The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-12-05

the policy of other nations by provid-
ing adequate national supervision O.
commercial interests which are clear
ly national in character My prede-
cessors have repeatedly recognized
that the foreign business of these COM
panies is an important part of our
foreign commercial relations. Dur.
ing the administrations of Presidents
Cleveland, Harrison and Mckinley, the
state department exercised its influ-
ence, through diplomatic. channels, to
prevent unjust discrimination by for
eign countries against American in
surance companies. These negotiations
illustrated the prOpriety Of the con-
gress recognizing the national char
acter 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 sew
eral states, whose policy was inef-
fective through want of uniformity.
1 repeat my previous recommended
ton that the congress should also
consider whether the federal govern
ment has any power or awes any du-
ty with respect to domestic transac-
tons in insurance of an interstate
character. That state supervision
has proved inadequate is generally
conceded The burden upon insurance
companies, and therefore their policy
holders, of conflicting regulations of
many states, is unquestioned, while
but little effective check is imposed
upon any able and INSCRIPTIONS man
in his own interest at the expense of
the policy holders and of the pub
lie The inability of a state to regu-
late effectively insurance corporations
created under the laws Of other states
and transacting the larger part Of
their part of their business elsewhere
is also clear. AS remedy for this
evil of conflicting, ineffective, and yet
burdensome regulations there has
been for many years a widespread de-
mand for federal supervision. The
congress has already recognized that
interstate insurance may be a proper
subject for federal legislation, for in
creating the bureau of corporations it
authorized it to publish and supply
useful information concerning inter
state corporations, Including corpo-
rations engaged in insurance" 1t is
obvious that if the compilation of
statistics be the limit of the federal
power, it is wholly ineffective to reg
ulate this form of commercial inter-
course between the states, and as the
magnitude the possibility Of adequate
state supervision, the congress should
carefully consider whether further
legislation can be had. WHAT is said
above applies with equal force to fra
ternal and benevolent organizations
which contract wor life insurance.
Federal Elections.
In my last message 1 said:
THE power of the government to
protect the integrity of the elections
of it's own officials is inherent and has
been recognized and affirmed by re-
peated declarations of the supreme
court. There is no enemy of free gov
eminent more dangerous and none so
insidious as the corruption of the cleo
torate. No one defends or excuses
corruption, and it would seem to fol-
low that none would oppose vigorous
measures to eradicate it. I recon-
mend the enactment of a law directed
against bribery and corruption in fed
law may be safely left to the wise dis
erection of the congress, but it should
go as far as un>ler the constitution it
is possible to 60. and should include
severe penalties against him who
gives or receives bribe intended to
influence his act or opinion as an
elector; and provisions for the pub
LEGATION not only of the expenditure
for nominations and elections of all
candidates, but also of all contribu-
lions received and expenditures made
by political committees
1 desire to repeat LIS recommended
ton. In political campaigns in
country as large and populous as ours
it is inevitable that there should be
much expense of an entirely legiti
mate kind. This, Of course, means that
many contributions, and some of them
of large size, must be made, and, as
matter of fact in any big political
contest such contributions are always