The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-12-21

y
nie worth ~ q man rather than with
reference to his social position, his occu-
patton. or the class to which he belongs,
There are selfish and brutal men in all
ranks OF life. II they are Capitalize
their selfishness and brutality may take
tine form OF hard Indifference to suffer-
lnes greedy disregard of every moral re.
straint which tnterferes with the accum-
ulation Of wealth, and cold-blooded ex.
ploitation of the weak; or, IL they are
iaOorers. the form Of laziness, of sullen
envy Of the more fortunate, and of will
tngness to perform deeds OF murderous
violence. Such conduct is just as repre-
nenslole IN one case as In the other, and
all honest and farseeing men should ioin
IN warning against 1t wherever it be-
comes manifest. Individual. capitalist and
individual wage worker, corporation and
union. are alike entitled to the protec.
ton OF the law, and must alike obey the
law.
The Insurance Scandal.
On the subject Of life insurance the presi-
dent says recent events have emphasized
the importance Of early action looking to a
solution OF the subject Of some sort of con-
troll that will furnish better safeguards
than the several states have been able to
furnish against corruption Of the fragrant
kind which has been exposed, and in this
connection he continues:
There is need OF q strlcter and uni
form regulation of the vast insurance
interests of this country. The United
States should in this respect follow the
policy OF other nations by providing
adequate national supervision of COM
mercial interests which are clearly ma
tfonal In character. MY predecessors
nave repeatedly recognized that the
foreign business of these companies is
an important part of our foreign COM
q IQv lntS
,strations of Presidents Cleveland
Harrison and Mckinley the state de-
partment exercised its influence
through diplomatic channels, to pre-
vent unjust discrimination by foreign
countries against American insurance
companies. These negotiations illus
trated the propriety Of the congress
recognizing the national character of
insurance. for in the absence of fed
eral legislation the state department
could only give expression to the
wishes OF the authorities of the several
states. whose policy was ineffective
through want of uniformity.
1 repeat my previous recommended
ton that the congress should also con-
slider whether the federal government
! mas any power or owes any duty with
respect to domestic transactions in in
surance of an interstate character.
That state supervision has proved in
s-NSNuoSS AZ ecuCTdlly COnCeuGu. ne
burden upon insurance companies. and
therefore their policy holders. of con-
| ntcting regulations of many states. is
unquestioned. while but little effective
check Is imposed upon any able and
INSCRIPTIONS man who desires to ex-
plot the company in his own interest
at the expense of the policy holders
and of the public. The inability of a
state to regulate effectively insurance
corporations created under the laws of
other states and transacting the larger
part OF their business elsewhere is
also clear. AS remedy for this evil
of conflicting. Ineffective, and yet bur-
densome regulations there has been
for many years a widespread demand
Tor federal supervision. The congress
has already recognized that interstate
insurance may be a proper subject for
federal legislation. for in creating the
bureau Of corporations it authorized
IT to publish and supply useful in
formation concerning interstate cor
porations. Including corporations en-
gagged in insurance" It is obvious
that IL the compilation of statistics be
the limit of the federal power. 1t is
wholly ineffective to regulate this
form OF commercial intercourse he
tween the states. and as the insurance
business has outgrown in magnitude
the possibility Of adequate state STU
| pervtstOn. the congress should care
fully consider whether further legisla-
ton can be had. What is said above
applies with equal force to fraterna!
and benevolent organizations which
| contract for life insurance.
Under the subject of national revenues
the president makes plea for the enact-
ment of reciprocal arrangements between
this and other countries, but does not ask
for any tariff Legislation at the present
time. In the same connection he asks for
economy In appropriations.
Business Methods in Departments.
On the subject of graft" in the several
government departments that have been
under investigation he says:
At various times have instituted
Investigations into the organization
and conduct of the business of the ex-
ecutive departments. While none of
these Inquiries have yet progressed
far enough to warrant final cOnclu-
sions. they have already confirmed
and emphasized the general impress
sion that the organization Of the de-
partments is often faulty in principle
and wasteful IL results. while many
| of their business methods are anti
quated and inefficient. There il every
reason why our executive govern
mental machinery should he at least
as we'll planned. economical and
efficient as the best machinery Of the
6'SoS UuSiuSSS OI6duIzdSIOuS, WHICH az
present Is not the case. To make 1t
so is task of complex detail and es-
sentially executive in it's nature: prob
ably no legislative body no matter
how wise and able, could undertake 1t
with reasonable prospect of SUCCESS
recommend that the congress con-
slider this subject with a view to pro-
vide by legislation for the transfer.
distribution. consolidation and assign
ment OF duties and executive organtza-
tons or parts Of organizations. and
for the changes in business methods.
within or between the several depart
ments. that will best promote the
economy. efficiency and high character
of the government work.
Federal Elections.
On the subject of federal elections he rec
ommcnds that it be made unla wful for po-
lftical parties to receive campaign con-
tributions from the corporations. and also
that 1t be made unlawful for corporations
to give such contributions. and In this con-
nection he says:
Contributions by corporations ia any
purpose should be forbidden by law:
directors should not be permitted to
use stockholders money for such pur-
poses; and. moreover. a prohibition of
this kind would be- as far as 1t went.
an effective method Of stopping the
evils aimed at in corrupt practices
acts. Not only should both the ma
tional and the several state lcgisla-
lures forbid any officer OF a corpora
ton from using the money of the cor
poration in or about any election. but
they should also forbid such use of