, 1905-12-05
The Presidents Message.

Washington, d. c., Dec. 5.-Follow-
ing is a brief synopsis of President
Roosevelt's message to the Fifty-ninth
congress of the United States delivered
and read TO congress today:
The people of this country continue
to enjoy great prosperity. Undoubted-
ly there will be ebb and flow in such
prosperity, and this ebb flow VIII
be felt more or less by all members
of the community, both by h desery-
ing and the undeserying. Against the
wrath of the Lord, the wisdom OF man
can not avail. A genera failure OF
crops would hurt us all. Again, II fol
w mars the general w%ellbeing, the in
nocent would have to pay the penalty.
--n2nie- brought on by speculation
"ouiu hurt the wnurv vusia~@s com.
munity. 1t would stop welfare, but
would not be lasting. Our prosperity
is permanent. Something can be done
by legislation to help the general pros-
perity, but not all. We must all GO
up or go down together.
The fortunes amassed through cor.
porate organization are now SO enor-
nous that it is a matter of necessity
to give the government which repre.
SCENTS the people, power and s%uperyis.
ion. l am in no sense hostile to cor.
porations. This is an age of combina-
ton, and to prevent it would be vicious
We should recognize in cordial and
ample fashion the good affected by cor
porate agencies and the wealth of in.
~tellect, energy and fidelity devoted to
them. Supervision by states of corpor-
atoms is useless. Congress or amend
ment to the constitution should give
sovereign jurisdiction. Our steady aim
should be by legislation, cautiously and
carefully undertaken, but resolutely
~persevered in to assert the sovereignty
of the national government in control.
ling corporations by affirmative action.
The president then goes on to urge
in favor of action, giving government
control over all corporations. He then
refers at length to the same power ex-
ercised over railroads, and he proposes
not to give an interstate commission
power to initiate or originate railroad
rates generally but to regulate a rate
or any rate fixed or originated by the
roads, upon complaint and ample in
yestigation to establishing a maximum
rate as essential to any real reform in
the matter Of railway legislation. He
declares rebates most pernicious, and
saws no lower rate should apply on
goods imported than actually obtains
ON domestic goods from the American
~seaboards to destination, except in
cases where local competition is the
controlling influence. The president
saws it is a vital matter, the question
of transportation, lying az the root of
all industrial success.
He also advocates safety appliances
and decreased hours for railway en-
Moves. He thinks the department of
should make a thorough in
~vestigation of conditions of working
women, over five million of them being
now engaged in g~ainful occupations,
which is an enormous increase, caus-
ing decreasing marriage and the birth
rate.
Tho president touches upon the in
surance investigation, and thinks
things will be remedied by the people
Themselves, which will be found in an
aroused public conscience. He urges
LEGISLATION to control the great COM
panies.
Mr. Roosevelt discusses The Hague
conference at length and the peace that
snallv resulted between Japan and
pussia. He touches very lightly upon
tbe mart he took in it himself, but ex-
nresses his eagerness for general
raace without foolish sentimentality.