Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-05
Presidents Message
CONTINUED from page 80

'ttutllutu nun paet o.
position. II Is the mans moral quail
ity. his attitude toward the great ques
tons which concern all humanity, hi
cleanliness Of life, his power TO do hi
duty toward himself and toward 9th
ers, which really count; and II we sub
stitute for the standard of persona
judgment which treats each man nc
cording 10 his merits, another stand
ard In accordance with which all mel
OF n class are favored and all men Of
another class Disseminated against
we shall do i%rreparable damage to III,
body nolitic. ! believe that our PEG
Pile are too sane. too se~lf-respecting
too III for sen.goyernment, ever to
adopt such an attitude. The govern
ment Is not and ntver shall be govern
ment by a plutocraoy. This govern
ment is o and never shall be gov
eminent by a mob. II shall continue
TO be In the future what II has been
In the past. "A government based on
the theory that each man, rich or poor,
Is TO be treated simply and solely on
his worth az a man, that all his per.
sonal and property rights are to be
s~afeguarded. and that he Is neither "a
wrong others nor TO suffer wrong from
others.
The noblest OF all forms OF govern
ment IL self-government. but It IL
also the most difficult. W. who pos,
uae. tbta nrinaIauo kann md who da.
sire TO hand II on to our children and
our children's childre-. should ever
bear In mind the thought so finely ex-
pressed by Burke: Men are qualified
for civil liberty In exact proportion 10
their disposition to put moral chains
upon their own appeti;es, In proper
ton as they are disposed to listen to
the counseIs OF the wise and good In
preference to the fattery Of knaves."
Society cannot exist unless a CONTROL
ing power upon will and appetite be
placed somewhere. and the less OF II
there be within. the more there must
be without. II Is ordained In the eter-
nal constitution Of things that men OF
Incorporate minds can not be free.
Their passions forge their letters.
Insurance.
The great insurance companies az.
ford 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 recommend
ed that the congress carefully con.
slider whether the power Of the bureau
of corporations can not constitutional.
~ be extended to cover interstate
transactions In Insurance." Recent
events have emphasized the import.
ance Of an early and exhaustive con-
s~ideration Of this question. to see
whether It il not possible to furnish
better safeguards than the several
states have been able to furnish
against corruption Of the fragrant kind
which has been exposed. II 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 hon.
and dishonesty: they draw the
line only this side OF what may be
called law-honesty. the kind Of hon.
esty In order to avoid falling into the
OF the law. OF course the
complete remedy for this condi.
lion must be found In an aroused pub
lie conscience, a higher sense Of ethi.
conduct In the community at large.
and especially among business men
and In the great profession OF the law.
and In the growth OF a spirit which
all dishonesty, whether in
rich man or In poor man. whether II
lakes the shape OF bribery or OF black
mall. But much a be done by legis-
lation which is not only drastic but
practical. There is need OF a far
and more uniform regulation
Of the vast insurance interests of this
The United States should In
this respect fellow the policy Of 9th.
or nations by providing adequate ma
tional supervision Of commercial inter.
which are clearly national In
My predecessors have re-
peatedly recognized that the foreign
business of these companies Is an i'm.
poriant part Of our foreign CONNER
cial relations. During the administra-
lions Of Presidents Cleveland. Harri-
son, and Mckinley, the state depart.
exercised It's influence, through
channels. TO prevent unjust
rt,ntrut1rc h.- tn orst,tnu
American insurance compan.
les. These negotiations illustrate the
)roprlcty of the congress recognizing
he national character. OF insurance.
Tor In the absence Of federal legisla-
lien the state department could only
rive expression TO the wishes OF the
authorities OF the several states. whose
was ineffective through want OF
uniformity.
repeat my previous recommends.
lion that ire congress should consid.
n whether the federal government mas
my power or owes any duty with re-
spect to domestic transactions In In.
urance Of en- interstate character.
That state supervision has proved
mad auuate Is generally conceded. The
upon insurance companies. and
therefore their policy holders. Of con-
regulations Of many states. Is
unques,ioned. ,dtile but little enec.
tive check is imposed upon any able
and INSCRIPTIONS man who desires to
the company In his own inter.
est at the expense Of the policy hold
ers and of the public. The inability
Of a sta TO regulate effectively In
france corporations created under
the lews Of other states and trans
acting the larger part OF their bust.