The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-12-05
UNDER PENALTY
OF HEAVY FINE
Urges Congress to Adopt
Treaty With Santo Domin-
go---C Calls For Economy in
Administration.

Washington, p. q, Dec. 5.--Ihe an
snual presidents message was delivered
to Congress by President Roosevelt this
afternoon. The address opens with Q
plea for cooperation Of all classes in con-
tinuings the nations prosperity and in
correcting existing evils. The most inn
portant points relate to corporations and
railroad rate legislation. The President
says:
Corporations.
am in no sense hostile to corpora
tions. This is an age of combination,
and any effort to prevent all combina-
tion will be not only useless, but In the
end vicious, because of the contempt
for law which the failure to enforce
law inevitably produces. The corpora
ton has come to stay, Just as the
trades union has come to stay. EacA
can do and has done great good. Bach
should be favored 80 long as 1t does
good But each should be sharply
checked whore 1t acts against law and
justice.
Experience has shown conclusively
that 1t Is useless to try to get any ade-
quate regulation and supervision Of
these great corporations By state ac-
tion. Such regulation and supervision
can only be effectively exercised by a
sovereign whose jurisdiction is cock
tensIve with the field work of the cor
pcrntlons that Is by the national gov
ernment. believe that this regulation
and supervision can be obtained By the
enactment Of law by the congress. II
this proves impossible, 1t will certainly
be necessary ultimately to confer In
fullest form such power upon the ma
tional government by affirmative ac-
ment Of the constitution.
The laws of the congress and Of the
several states hitherto. as passed upon
by the courts, have resulted more often
in showing that the states have no
power In the matter than that the ma
tional government has power; so that
there at present exists very unfortu-
nate condition Of things, under which
these great corporations doing an In
terstate business occupy the position OF
subjects without sovereign, neither
any state government nor the national
government having effective control
over them. Our steady aim should be
by legislation. cautiously and carefully
undertaken, but resolutely persevered
In. to assert the sovereignty Of the ma
tional government by Affirmative ac-
tion.
This is only In form an innovation
In substance it Is merely restoration
for from the earliest time such regula.
tion OF Industrial activities has been
recognized in the action Of the law
making bodies, and all that propose
is to meet the changed conditions In
such manner as will prevent the com.
monwealth abdicating the power it has
always possessed, not only in this coun.
try. but also In England before and
: since this country became a separate
Railroad Rate Legislation.
As / said in my message Of Dec.
last, the immediate and most pressinl
need 80 far as legislation Is concerned
is the enactment into law of some
scheme to secure to the agents OF the
government such supervision and fegu
latlon of the rates charged by the rail
roads OF the country engaged iii inter
state traffic as shall summartly and eft
fectively prevent the imposition OF un
just or unreasonable rates. 1t mus,
include putting complete stop to re
bates In every shape and form. Thi.
power to regulate rates, like all similar
powers over the business world, should
be exercised with moderation, caution
and self restraint, but it should exist
30 that Il can be effectively exercised
when the need arises.
In my judgment, the most importan
provision which such law should con
tain l. that conferring upon some com
petent administrative body the power
= decide upon the case being brough