Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-09
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Careful reading of the Presidents
message which was read to the SEN
ate and the house yesterday leaves no
question as to the policy Mr.. Roose-
welt would have the government fol
low with regard to all the great ques-
lions that confront the nation. There
is nothing of the mark Of the agitator
about the advice that is given. There
is nothing that would indics.te that
the author OF the message is a war
lord or wouldbe dictator. Sugges-
lions are made and they are backed
up with arguments showing their
strength and reasonableness. Nothing
that is unnecessary is included in the
message and nothing is omitted that
should have been there.
1t is useless to think that every one
who votes has read the long docu-
ment that was published throughout
the country yesterday, and the Cou-
rier, wishing to give as wide circula-
ton to at least the main features of
the message as possible; recommends
the perusal of these paragraphs,
picked out from among many scores,
as indicating the general drift Of the
advice the President gives to the ma
ton:
"The fortunes amassed through cor
porate organization are now SO large
and vest such power in those who
WELD them as to make it a matter of
necessity to give the sovereign-that
| is to the government, which repre-
sents the people as a wholesome
effective power of supervision over
their corporate use"
THE corporation has come to stay,
just as the trade union has come to
stay. Each shou,l be favored as long
as it does good But each 8. ould be
sharply checked where it acts against
law and Justice"
II believe that this regulation and
supervision can be obtained by en-.
actment c. law by congress"
Our steady aim should be by legis.
lation, cautiously and carefully under.
taken, but resolutely persevered in, to
assert the sovereignty of the national
government by Affirmative action"
| What is needed il not sweeping
prohibition of every arrangement,g good
or bad which may trend to restrict
competition, but such adeq ate super
vision and regulation as will prevent
any restriction of competition from
being to the detriment of the public
The immediate and most pressing
need, so far as legislation is con.
cerned, is the enactment into law of
some scheme to secure to the agents
OF the government such supervision
and regulation of the rates charged
by the railroads Of the country en-
gagged in interstate traffic as shall
summary and effectively prevent the
imposition of unjust or unreasonable
rates."
In my judgment the most impor-
tant provision which such law should
contain is that comforting upon some
competent administrative body the
power to prescribe the limit of rate
beyond which it shall not be lawful to
go.
'The law should make it plain that
any kind of a commission paid on
freight shipments whether in this
form or in the form of fictitious dam
ages or of a concession, free pass,
reduced passenger rate, or repayment
OF brokerage, is Illegal
NO common carrier engaged In In
terstate commerce should keep any
books or memoranda other than those
reported pursuant to law or regula-
ton, and these books or memoranda
should be open to the inspection of
the government"
Let me most earnestly say that
these recommendation are not made
in any spirit of hostility to the rail-
roads,"
"The introduction Of women into in
dustry is working change and disturb
ance in the domestic and social life
of the nation. The decrease In mar
riage, and especially in the birth rate,
has been coincident with it"
1 repeat my previous recommends
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"
There is more need of stability
than of the attempt to attain an ideal
perfection in the Methods of raising
the revenues"
''All contributions by corporations
to any political conaittee for any po-
litical purpose shouYAbe forbidden by
law; direct - not be permit
tod to Us stockh{sers' money for
such purpose
tariff now imposed III the Dingley bill