River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-07
Equal Rights for All.


ploye. capitalist and wage worker, is a
difficult one. All phases of the labor
problem prove difficult when approached.
But the underlying principles, the root
principles, in accordance with which the
problem must be solved are entirely SIM
ple We can get justice and right dealing
only if we put as of paramount impor-
lance the principle of treating a man on
his worth as a 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. If they are capitalists
their selfishness and brutality may take
the form of hard indifference to suffer-
ing, greedy disregard of every moral re-
straint which interferes with the accum-
ulation of wealth, and cold-blooded ex-
ploitation of the weak; or, if they are
laborers, TT ? form of laziness, of sullen
envy of the more fortunate, and of will
ingness to perform deeds of murderous
violence. Such conduct is just as repre-
hensible In one case as in the other. and
all honest and farseeing men should ioin
in warning against it 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 oresi-
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 stricter 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
tional in character. My predecessors
have repeatedly recognized that the
foreign business of these companies is
an important part of our foreign COM
mercial relations During the admin
istrations 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.
I repeat my previous recommends
ton that the congress should also con-
slider whether the federal government
has any power or owes any duty with
respect to domestic transactions in in
surance of an interstate character.
That state supervision has proved in
adequate is generally conceded. The
burden upon insurance companies, and
therefore their policy holders, of con-
f1icting 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 a remedy for this evil
of conflicting, ineffective, and yet bur-
densome regulations there has been
for many years a widespread demand
for federal supervision. The congress
has already recognized that interstate
insurance may be proper subject for
federal legislation, for in creating the
bureau of corporations it authorized
it to publish and supply useful in
porations, Including corporations en-
gagged in insurance" 1t is obvious
that if the compilation of statistics be
the limit of the federal power, it is
wholly ineffective to regulate this
form of commercial intercourse be-
tween the states, and as the insurance
business has outgrown in magnitude
the possibility of adequate state SUI
pervision, the congress should care
fully consider whether further legisla-
ton can be had. What is said above
applies with equal force to fraternal
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 I 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 in results, while many
of their business methods are anti
quated and inefficient. There is every
reason why our executive govern
mental machinery should be at least
as well planned, economical and
efficient as the best machinery of the
great business organizations, which at
present is not the case. To make 1T
so is a task of complex detail and es-
sentially executive in its nature; prob
ably no legislative body, no matter
how wise and able, could undertake it
with reasonable prospect of success.
I recommend that the congress con-
slider this subject with view to pro-
vide by legislation for the transfer,
distribution, consolidation and assign
ment of duties and executive organiza-
tions 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
ommends That it be made unlawful for po-
litical parties to receive campaign con-
tributions from the corporations and also
that it be made unlawful for corporations
to give such contributions, and in this con-
nection hc says:
CONTRIBUTIONS by corporations to any
purpose ssculd 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 it went,
an effective method of stopping the
evils aimed at in corrupt practices
acts. Not only shorld both the ma
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