The new age., 1906-12-08
MESSAGE IN BRIEF
Important Points Of Presidents
Communication to Congress

UUllllIlullICdtIUn tU UUIIyi COO
The main points brought out by the presi-
dent in his annual message to congress- aehV-
cred December 4, follow
l again recommend law prohibiting an /
from contributing to the campaign
expenses of any party. Such bill has al |
ready passed one house of congress: Let m |
dividuals contribute as they desire; but let US
prohibit in effective. fashion all corporauons
from making contributions tor any Pohtieal /
purpose, directly or indirectly.
Another bill which has Just passed one house |
of congress and which it is urgently necessary
should be enacted into law is that conferring
upon the government the right OF appear IN
criminal cases on questions of law. This right
exists in many of the states; 1t exists IN tne
District of Columbia by act OF the congress.
1t is of course not proposed that IN any T;ts Eats
should be set aside A failure to pass 1t VIII
result in seriously hampering the gnvernment
in its effort to obtain justice, especlaly aeains
wealthy individuals or corporations VINO 40
wrong; and may also prevent the government
from obtaining justice for wage-workers VINO
are not themselves able effectively to contest
case where the judgment OF an lnIeIlol So"t'
has been against them. ., ,.,
In connection with this matter l would like
to call attention to the very unsausIaSStoly
state of our criminal law, resulting IN IN ;s,dg
part from the habit of setting aside the )uogg-
ments of inferior courts technlcalltleS an
solutely unconnected with the merits OF the
case and where there is 40 attempt 10 SNOW
that there has been any failure Oh SuOS'an'iAi
justice. -, -
In my last message / suggested the enact
ment of law in connection with the issuance
of injunctions, attention having Deen shaI ply
drawn to the matter by the demand that the
right of applying injunctions in labor cases
should be wholly abolished. 1t is .Ls. al sass
doubtful whether law a6olishing aItogeonIIdd go.,Id
the use of the injunctions in such cases Woulu
stand the test of the courts; IN wnicn case
of course the legislation would be meHecuve.
Moreover, 1 believe it would pc wrong dlto
pether to prohibit the use OF inJuncuonS' Dut
30 far as possible the abuse OF the power
should be provided against by some sucn IA"
as | advocated last year. .
Lawlessness grows by what it feeds upon,
and when mobs begin to lynch for rape they
speedily extend the sphere OF their opeIduons
and lynch for many other kinds OF CIihleo
so that two-thirds of the lynchings are not
for rape at all; while considerable propor-
lion of the individuals lynched are innocent OF
all crime In my Judgment, the crime of rape
should always be punished with death as IN IN
the case with murder; assault with intent 10
commit rape should be made capital crime,
at least in the discretion of the court; and pro
vision should be made by which the punisn-
ment may follow immediately upon the heels
| of the offense; while the trial should be SO
conducted that the victim need not De wan.
| tonly shamed while giving testimony, and that
the least possible publicity shall be given to the
details
I cali your attention to the need of passing
the bill limiting the number of hours OF EN-
ployment of railroad employees. The measure
| is very moderate one and can conceive W Wol
no serious objection to it. Indeed, so far as
| it is in our power, it should be our ann
! steadily to reduce the number OF hours o.
labor, with as goal the general introouc,
l tio,, Of an eightshofiT day.
The horrors incident to the employment q
Young children in factories or at Work any
| where are a blot on our civilization Il Is
/ true that each state must ultimately settle the
| in re WI a thorough
| fetal investigation of the matter, with the re
suits published broadcast, would greatly help
toward aroxsing the public conscience and Sc
| curing unitv of state action in the matter.
| Among the excellent laws which the con
| gress passed at the last session was an EN-
ployers' liability law. 1t was a. marked ster
ployers' liability on the statute books; but
| the law did not go far enough. In spite OF
all precautions exercised by employers there
are unavoidable accidents and even death:
involved in nearly every line of business con
nected with the mechanic arts. 1t the entire
trade risk is placed upon the employer he WI
promptly and properly add it to the Legitimate
ateiy upon the consumers of his commodity
1t is therefore clear to my mind that the law
should place this entire risk of a trade" upor
far as l am informed the state. laws ID. dealing
| with the question of employers lia6iity ar
sufficiently thoroughgoing. The federal lav
should of include employees IN navy
|
| 1t is not wise that the nation shoult
ALLEVIATE its remaining coal lands. | have TEN
porarily withdrawn from settlement all IN.
lands which the geological survey has indl
tanning coal. The question, however, ,n can 2 ?
properly settled only by legislation, which Il
my judgment should provide for the WIZ
drawal of these lands from, sale or Iros a
entry, save in certain especial circumstance
The ownership would then remain IN IN
United States, which should not, however
attempt to work them, but permit them to D
worked by private individuals under a royait
system, the government keeping such contro
as to permit it to see that no excessive Prlc
was charged consumers. 1t would, OF course
be as necessary to supervise the rates charge
! | by the cormon carriers to transport the prc
duct as the rates charged by those who min
it; and the supervision must extend to IN
conduct of the common carriers, so that the
expense of another. The withdrawal OF thes
coal lands would constitute policy analogou
to that which has been followed in Withdraw
9 ing the forest lands from ordinary settit
ment The coal, like the forests, should ,
treated as the property of the public, and II
disposal should be under conditions whic
would inure to the benefit OF the pubic as
L whole.
The passage of the railway rate bill, an
only to a less degree the passage of the Pur'
P food bill, and the provision Tor increasing an
over the beef-paeking industry, mark an in
portant advance in the proper direction: 1
| my Judgment it will in the end be advisao
in connection with the packing house inspe
ton law to provide for putting date on u
label and for charging the cost OF inspectie
v to the packers.
The question of taxation is difficult IN ar
country but it is especially difficult IN our
= with its Federal system of government. Don
taxes should on every ground be levied IN
small district for use in that district I'M
the taxation of real estate is peculiarly OF
for the immediate locality in which the re
estate is found. But there are many kinds
taxes which can only be levied by the gener
government so as to produce the best result
beca"se. among other reasons, the atterrpt
impose them in particular state too on
results merely in driving the corporation
Individual affected to some other locahty
? | other state The national government mas ioi
> derived its chief revenue from a t2riH on u
ports and from an internal or excise tax
addition TO these there is every reason WI
when next our system of taxation IS revise
the national government should impose gra
uated inheritance tax, and, if possible, gra
uated income tax
The industrial and agricultural classes mi
work together, capitalists and wageWorke
must work together, If the best work OF whl'
the country is capable is to be done 1t
probable that a thoroughly efficient system
education comes next to the influence OF ps
rotism in bringing about national success
this kind. Our federal form of governmer
q so fruitful of advantage to our people IN &C
s-:- wavs. in other ways undoubtedly Inn
Y. our national efIeeti-eness. 1t is not possbl
g. ;oStapra for he rational government