Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-06

ana l indeed run at right angIa.
TO the lines of cleavage Whit
divide occupation from occuna,,nn
wfhch divide wage- workers froh
capitalists. farmers from has, IN
ers. men of small means from mor ~
large means, men who live in tho ,o,,,,'
from men who live in the country: for
tne vital line of cleavage is the linz
winch divides the honest man who fri.
TO do well by his neishbor from ,Ls
dishonest man who does i'll nv r.
neiShbor. In other words. tho s,..
dsrd We should establish is tho Ct
0aid of conduct, not the standard :,
occupation. Of means, or of social no.;
hon. II is the mans moral oraIit..
his attitude toward the great o1estior.
which concern all humanity, his claan
linesS of life, his power to do his d,,,,.
toward himself and toward otbors
which really c"att: mil ir We suhsti
title for the > Ir.I:,i.l .. personaI iuda
NJ M wEIc.l tr@ats each man accordin.
TO his merits. another standard in ac'
cordance with which all men of on
class are favored and all men Of an
other class disseminated against wo
| shall do irreparable damage TO the hoa,.
polite. / believe that our people arc
| too sane, too self -respecting. too 6,
for self-govcrnment, ever to adopt suck
an attitude. This government is No.
| and never shall be government nv
plutocracy. This government is no,
and never shall be government nv
mob. 1t shall continue TO be in tho
future what it has been in the mas,
a government based on the theory
that each man, rich or poor, to no
treated simply and solely on his worth
as man, that all his personal and
property rights are to be safeguaried
and that he is neither to wrong Others
nor to suffer wrong from others.
| The noblest of all forms of govern.
ment is self-government; but II
is also the most difficult. We
| who possess this priceless boon
| and who desire to hand it on to our
children and our childrens children.
should ever bear in mind the thought
SO finely expressed by Burke: Men
are qualified for civil liberty In exact
| proportion to their disposition to Dur
moral chains upon their own appetites:
| in proportion as they are disposed to
| listen to the counsels of the wise and
| good in preference to the fiattery of
| knaveS. Society can not exist unless
| controlling power upon will and appe-
| title be placed somewhere. and the less
| Of il there be within the more there
| must be without. 1t is ordained in the
eternal constitution of things that men
| of Incorporate minds can not be free
Their passions forge their fetters.'
| INSURANCE.
| The great insurance companies afford
striking examples of corporations
whose business has extended so far
beyond the jurisdiction of the States
| which created them as to preclude
| strict enforcement of supervision and
regulation by the parent States In
my last annual Message I recon-
| mended that the Congress carefully
| consider whether the power of the b.
| reaa of Corporations can not constitu-
| t!onally be extended to cover interstate
| transaetions in, insprance.," Recent.
everts have ' emi5phasTfzzeed tie nportsnsse s
| of an early and exhaustive consider
l
it is not possible to furnish better safe
| guards than the several States have
| been able to furnish against corruption
of the fragrant kind which has been ex-
| posed. 1t has been only too clearly
| shown that certain of the men at the
head of these large corporations take
but small note Of the ethical distinction
between honesty and dishonesty; they
draw the line only this side of what
may he called law-honesty. the kind of
honesty necessary in order to avoid
falling into the clutches of the law. OF
course the only complete remedy for
this condition must be found in an
aroused public conscience. a higher
sense of ethical conduct in the COM
munity at large. and especially among
| business men and in the great profess
sion of the law, and in the growth of a
spirit which condemns all dishonesty
| whether III rich man or in poor man,
| whether it 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
country. The United States should in
this respect follow the policy of other
| nations by providing adequate national
| supervision of commercial interests
(which are clearly national in character.
My predecessors have repeatedly recog-
| nized that the foreign business of these
| companies is an important part Of our
foreign commercial relations. During
| the Administrations of Presidents
Cleveland. Harrison, and Mckinley the
State Department exercised its in
fiuence. through diplomatic channels.
to prevent unjust discrimination by
foreign countries against American in
surance companies. These negotiations
illustrated the propriety of the Con-
gress recognizing the national charac-
ter of insurance, for in the absence OF
Federal legislation the State Depart
ment could only give expression to the
wishes Of the authorities Of the several
States. whose policy was ineffective
through want of uniformity.
repeat my previous recommendation
that the Congress should also consider
whether the Federal Government has
any power or owes any duty with re-
spect to domestic transactions in in
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