Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-12-10
PRESIDENT MESSAGE.
Gr. ROOSeveIt'S Recommendations
| to the Fifty-eighth
: Congress-
~ the Senate and House Of Repre-

The nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity is
OF course primarily due to the high in
oividual average of our citizenship
taken together with our great natural
resources, but an important factor
therein Is the working of our long con
sinued governmental policies. The peo-
pie have emphatically expressed their
approval of the principles underlying
these policies and their desire that
these principles be kept substantially
unchanged, although, of course applied
IA progressive spirit to meet chang
7ng conditions.
Caution Against Extravacance.
The enlargement of scope of the
functions of the national government
required by our development as ma
don involves, of course, increase of ex-
eense, and the period of prosperity
xhrough which the country is passing
5ustifies expenditures for permanent
improvements far greater than would
be wise in hard times. Battleships and
forts. public buildings and improved
waterways are investments which
should be made when we have the
Il
hrge surplus always invite extraya-
tance, and constant care should be
hken to guard against unnecessary in
crease of the ordinary expenses of gov
ernment. The cost of doing govern
ment business should be regulated
with the same rigid scrutiny as the
cost of doing private business
Capital and Labor
In the vast and complicated mechan-
Ism of our modern civilized life the
dominant note is the note of Industrial
Ism, and the relations of capital and
labor, and especially of organized capi-
tai and organized labor. to each other
and to the public at large come -ccond
In Importance only To The
questions OF family b., ou ,culisr
form of governmenL 80 its sUarp Jl.
vision Of auihorst act~-eon al
and thc scs srai sta tes,. Jas peei, g. "a,
whole tar more advantageous to our
development than more strongly CEN
tralized government But il is un-
ooubtedly responsible for much of the
difficulty Of meeting with adequate
legislation the new problems presented
by the total change in Industrial con-
oitlons on this continent during the
last half century. In actual practice il
has proved exceedingly difficult. and in
many cases impossible, TO get unanim-
ity OF wise action among the various
states Oh these subjects. From the
very nature OF the ease this is especial
~ true or the laws affecting the en-
pioyment of capital i'm huge masses
With regard 10 labor the problem Is
no less Important, but ii is simpler.
As long as the states retain the pri-
mary control OF the police power the
circumstances must be altogether ex-
IRENE which require Interference by
the federal authorities, whether i'm the
way Of safeguarding the rights of Ia
Dor or in the way of seeing that wrong
is not done by unruly persons who
shield themselves behind the name of
labor. IL there is resistance to the fed
er;l courts, interference with the
malls or interstate commerce or mo-
iestation Of federal property. or if the
state authorities In some crisis which
they are unable to face call for help.
then the federal government may in
terfere; but, though such Interference
may be caused by a condition of
Things arising out of trouble connect
eel 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; for to keep order
Is a primary duty, and in time of
disorder and violence all other cues
lions sink into allegiance until order
has been restored. In the District of
Columbia and in the territories the
FEDERAL law covers the entire field of
government, but the labor question ls
only acute In populous centers OF COM
merce. manufactures or mining. Nev-
ertheleSS, both in the enactment and
IN the enforcement of law the federal
government within its restricted
sphere should set an example to the
state governments, especially In
matter so vital as this affecting labor.
believe that under modern industrial
conditions it is often necessary, and
even where not necessary it is vet
often wise that there should be or
ganization of labor in order better to Sc
cure the rights of the individual wage
worker. All encouragement should be
given to any such organization so long
as IL Is conducted with due and de-
cent regard for the rights OF others.
ihere are In this country some labor
unions which have habitually, and
oIner labor unions which have often.
Deen among the most effective agents
in working for good citizenship and for
uplifdng 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 es-
pecially all honorable public servants.
must oppose the wrongdoing as reso-
suteiy as they would oppose the
Trongdoing OF any great corporation.
Of course any violence brutality or
corruption should not for one momen-
be tolerated. Wageworkers have an
entire right TO organize and by all
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