Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-12-06

THE
ANNUAL MESSAGE
Recommends Legislation on
New and Important
Subjects.
iucnME INHERITANCE ThY
INCOME INHERITANCE TAX
He Believes Such Laws Would Curb
Growth of Fortunes to DAN
gerous Proportions.
His Views on Negro ousstion-Asks
for Currency Reform, and Shipping
BiII-Would Make Citizens of Japs
Many Other Important Subjects
Discussed.

Washington, Dec. 3.-The notable fea-
lures of President Roosevelt's annual
message to congress are his appeal for
the enactment into law of several bills
spring; his views on the negro problem;
the scoring he gives those whom he
terms preachers of discomfort" the
stand he takes for the control of corpor-
the interstate clause of the
constitution, n his recommendation for
an Inheritance n income tax law.
Many other subjects common to mes
sages of the chief executive are touched
upon. but the ones mentioned are by
far of the greatest Importance. He es-
pecialy urges the passage of the bill
prohibiting corporations from contribut-
Ing to campaign funds, and also that one
which would give the government the
right Of appeal in criminal cases. or
this he
Another bill which has just past one
house of the congress n which is ur-
gently necessary should be enacted into
law is that comforting upon the govern
ment the right of appeal in criminal
cases on questions of law. This right
the District of Columbia by act of the
congress. 1t is of course not proposed
that in any case a verdict for the de-
PENDANT on the merits should be set
aside. Recently in one district where
the government had indicted certain per-
sons for conspiracy in connection with
rebates, the court sustained the defend
ants demurrer: while in another juris-
diction an indictment for conspiracy to
obtain rebates has been sustained by
the court, convictions obtained under 1t,
and two defendants sentenced to impris-
onment. The two cases referred to may
not be in real conflict with each other,
but it is unfortunate that there should
even be an apparent conflict. At pres
ent there is no way by which the gov
eminent 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 question. / can not too strongly
urge the passage of the bill in question.
A failure to pass will result In seriously
hampering 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 themselves
able effectively to contest a case where
the judgment of an inferior court has
been against them. l have specifically
in view a recent decision by a district
Judge leaving railway employees with
out remedy for violation of a certain So
called labor statute. 1t seems an absurd
ity to permit a single district judge,
against what may be the Judgment of
the immense majority of his colleagues
On the bench. to declare a law solemnly
enacted by the congress to be "uncon-
sti%tutional." and then to deny to the
government the right to have the SUI
preme court definitely decide he ques-
ton"