The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-12-06
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

President Roosevelt in his annual
message again urges the enactment of
law prohibiting corporations from
contributing to campaign funds. He
also urges the passage of the measure
comforting upon the government tho
right OF appeal In criminal cases on
questions of law. Continuing, the
president says:
| cannot too strongly urge the pas
sage of the bill In question. A failure
TO pass 1t will result In seriously ham
perng the government In its effort to
obtain justice, especially against
wealthy individuals or corporations
who do wrong, and may also prevent
the government from obtaining justice
for wagewOrkers who are not them
selves able effectively to contest case
where the judgment of an Inferior
court has been against them. | have
specifically In view recent decision
by a district judge leaving railway
employees without remedy for viola
ton of Il certain so called labor statute.
The Importance of enacting into law
the particular bill In question Is fur
Their increased by the fact that the gov
eminent has now definitely begun
policy of resortlng to the criminal law
In those trust and interstate commerce
cases where such a course offers a rea-
sonable chance of success.
In my last message | suggested the
enactment Of law In connection with
the issuance of injunctions, attention
having been sharply drawn to the mat
ter by the demand that the right of APP
plying injunctions In labor cases
should be wholly abolished. 1t is at
least doubtful whether a law abolish
ing altogether the use of inJunctions
In such cases would stand the test of
the courts, In which case, of course, the
legislation would be ineffective. More
over, believe It would be wrong alto
gether to prohibit the use Of injunc-
tons. 1t Is criminal to permit sym
patty for criminals to weaken our
hands in upholding the law, and II
men seek to destroy life or property
by mob violence there should be no I'm
pairment of the power of the courts to
deal with them in the most summary
and effective way possible. But SO
far rs possible the abuse of the power
should be provided against by some
such law rs I advocated last year.
ArnInat IynchinR.
| call your attention and the atten-
ton of the nation 10 the prevalence OF
crime among us and, above ALL to the
epidemic of lynching and mob violence
that springs up now In one part Of our
country, now In another Each sec
ton, north. south, east or west, has
It's own faults. No section can with
wisdom spend It's time jeering at the
faults of another section. 1t should be
busy trying to amend its own short
comings To deal with the crime OF
corruption It Is necessary to have an
awakened public conscience and to
supplement this by whatever leglsla-
tion Will add speed and certainty III
the execution of the law. When we
deal with lynchlng even more Is neces-
sary. A great many white men are
lynched, but the crime is peculiarly
frequent In respect to black men. The
greatest existing cause of lynchlng Is
the preparation, especially by black
men. of the hideous crime Of rape, the
most abomlnable In all the category
of crimes, even worse than murder.
Lawlessness grows by what 1t feeds
upon. and when mobs begin to lynct
for rape they speedily extend the
sphere of their operations and lynch
for many other kinds Of crimes. 80 that
two-thirds OF the lynchings are not
for rape at all, while considerable
proportion Of the individuals lynched
are innocent of all crime.
There is but one safe rule in dealing
with black men as with white men.
1t Is the same rule that must be ap-
piled In dealing with rich men and
poor men-that Is, to treat each man,
whatever his color, his creed or his so
cial position, with even handed Justice
on his real worth as man. White
people owe 1t quite as much to them
selves as to the colored race to treat
we'll the colored man who shows by
his life that he deserves such treatment.
There is no question of social equality
or negro domination involved.
In my judgment, the crime of rape
should always be punished with death,
as is the case with murder. Assault
with intent to commit rape should be
made n capital crime at least In the
discretion of the court, and provision
should be made by which the punish
ment may follow Immediately upon
the heels of the offense.
No more shortsighted policy can be
imagined than In the fanced interest
of one class to prevent the education
of another class. The white man, If
he is wise, VIII decline to allow the
negroes In mass to grow to man
hood and womanhood without educa-
ton.
"PreacherH of Mere Discomfort"
In dealing with both labor and cap
ital, with the questions affecting both
Is one matter more important to re
member than aught else. and that Is
the Infinite harm done by preachers OF
mere discomfort These are the men
who seek To excite violent class ha
tired against all men OF wealth. They
seek to turn wise and proper move
ments for the better control OF corpora