The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-12-09
ANNUAL MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT REVIEWS
THE AFFAIRS OF THE :.
NATION.
HINTS FOR THE LAWMAKERS
GRANTING OF REBATES TO
SHIPPERS BY RAILROADS
MUST STOP.
HINTS FOR The LAWMAKERS
WAY TO DEAL WITH TRUSTS
PRESIDENT HOPES TO SEE PHIL.
iPPiNEs ON SAME FOOTING
As CUBA.

President Roosevelt in his annual mes
sage to congress refers to the continued
prosperity of the country. which he at
tributes primarily to the high individual
average OF our citizenship taken to-
gether with our great natural ~our
but an important factor therein is the
working OF our long-continued govern
mental policies, which, he declares, the
people have emphatically approved.
me enlargement OF the scope of the
functions of the national government re-
CURED by our development as a nation
involves, OF course. increase Of expense;
present prosperity ~jGstiies expenditures
for permanent improvements far greater
than would be wise in hard times. The
president, however, urges congress to ex-
and unnecessary increase in
ordinary expenses of the government.
tn president devotes. considerable
space to the subject of capital and labor.
He says: 1.-THE relations of capital and
labor. and especially organized capital
and organized labor, to each other and
portance to the intimate relations of
family life. Our peculiar form of gov
eminent. with its sharp division Of au-
thority between the nation and the sew
eral states, has been on the whole far
more advantageous to our development
than a more strongly centralized govern
ment. But It is undoubtedly responsible
with adequate legislation the new prob
lens presented by the total change in in
6ustrial conditions on this continent
curing the last half century. In actual
practice it has proved exceedingly diff
crit, and in many cases impossible. to
get unanimity of wise action among the
various states on these subjects. From
the very nature of the case this Is espe-
cially true Of the laws affecting the en-
PIGMENT Of capital in huge masses.
With regard to labor the problem is
no less important, but it is simpler. AS
long as the states retain primary con-
srol OF the police power. the circum-
which require Interference by the fed
eral authorities, whether in the way of
safeguarding the rights of labor or in
| the way of seeing that wrong is not done
by. unruly persons who shield themselves
| behind the name of labor. l be-
lieve that under modern industrial con-
ditions 1t Is often necessary. and ven
there should he Oganization of labor in
order Better to secure the rights f the
individual wageworker. All encourage
ment should be given to any such or
ganization, so long as 1t is conducted
with a due and decent regard for the
rights OF others. But when any labor
means, all good citizens. and more espe-
cially all honorable public servants, must
oppose the wrongdoing as resolutely as
any great corporation. Wageworkers
have an entire right to organize, and by
all peaceful and honorable means to en-
i y 1lGII " JOll
with them In organizations. They have
a legal right. which. according to cir
cumstances. may or may not be a moral
right. to refuse to work in company
with men who decline to Join their or
CARNATIONS. They have under no cir
cumstances the right to commit violence
workers. who refuse to support their Or
ganization, or who side with those with
whom they are at odds. for mob rule is
tntolerahlc in any FORM"
ThA nreSidant StrOnUiv faVNYa the enact.
ment of a stringent employers liability
law. The wage.workers he says. are
peculiarly entitled to the protection and
The president regards the e~ver-increas-
ing casualty list upon our railroads as q
matter of grave public concern. and ur-
gently recommends action by congress.
The passage OF q law requiring the adop-
| ton Of the block signal system is earnest
ly recommended. and also a law limiting
the hours Of labor for railroad employees
| in train service upon railroads engaged in
interstate
There is no objection. the president
to unions. but the government carnoi
| discriminate for or against non-union en-
| ployers. Moreover. it ia a very grave
impTopriety for government employees 70
salaries from the government. Letter
carriers should be amply paid, but their
payment must be obtained by arguing
their claims honorably before congress.
and not by banding together for the de-
feat OF those congressman who refuse to
give promises which they cannot In con-
science give. The administration has al
ready taken steps to prevent and punish
abuses OF this nature: but. the president
believes. It will be wise for congress to
supplement %I,ns ean this so action on by ~ , soxsIn1'snt -
to certain conditions. Tshe bureau Of la
Dor has done excellent work VI lis kind
in many different directions.
The president says that he win shortly
lay before congress In q special message
the full report OF the investigation ct the
bureau Of labor into the Colorado mining
strike.
In dealing with great corporations the
president says the need for the govern
ment to act directly IL far greater than
in the case Of labor. because great cor
gaging in interstate commerce. and In
terstate commerce Is peculiarly the field
airr the E sft !. !, s oysrrs'tv = l He con n
eliminate the buses In great corpora
lions by state. action. 1t Is dificult to
be Patient sso w1dn Ia an ,e srs ~ tnn that such
cause more than one state pursues the
policy Of creating on easy terms corpora
t thst s Mnien 81 are al, never Sst operated % ctSsr within
whose laws they ignore. The national
government alone can deal adequately
With these great corporations To try
destructive or demagogic spirit would. in
all probability. mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished. and that
with absolute certainty, tina II anything
were accomplished 1t would be Of a
harmful nature. Great corporations are
necessary. but they must be managed
With due regard to the interests Of the
public a. . whole. Where this can be
| done under the present laws It must Be
lone. Where these laws come short
others should be ENACTED to supplement-
them.
.'The bureau Of corporations has made
| careful preliminary investigation OF many
| Important cCrpOratiOns. It will make q
special report On the beef industry.
THE. policy az the bureau is to accom-
plish the purposes Of its creation by Coz
operation, not a~ntAgonism; by making
constructive legislation. not destructive
prQsccution, the immediate object Of its
INQUIRIES: BY conservative investigation
Of law ana fact. and by refusal to issue
ncemplets and hence necessarily mac,