The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-07
PRESIDENT ROOsEVELT's
ANNUAL MESSAGE
Continued from Second Page.)

the 1nSincere and unworthy demagog,
promising much and performing moth
ing, or else performing nothing but
EVIL, who would set III the mob TO
plumber the rich, as from the crafty
.cOrruptiOniSt, who, for his own ends,
would permit the nm people to be
exploited by the very wealthy. If we
ever let this government fail into the
hands OF men of either of these two
classes, we shall show ourselves false
10 Americas past. Moreover, the dem
agOg and the cOrruptionist often work
hand in hand. There are at this mo
ment wealthy reactiOnaries Of such OBJ
fuse morality that they regard the pub
lie servant who p~rOsecutes them when
they violate the law, or who seeks to
make them bear their proper share Of
the public burdens, as being even more
Objectionable than the violent a2itatCT
who hounds on the mob to plumber the
rich. There is nothing to choose be-
tween such Il reaCtiOnary and such an
~a@itatOr: Fundamentally they are alike
in their selfish disregard Of the rights
OF others; and it is natural that they
should join in opposition to Il move
ment Of which the aim is fearIessly to
do exact and even justice to all.
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES HOURS
AND EIGHT-HOUR LAW.
! call your attention to the need Of
passing the bill limiting the number Of
hours Of employment of railroad en-
pl0yce@. The measure is a very mod
crate one and | can conceive Of no Sc
TiOuS objection to it. Indeed, 50 Car
as ii IS III our power, it should be our
aim LtnoEliT- tn Tn11rn the nnnnhor ,c
hours Of labor. with as q goal the gen
cral introduction Of an eight-hOur day.
There are industries in which it is not
possible that the hours Of labor should
be reduced; just as there are commune
ties not far enough advanced for su2h
II movement to be for their good, or, if
in the Tropics, so situated that there is
no analogy between their needs ana
ours in this matter. On the Ishmus of
Panama, for instance, the conditions
are in every way 81 different from what
they are here that an eight-hour day
would be absurd; just as it is absurd,
so far as the IShmuS is concerned,
where white labor can not be employed,
to bother as to whether the necessary
work is done by alien black men or by
dllen yellow men. But the WageWOrk-
erS of the United States are Of 50 high
4 grade that alike from the merely in
duStrlal standpoint and from the civic
standpoint it should be our object to do
what We can in the direction of seCur-
ing the genera observance of an eight
hour day. Until recently the eight
hour law en- our federal statute books
has been very s~cantily observed. Now,
however. largely thru the instrumental
ity of the bureau of labor, it is being
rigidly enforced, and | shall speedily
be able to say whether Or not thee is
need Of further legislation in refer
encc thereto; for our purpose is 10 see
1t Obeyed n spirit no less than in
letter. Half holidays during summer
should be established for government
employees: it is as desirable for wage
workers who toll with their hands rs
for &aIaried official whose labor is men
tai that there should be a reasonable
mount Of holiday.
LABOR OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
The congress at its last session WISE
ly provided for a truant court fOr the
District of COhmbia; a marked step
in advance on the path of properly
caring for he children. Let me again
IL that the congress provide for It
thOrO investigation Of the conditions OF
child IaUo" and Of the labor OF women
in the United States. More and more
our people are growing to recognize
the fact that the questions which are
not merely of industrial but Of social
Importance outweigh all Othe S: and
these two questions most e~mphaticaliy
come in The category of those which
affect IN the most far reaching way
the home life of the nation. The nor
rOrS incident to the employment Of
young children in factories or al work
anywhere q blot on our civilization.
1t IS true that each state must ulGl-
mately settle the question in its Y
way; but Il thOrO official investigation
of the matter, with the results publish
ed broadcast, would greatly help TO-
ward arCusing the public conSci nee
and securing unity of state action III
the matter. There is. hOWeye", one
law on the subject which should be
enacted immediately, because there is
no need for an investigation in refer
ence thereto, and the failure to enaCt
it is discreditable to the national gov
eminent A drastic and thOrOgGiDG
child-labOr law should be enacted for
the District of Columbia M the terri
tories.
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY
Among the excellent laws viii h the
congress past al the last session was
an employers liability law. It was a
marked step in advance TO get t e re-
cognition of employers liability ON The
statute books; but the law did not 90
far enough. In spite of all precautions
exercised - employers there are una
voidable accidents aid even deaths in
volved in nearly every line Of IL ;.ness
connected with the mechanic ar S. This
inevitable sacrifice of life may be re-
duced to a minimum, but it can not be
completely eliminated. 1t is a g at So
cial injustice to compel the empioyee
or rather the family Of the kilie9 OF
disabled victim, to bear the entire bur
den of such inevitable sacrifice. Ir
othor words society," ShirkS its du+y ky