In the con-
duct OF great corporations. They are act
ing IN no spirit OF hostility to wealth either
iadividual OF 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
a. a gpirit Of Justice and decency toward
his fellows Great corporations are neces-
sary. and only men Of great and singular
mental power can manage such corpora
tions successfully and such men must have
great rewards uut these corporations
should be managed with due regard 20 the
Interest Of the public whole. Whore
this can be done under tho present laws it
must be done Where these laws come
short others should be enacted 20 supple
mcnt them.
Vet we must never forget the determining
factor IN every kind Of work Of head or
hand. must be he mans own good sense
rourage and kindliness More important
than amy legislation Is the gradual growth
Of feeling OF responsibility and forbear-
ance among capitalists ana wage workers
alike. feeling Of respect on the part OF
each man for the rights Of others "a feel
ing OF broad community OF interest, not
merely OF capitalists among themselves,
and Of wage workers among themselves,
but OF capitalists and wage workers In their
relations to each other. and Of both IN their
make up the body polite. There are many
captains Of industry, many labor leaders,
who realize this
Bureau Of Corporations.
The bureau OF corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation Of many
important corporations. It will make a
special report on the beef industry.
The policy OF the bureau is TO accomplish
the purposes OF its creation by cooperation,
not antagonism; By making constructive
legislation, not destructive prosecution,
the immediate object OF Us inquiries; By
conservative Investigation OF law ana fact
and by refusal to issue incomplete and
hence necessarily inaccurate reports lt'
policy being thus one Of open inquiry into
and not attack upon, business, the bureau
has beeL able 10 gain not only the conf
dence but, better still, the cooperation OF
men engaged IN legitimate business.
The bureau offers 20 the congress th'
means OF getting at the cost OF production
Of our various great staples Of commerce
OF necessity the careful investigation o
special corporations VIII auord the com
missioner knoWle ledge or certain business
gacts the publication Of which might be al
improper infringement OF private rights
The method OF making public the resulu
of these mvestigations AFFORDS, under th
law. a means Tor the protection OF privat
rights The congress win have all facu
except such as would give 20 another cor
poraton information which would miur
the legitimate business OF a competitor an'
destroy the Incentive for individual supe
Tlority and thrn
The bureau has also made EXHAUSTIVE
examinations into the legal condition un
der which corporate business is carrie
on IN the various states, into an judicia
decisions ON the subject; and into IN
various systems of corporate taxation q
use / call special attiHuon 90 the repor
Of The chief OF the bureau and I earn
fluf nn nu1lErrUaN fNLfN con
slider the report and recommendations o
the commissioner on this subject
The business OF insurance Vitally anect
the great mass OF the people OF IN
United States snd is national and no
local In It's application. IL involves
multitude OF transactions among the pee
pie Of the different states and betwee
American companies and foreign govern
rntnts. urge that ;he congress care
fully consider whether the power OF IN