The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-12-06
president ROOSEVELT'S
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Il FOrcefm Presentation OF
Needed Legislation
A DOCUMENT OF UNUSUAL YIGOR
me Message Goes at Length Into
Questions Of Vital Interest 10 the
Whole People.

The following is the substance O
the annual message of Presiden
Roosevelt to Congress, as read in bot
houses:
introductory.
To the Senate and House of Repres
entatives:
AS q nation we still continue to en-
Joy a literally unprecedented prosper
lty; and it Is probable that only reck
less speculation and disregard of ligi
innate business methods on the par
OF the business world can materially
mar this prosperity. S
No Congress In our time has done
good work of Importance than
the present Congress. There were
several matters left unfinished at
your last session, however, which ]
most earnestly hope you will com
Paete before your adjournment.
Corporation Campaign Contributions.
i again recommend a law prOhib-
ting all corporations from contribut-
ing to the campaign expenses of any
party. Such a bill has already past
one House of Congress. Let indiyid-
mails contribute as they desire; but
Let US prohibit in effective fashion all
corporations from making contribu-
tons for any political purpose di-
rectly or indirectly.
Governments Right to Appeal In
Criminal Gases.
Another bill which has past one
House of the Congtess which it is
urgently necessary should be enacted
INTO law Is that comforting upon the
Government the right of appeal in
criminal ON questions of law.
This right exists In many of the
States; it exists In the District Of
Columbia by act of the Congress. It
h5 of course not proposed that In any
a verdict for the defendant on
the merits should be set aside. Re-
Gently In one district where the Gov
ernment had indicted certain persons
Tor conspiracy In connection with re.
bates, the court sustained the defen-
demurrer; while in another an
Indictment for conspiracy to obtain
rebates has been sustained by the
court, convictions obtained under it |
ms two defendants sentenced to i'm
pf1sonnent. The two cases referred
to may not be In real conflict with
each other, but it is unfortunate that
there should " be an apparent
At present there is no way
by which the Government can cause
such a conflict, when it occurs, to be
solved by an appeal to a higher court
and the wheels Of justice are blocked
without any real decision of the cues
hon. L can not too strongly urgs
passage of the bill in question.
Setting Aside of Judgments and
Granting of New Trials.
In connection with this matter, I
would hike to call attention to the
very unsatisfactory state of our Grim
nal law, resulting In large part from
me habit of setting aside the iudg
nents of inferior courts on technical
absolutely unconneeted with the
merits of the case, and where there
$ no attempt to show that there has
'een any failure of substantial JUS
1t would be well to enact a law
oroVldlng something to the effect
kat:
No Judgment shall be set aside br
lew trial granted in any case. civil
II criminal, on the ground of misdi.
ect!on OF the jury or the improper
or rejection or evidence, or
or error as to any matter Of plead
ng or procedure unless, in the opin-
On OF the court to which the appli-
alton IS made, after an examina.
on OF the entire cause, it shall afir-
1atlvely appear that the error COM
dalned of has resulted in a miscar.
age of justice.
Injunctions. (
In my last message 1 suggested the I
nactment of a law In connection wifi.
issuance of mjunctlops, attention
av1ng been sharply drawn to the ]
AFTER by the demand that the right ]
applying lnJunctions In labor cases
houfd be wholly abolished. It is at {
'dSI doubtful whether a law abolish ,
g altogether the use of injunctions :
such cases would stand the test of :
courts; In which case of course :
ne legislation would be ineffective :
Lynching. :
In connection with the DELAYS of !
Re law, l call your attention and the :
tfention of the nation to the prey i,
Ience Of crime among US, and above : :
4 to the epidemic of Iynching and :
90 violence that springs up, now in J
part OF our country, nov in an i
her. Each section, North, South, t
st and West, has its own faults; no n
stIon can with wisdom spend its t
Jeering at the faults of another O
;tlon; it should be busy trying to t
end Its own shortcomings. To a
with the crime of corruption it "
necessary to have an awakened n
Ollc conscience, and to supplement- il
9 hV wboforor lo~clko- III -