The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-05
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

/ public document like the presidents
/ message to congress, which is pub
! lished in the State Journal today.
/ While it is lengthy, there is no useless
verbiage about it. Theodore Roose-
yelt knows how to write. He expresses
| himself in clear, forcibIe language
that leaves no doubt as to what he is
trying to say.
But the sentiments of the presidents
/ message are the vital part Of it. It is
a message of the Square Deal. In
/ every paragraph justice and square
/ dealing between man and man are
I preached. While it is addressed to
/ congress, some portions of it, the dis
/ cussion of the labor problem for ex-I
ample, seem directed to the American
people.
Without wasting any words in
platitudes the president begins a dis
/ eussion of the general welfare of the
Z country. leading quickly up to the
/ regulation and control of corporations
and trusts by the government He
/ shows the weakness of the present
laws, in that corporations are created
/ by states and that they are permitted
/ to go forth into other states without
any adequate control.
President Roosevelt sets forth a new
! idea concerning trusts in his message
/ He protests against laws absolutely
prohibiting combinations which re-
strict competition, saying that they are
/ impossible of absolute enforcement,
/ but that instead the government
should control and direct such combi-
nations, eliminating the evils and di-
1 recting the benefits for the common
good.
One of the evils which the president
specifically points out is overcapitaliza-
tion-watered stock. This, he says, is
the chief but not the only evil of big
combinations Of capital. It is generally
the result of dishonest promotion
says the president and it brings
myriad evils in its train. 1t produces
an imitation that invites business panic
and conceals the true relation of the
profit earned to the capital actually
/ invested. It creates a burden Of in
terest payments that improperly re-
duces wages. 1t damages the small in
vestor, diseourages thrift, encourages
gambling and speculation, and en-
courages trickiness and dishonesty.
This leads directly up to the regula-
/ tion of the railroads. President ROose-
welt cautions congress against hasty or
radical action, but he insists that rail-
road rates must be regulated by the
| government and he reiterates the gen
eraI plan that he has laid down in his
! speeches-cenferring the rate regulat-
/ ing power upon an administrative body.
/ The president does not attempt to say
what the administrative body shall be-
/ the present Interstate Commerce COM
mission, or a reorganized commission
but he insists that it shall be q purely
administrative body
In addition to giving the commission
the power to make a maximum rate
when the rate established by the rail-
road company is complained of and
found to be unjust. the president goes
/ considerably farther. He says that in
/ some instances favored shippers are
/ given rates that are too low, and in
such instances the commission should
establish that as the maximum. 1T
would need only one or two such decis-
! ions to cure railroad companies of the
practice of giving improper minimum
rates. says the president. Unless this
power to establish maximum rates is
/ given a commission there is no use of
touching the subject at ALL he says.
rebates, including the scheme of which
the st. Paul is just now accused-giving
a favored shipper advance information
concerning a low rate to be made and
allowing him to prepare to take advan-
/ tage of it, to the disadvantage of his
competitors. This. he says, as well as
private car lines and terminals, fictitious
damages, and all other forms of indirect
/ rebates should be severely dealt with.
The president discusses the railroad
issue at length, insisting that he is not
hostile to the railroads, but only wishes
to curb dishonest men who would prey
on the public, and who also force those
railroad officials who are honest to meet
their dishonest practices.
Another problem that the president
discusses at length is the relations of
labor and capital He recognizes the
benefits of labor unions the same as he
does combinations of capital. but he in
sists that the power of the unions must
not be wrongfully used. He takes the
! same view of the labor problem as was
set forth in the State Journal a few
weeks ago-that labor ana capital must
work together as partners and not as
enemies.
Each man." says the president, IF
he be really a good citizen. must show
broad sympathy for his neighbor and
genuine desire to look at any question
arising between them from the stand
point Of that neighbor no less than
from his own; and 10 this end it is es-
sential that capitalist and wage-worl1er
should consult freely one with the other
should each strive to bring closer the
day when both shall realize that they
are properly partners and not enemies.
To approach the questions that newt
ably rise between them solely from the