Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-12-14

by a road on land. was epen to all; It be-
longed to the public and the traffic along II
was free. At present the railway IL thii
that It is kept open to all on equal terms
Unlike the old highway It is q very difficult
and complex thing to manage. and 1t IL
far better that II should be managed by pri-
vate individuals than by the Government.
Labor.
! The National Government has as . rule
but little occasion to deal with the for
midabls group Of problems connected more
or less directly with what Is known as the
labor question. for in the great majority OF
cases these problems must be deal with by
the state and municipal authorities and not
by the National Government The National
Government has control OF the District of
Columbia. however, and II should see to 1t
that tho City OF Washington 10 made q
model city In All respects both as regards
parks. public Fairgrounds. proper regulation
OF the system Of housing 30 as to do away
with the evils OF alley tenements. . proper
system OF education. q proper system OF
| q proper handling OF the charitable work
Of the District. Moreover there should be
proper factory laws to prevent all abuses in
the employment OF women and children in
the District These will be useful chiefly as
object lessons. but even this limited amount
of usefulness would be Of real National
value.
|
| ing examples OF corporations whose business
has extended % far beyond the Jurisdiction OF
| the states which created them as to preclude
strict enforcement OF supervision and reRua-
! tion by the parent states. In my last
nual message recommended that the Con-
gress carefully consider avhether the power OF
tionally be extended to cover interstate trans
actions in insurance" Recent events have
acter OF insurance for in the absence Of
emphasized the Importance Of an early and
! haustivs consideration Of this question to
whether It Is not possible to furnish bet
ter safeguards than the several states have
been able to furnish against corruptlon of
the fragrant kind which has been exposed 1t
has been only too clearly shown that certain
Of the men at the head Of these large cor
porations take but small note Of the ethical
distinction between honesty and dishonesty:
they draw the line only this side OF what may
be called law honesty. the kind Of honesty
necessary in order to avoid falling into the
clutches of the law. OF course the only com
plete remedy for this condition must be found
In an aroused public conscience, higher sense
OF ethical conduct in the community at large.
and especially among business men and In the
great profession OF the law, and in the growth
OF spirit which condemns all dishonesty
whether in rich man or In poor man, whether
II takes the shape Of bribery or of blackmail
But much can be done by legislation which Is
not only drastic but practical. There is need
of far stricter and more uniform regulation
OF the vast insurance interests of this country
The United States should in this respect follow
the policy Of other nations by providing ade-
quate national supervision Of commercial in
terests which are clearly National in char
acter. My predecessors have repeatedly recog
nized that the foreign business OF these com.
panies is an important part OF our foreign COM
mercial relations. During the administrations
OF Presidents Cleveland. Harrison and Nc
Kinley the State Department exercised its in
fuence, through diplomatic channels, to pre-
vent unjust discrimination by foreign coun-
tries against American Insurance companies.
These negotiations illustrated the propriety
Of the Congress recognizing the National char
Federal legislation the State Department could
only give expression to the wishes OF the au-
thorities OF the several states whose policy
was ineffective through want Of uniformity.
The Revenues.
There is more need Of stability than Of the
attempts to attain ideal perfection in
the methods OF raising revenue and the
shock and strain to the business world GER
tain TO attend any serious change in these
methods render such change inadvisabe un
less for grave reason. 1t is not possible to
lay down any general rule by which to
determine the moment when the reasons for
will outweigh the reasons against such a
change. Much must depend, not merely on
the needs. but on the desires Of the people
as whole; for needs and desires are not
necessarily identical OF course no change
can be made on lines beneficial to. or desired
by. one section or one state only. There
must be something like a general agreement
among the citizens Of the several states, as
represented in the Congress, that the change
is needed and desired in the interest of the
people a whole; and there should then be |
a sincere. intelligent, and disinterested effort |
to make it in such shape as will combine. so |
far as possible. the maximum OF good the |
sary disregard for the special interests OF
localities or classes. But in time Of peace |
the revenue must on the average, taking |
a series OF years together. equal the expendi-
lures or else the revenues must be increased. !
Last year there deficit. Unless our
expenditures can be kept within the
enues then our revenue laws must be read
Justed. 1t is as yet too early to attempt TO
shape reau1ustment
should take for 1t is as yet too early to say
whether there will be need for II.
1t should be considered whether 1t is
not desirbale that the tariff laws
should provide for applying against
Or in favor of any other nation maximum
and minimum tariff rates established by the
congress. so as to secure a certain reci- |,
orocity of treatment between other nations
and ourselves. Having in view larger
considerations OF policy than those OF
purely economic nature. II would. in my
Judgment. be well to endeavor to bring
about closer commercial connections with
he other peoples OF this continent l am
Russia now treats US on the most-favored-
iaton basis.
Economy in Expenditures.
l earnestly recommend to the Congress
he need Of economy and to this end of
igid scrutiny of appropriations. AS exam
'les merely. l call your attention to or
wo spechc matters. All unnecessary Offices {
houid be abolished. The Commissioner of '
bolshment OF the office of receiver Of pub I
ic moneys for United States land Offices, 7
his will effect saving of about a quar-
er OF a million dollars a year. AS the bust I
ess of the Nation grows 1t is inevitable I
hat there should be from time TO time a c
egitimate increase in the number of Off a
iais, and this fact renders 1t all the more s
important that when offices become unneces- c
airy they should be abolished. In the pub 7
c printing also a large saving OF public ?
loney can be made. There is constantly a
rowing tendency to publish masses of un- c
nportant information. 1t is probably no; Y
nfair to say that many tens of thousands \
{ volumes are published at which no human
eing ever looks and for which there is no S
cal demand whatever. t
Federal Elections. ;,
In my last annual message l said II
The power OF the Government to protect Il
le integrity of the elections of its own ofn- o
als is inherent and has been recognized is
nd affirmed by repeated declarations of the II
upreme Court. There is enemy of free u
sidious as the corruption Of the electorate a
o one defends excuses corruption, and 81
would seem to follow that none would &
oppose vigorous measures to eradicate it | II
the enactment OF law directed Il
yainst bribery and corruption in Federal It
ectons. The details of such law may II
safely left to the wise discretion of the oil
ohereSs' out IL should go as far as under al
lie Constitution it is possible TO go, and II,
lould include severe penalties against him Ia
no gives or receives a bribe intended TO T.
hucnce his act opinion elector. ol
Id provisions for the publication not only "
the expenditures FOR nominations and til
ections OF all candidates. but also of all cl
ntributions received and expenditures made If
F.asE ID