The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-12-09
ROOSEVELT
TOCONGRESS

Rooseyelt's message to congress was read
in both houses at noon.
The more important portions OF the
message follows:
To the Senate and House Of Represen-
tatives:
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 deserving and the undeserving.
Against the wrath of the Lord the wis
dom of man cannot avail in times of Hood
or drought human ingenuity can but par
italy repair the disaster. general fall
ure 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 specu-
alive folly of part OF the business COM
munty 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 prosperity OF the
country is the high individual character OF
the average American worker, the average
American citizen, no matter whether his
work be mental or manual, whether he be
farmer or wage-worker, business man or
professional man.
In our industrial and social system the
D.
twined that in the immense majority OF
cases straight dealing man who by his
efficiency, by his ingenuity and industry,
benefits himself must also benefit others.
Normally the man Of great productive ca
pacity who becomes rich by guiding the la
Dor of many other men does so by en-
abling 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 sup
CRITICAL fact that the sharing may be un-
equal must never blind us to the under
lying fact that there is this sharing, and
that the benefit comes in some degree to
each man concerned. Normally, the wage
worker, the man Of small means, and the
average consumer, as well as the average
producer, are all alike helped by making
conditions such that the man Of exceptional
business ability receives an exceptional re-
ward for his ability. Something can be
done by legislation to help the general pros
perity; but no such help Of permanently
beneficial character can be given to the
less able and less fortunate, save as the
results Of 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
fortunate must of necessity come even more
to the more able and more fortunate. II,
therefore, the less fortunate 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 assuredly be that while damage
may come to the one struck at, it will
visit with an even heavier load the one
who strikes the blow. Taken as a whole
we must all 60 up or 60 down together.
Control Of Corporations Made Necessary
Yet, while not merely admitting, but in
sisting upon this, it Is also true that where
there is no governmental restraint or sup
ervision some Of the exceptional men use
their energies not in ways that are for
the common good, but in ways which tell
against this common good. The fortunes
amassed through corporate organization are
now so large, and vest such power In those
that WELD them, as to make 1t matter OF
necessity to give to the sovereign-tnat is,
to the government, which represents the
people as a wholesome effective power OF
supervision over their corporate use. In
order to insure healthy social and indus
trial life, every big corporation should be
held responsible by, and be accountable TO,
a sovereign strong enough to control its
conduct / am in no sense hostile to corpo-
rations This is an age of combination
and any effort to prevent all combination
will be not only useless, but In the END
vicious, because OF the contempt Ior IA"
which the failure to enforce inevitably pro-
duces We should, moreover, recognize In
cordial and ample fashion the immense good
effected by corporate agencies in country
such as ours, and the wealth Of intellect,
energy, and fidelity devoted to their service,
and therefore normally to the service OF the
public, by their officers and directors. The
corporation has come to stay, just ais the
trade union has come to stay. Each can
do and has done great good. Each should
be favored SO long as it does good But
each should be sharply checked where 1t
acts against law and justice.
So long as the finances Of the nation are
kept upon an honest basis no other ques-
ton Of internal economy with which the
Congress has the power to deal begins to
approach the importance OF the matter OF
endeavoring to secure proper industrial con-
ditions under which the Northumberland
especially the great corporatiOns-doing an
Interstate business are to act. The makers
Of our national constitution provided espec-
tally that the regulation of interstate COM
merce should come within the sphere of
the general government. The arguments In
favor of their taking this stand were even
then overwhelming. But they are far
stronger today, in view OF the enormous
development Of great business agencies,
usually corporate in form. Experience has
shown conclusively that-it is useless to try
to get any adequate regulation and super
vision Of these great corporations by state
action. Such regulation and supervision can
only be effectively exercised by sovereign
whose Jurisdiction is coextensive with the
field Of work Of the superintendent Is,
by the national government. I believe that
this regulation and supervision can be OBJ
tanned by the enactment Of law by the Con-
gress. II this proves impossible, it will
certainly be necessary ultimately to con-
fer in fullest form such power upon the
national government by proper amendment
of the constitution. 1t would obviously be
uswise to endeavor to secure such an amend
ment until 1t Is certain that the result can
not be obtained under the constitution as
it now Is. 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 national gov
eminent has power; so that there at pres
emit exists q very unfortunate condition
Of things, under which these great corpo-
rations doing an interstate business occupy
the position Of subjects without sover-
eign, neither any state government nor the
national government having effective control
over them. Our steady aim should be by
legislation, cautiously and carefully under
taken, resolute1y persevered in. to assert
the sovereignty Of the national government
by Affirmative action.
This is only In form an innovation In
substance 1t is merely q restoration /; for
from the earliest time such regulation Of
Industrial activities has been recognized In
the action Of the lawmaking bodies: and all
that propose Ii to meet the changed con-
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