Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-12-08
THE MESSAGE

To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
The Nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity /.
OF course primarily due to the higf
individual average of our citizenship
taken together with our great natura
resources; but an important factor
therein is the working of our long-con
tinued governmental policies. The
people have emphatically expressed
their approval to the principles under
lying these policies. and their desire
that these principles be kept substan
tally unchanged, although of course
applied in progressive spirit to meet
changing conditions.
Caution Against Extravaganza.
The enlargement of scope of the
functions of the National Govern
ment required by our development as
a nation involves. of course. increase
of expenses; and the period of pros.
perity through which the country is
passing justifes expenditures for per-
manent improvements far greater than
would be wise in hard times. Battle
ships and forts, public buildings. and
improved waterways are investments
which should be made when we have
the money; but abundant revenues
and large surplus always invite ex-
travagance, and constant care should
be taken to guard against unnecessary
increase of the ordinary expenses of
government. The cost of doing gov
ernment business should be regulated
with the same rigid scrutiny as the
cost of doing a private business.
Capital and Labor.
In the vast and complicated mechan-
ism of our modern civilized life the
dominant note is the note of indus
trialsm; and the relations of CAPT
tai and organized labor, to each other
and to the public at large come Sec
ond in importance only to the init
mate questions of family life. Our pc
culiar form of government. with its
sharp division of authority between
the Nation and the several States,
has been on the whole far more ad-
vantageous to our development than
more strongly centralized govern
ment But it is undoubtedly responsi-
BILE for much of the difficulty of meet
ing with adequate legislation the new
problems presented by the total
change in industrial conditions on this
continent during the last half CEN
fury. In actual practice it has proved
exceedingly difficult, and in many
cases impossible, to get unanimity of
wise action among the various States
on these subjects. From the very ma
-ttgHre of the case this is especially true
OF the laws affecting the employment
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 the pri-
mary control of the police power the
circumstances must be altogether ex-
treme which require interference by
the Federal authorities. whether in
wayof safeguarding the rights of la
Dor or in the way of seeing that wrong
is not done by unruly persons who
shield themselves behind the name of
labor. If there is resistance to the
Federal courts, Interference with the
mails, or interstate commerce. or mo-
lestation of Federal property, or if
the State authorities in some crisis
which they are unable to face. call
eor help, then the Federal Govern
ment may interfere; but though such
interference may be caused by con-
dtion of things arising out of trouble
connected with some question of la
bor the interference itself simply
takes the form of restoring order
without regard to the questions which
have caused the breach of order-for
to keep order is primary duty and
In a time of disorder and violence all
until order has been restored. In the
District of Columbia and in the Ter
ritories the Federal law covers the
entire field of government; but labor
question is only acute in populous
centers OF commerce, manufacturers.
or mining. Nevertheless. both in the
enactment and in forcement of law
the federal government within its
restricted sphere should set an ex-
ample to the State governments. es-
pecially in a matter so vital as this
affecting labor. believe that under
modern industrial conditions it is of
ten found necessary, and even where
not necessary it is yet often wise, that
there should be organization of labor
in order better to secure the rights
of the individual wage-worker. All en-
couragement should be given to any
such organization. so long as it is
conducted with due and decent regard
for the rights of others. There are in
this country some labor unions which
have habitually. and other labor un'
ions which have often. been among
tn emost 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 hon
orable public servants must oppose
the wrongdoing as resolutely as they
would oppose the wrongdoing OF any
CORPORATION OF course any violence