The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-12-16
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
READ TO CONGRESS
Document Deals Volumino,1sly with
Questions of State---Tariff Left for
Future Communication---Pos of
the Government Toward Organized
Labor---Dealing with Illegal Combi-
nations.

President Roosevelt's message tc
Congress, read at the opening of the
short session of that body, deals vol
uminously with questions of state
The subject Of tariff revision Is left
DOR q further communication. Sub
stantially the message is as follows:
To the Senate and House Of Represen
tatives:
The nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity Is OF
Csurse primarily due to the high individ-
0ai average of our citizenship taken to-
eether with our great natural resources;
but an important factor therein Is the
working Of our long-continued govern
mental policies. The people have en-
aphaticafiy expressed their approval Of the
principles underlying these policies, and
Cheir desire that these principles be kept
substantially unchanged, although Of
course applied In a progressive spirit to
meet changing conditions.
Caution Against Extravaganza.
The enlargement Of scope Of the func-
1ons OF the national government re-
Quired by our development as nation
involves. Of course. increase Of expense;
and the period of prosperity through
which the country Is passing justifies ex-
penditures for permanent improvements
tar 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 rev.
enues and large surplus always invite
extravaganza, and constant care should
be taken to guard against unnecessary
increase Of the ordinary expenses Of gov
eminent.
Capital and Labor.
In the vast and complicated mechanism
Of our modern civilized life the dominant
note is the note of industrialsm; and the
relations Of capital and labor and espe-
ciaily OF organized capital and organized
tabor. to each other and to the public at
large come second in importance only to
the intimate questions Of family life.
As long as the states retain the prim-
airy control OF the police power the cir
cumstances must be altogether extreme
which require interference by the federal
authorities, whether in the way Of safe
guarding the rights OF labor or in the
way Of seeing that wrong is not done by
unruly persons who shield themselves be-
hind the name Of labor. II there is re-
sistance to the federal courts, interior
ence with the malls, or interstate com
merce. or molestation of federal property.
or u the state authorities In some crisis
which they are unable to face call for
heip. then the federal government may
interfere: but though such interference
may be caused by condition Of things
arising cut OF trouble connected with
some question Of labor. the interference
Itself simply takes the form of restoring
order without regard to the questions
which have caused the breach Of order
tor to keep order is q primary duty and
I'm time OF disorder and violence all 9TH
or questions sink into allegiance until or I
der has been restored. In the District |
or Columbia and In the territories the |
federal law covers the entire field of gov |
but the labor question Is only |
acute In populous centers of commerce, |
or mining. Nevertheless,
both In the enactment and in the en-
fercement Of law the federal government
within Its restricted sphere should set an
example to the state governments. espe-
oiaIly In matter so vital as this affect
Ing labor. believe that under modern
conditions 1t Is often necessary.
and even where not necessary, 1t is vet
often wise, that there should be organ
lEation OF labor In order better to secure
The rights of the individual wage worker.
All encouragement should be given to any
such organization. so long as It Is con-
tucted with q due and decent regard for
he rights Of others. There are in this
,ountry some labor unions which have
,abituaily. and other labor unions which
rave often. been among the most effec-
I've agents In working for good citizen
nip and for uplifting the condition of
nose whose welfare should be closest 10 |
'ur hearts. But when any labor union
eeks improper ends. or seeks to achieve
roper ends by improper means all good 1
ittxens and more especially all honorable
'ubitc servants must oppose the wrong
!otng as resolutely as they would oppose {
ne wrongdoing Of any great corporation
p course any violence brutality, or cor
upton. should not for one moment be ,
olerated. Wage-workers have an entire 7
ight to organize and by all peaceful and
onoraoie means to endeavor to persuade =
hetr fellows to join with them in organ r
Eations They have legal right, which. h
to circumstances, may or NAV c
ot be moral right. to refuse to work 8
company with men who decline to joIn p
heir organizations They have under no Il
the right to commit VIC. u
'nce upon those, whether capitalists or c.
'aee-workers. who refuse to support n
aear organizations or who side with e.
nose with whom they are at odds: for Il
l0b rule Is tntoierable In any form. 81
Ine amendment and strengthening t
the employers liability law is rec. VI
and the passage of a law =.
equtring the adoption Of a block sig.
a system. to prevent railroad acct. 6,
ents urged. ~
On'ons Of Government Employees, e.
The message continues: n
There Is no objection to emploves ~ O
70 government forming or belonging IN
Mons; but the government can neither ia
scriminate for nor discriminate against al
,n union meu who are In its employ- in
ent, or who seek to be employed under Ia
). moreover. 1t Is a very grave impro- n,
fety for government employees to band m
emseaves together for the purpose of ta
storting Improperly high salaries from nj
70 government Especially is this true m
ttsOse within the classified service, The | tc
tier carriers. both municipal and rural. d,
. a. whole an excellent body OF pub b.
servants. They should be amply paid. G,
ut their payment must be obtained nv | nj
'eulng their claims fairly and honorably n
atore the Congress. and not BY banding | :,
'gether for the defeat Of those congress-. q,
zen VINO refuse to give promises which c,
fey can not In conscience give. The ),
has already taken steps | n
md ntrI~ 49, /