Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-06
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
READ TO CONGRESS
Insists the Federal Government Should
Control Interstate Commerce
Declares That if This Cannot Be ACCOMPLISHED
Under Present Laws the Constitution Should
Be So Amended as to Permit It.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.--The presi-
dents message was read before the
senate and the house of representa-
tives today. The text in full is as fol-
lows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
Bentatives:
The people of this country continue
to enjoy great prosperity. Undoubtedly
there will be ebb and flow in such
prosperity, and this ebb and flow will
be felt more or less by all members
of the community, both by the de-
serving and the undeserving. Against
the wrath of the Lord the wisdom of
man cannot avail; in times of flood OF
drought human ingenuity can but par
tally repair the disaster. A general
failure of crops would hurt all of us.
Again, If the folly of man mars the
general well-being, then those who are
innocent of the folly will have to pay
part of the penalty incurred by those
who are guilty of the folly. A panic
brought on by the speculative folly
of part of the business community
would hurt the whole business COM
munity. But such stoppage of welfare,
though it might be severe, would not
be lasting. In the long run the one
vital factor in the permanent pros
perity of the country is the high ind
Vidual character of the average Amer
lean worker, the average American
citizen, no matter whether his work
be mental or manual, whether he oe
farmer or Wage-worker, business man
or professional man.
Interests of All InterminqIe
In our industrial and social system
the interests of all men are so closely
intertwined that in the immense major
1ty of cases a straight dealing man
who by his efficiency, by his integrity
and industry, benefits himself must
also benefit others. Normally the man
of great productive city who be.
comes rich by guiding the labor Of
many other men does so by enabling
them to produce more than they could
produce without his guidance; and both
he and they share in the benefit which
comes also to the public at large. The
superficial fact that the sharing may
be unequal must never blind us to the
underlying fact that there is this shar-
ing, and that the benefit comes in some
degree to each man concerned. Nor
mally the wage worker, the man of
small means, and the average con-
sumner, as well as the average producer,
are all alike helped by making condi-
tions such that the man of exceptional
business ability receives an exceptional
reward for his ability. Something can
pe uoile ny leSlSldllOn 10 nelp the gem
eral prosperity; but no such help of a
permanently beneficial character can
be given to the less able and less for
tunate, save as the results of a policy
which shall inure to the advantage of
all industrious and efficient people who
act decently; and this is only another
way of saying that any benefit which
comes to the less able and less for
tunate must of necessity come even
Tr1n n Ill
fortunate. If, therefore, the less for
tunate man is moved by envy of his
more fortunate brother to strike at the
conditions under which they have both.
though unequally, prospered, the result
will assurdedly be that while damage
may ccme to the one struck at, it will
visit with an evtn heavier load the one
who strikes the blow. Taken as a
whole we must all go up or go down
together.