Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-05
PRESIDENT
MESSAGE
Lynching Discussed at
Length as a Ma
tional Evil.
NOT A RACE QUESTION
Control Of Combinations Of Capt.
tai a Paramount
Issue.
AN INCOME TAX DEMANDED
nf. Roosevelt Advocates Free Trade For
Philippines, Federal Marriage and
Divorce Law and Mamie.
nance Of Strong Navy.
AN INCOME TAX DEMANDED
To the Senate and House Of Represent

To the Senate and House of Represent
atives:
As nation we still continue to en-
Joy a literally unprecedented pros
perity, and it is probable that only
reckless speculation and disregard Of
legitimate business methods on the
part Of the business world can ma
terially mar this prosperity.
No congress in our time has done
more good work of importance than
the present congress. There We're sew
eral matters left unfinished at your
last session. however, which I most
earnestly hope you will complete be-
fore your adjournment.
Corporation Campaign Contributions.
again recommend law prohibit
Ing all corporations from contributing
to the campaign expenses of any party.
Such a bill has alrealy passed one
house Of congress. Let individuals con-
tribute as they desire but let us pro-
hlblt in effective fashion all corpora
tons from making contributions for
any political purpose. directly or indi
rectly.
Governments Right Of Appeal In
Criminal Gases.
Another bill which has Just passed
one house Of the congress and which
1t Is urgently necessary should be en-
acted Into law Is that comforting upon
the government the right of appeal in
criminal cases on questions of law.
This right exists in many of the states.
1t exists In the District of Columbia by
act Of the congress. 1t Is of course not
proposed that in any case verdict for
the defendant on the merits should be
set aside. Recently in one district
where the government had indicted Ger
ton with rebates the court sustained
the defendants demurrer. while in an
other Jurisdiction an indictment for
conspiracy to obtain rebates has been
sustained by the court, convictions OBJ
tained under it and two defendants
cases referred to may not be In real
conflict with each other. but 1t Is unfor-
tunate that there should even be an
apparent conflict. At present there Is
no way by which the government can
cause such a conflict, when 1t occurs,
to be solved by an appeal to higher
court, and the wheels Of justice are
blocked without any real decision Of
the question. l cannot too strongly
urge the passage Of the bill in question.
A failure to pass 1t will result in seri-
ously hampering the government in its
effort to obtain justice, especially
against wealthy individuals or corpo
ratdons that do wrong. and may also
prevent the government from obtain
ing Justice for wageworkers who are
not themselves able effectively to con-
test case where the Judgment Of an
inferior court has been against them.
I have specifically in view recent de-
cision by district Judge leaving rail
way employees without remedy for
violation of a certain so called labor
statute. It seems an absurdity to per-
NIT a single district judge. against
what may be the judgment Of the i'm
mense majority Of his colleagues on
the bench. to declare a law solemnly
enacted by the congress to be "uncon-
stitutional" and then to deny to the
government the right to have the SUI
prone court definitely decide the ques-
t1sn.
1t Il well to recollect that the real
efficiency Of the law often depends not
upon the passage Of acts as to which
there is great public excitement, but
upon the passage Of acts Of this ma
Sure AZ to which there Is not much
public excitement, because there Is lit
Tie public understanding Of their i'm
portance, while the interested parties
are keenly alive to the desirability of
oefeat1ng them. The Importance Of
enactlng Into law the particular bill in
question Is further increased by the
1ecs mat ths government has now def
niteiy begun a policy Of resorting to
we criminal law in those trust and in
terstAte commerce cases where such a
course offers reasonable chance of
success. At first, as was proper. every
enort was made to enforce these laws
oy clvn proceedings, but 1t has no.
ome increasingly evident that the nc.
uoo q me government In finally decid,
ing IN certain cases to undertake Grim,
VA peosssdings was Unstable. and