The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-26
THE PRESIDENTS ANNUAL
!. MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

session the annual message OIL res
dent Roosevelt was submitted and
read in both branches. 1t is. in sub
stance, as follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
AS a nation we still continue to en-
Joy a literally unprecedented pros
perity, and it is probable that only
reckless speculation and disregard of
legitimate business methods on the
part Of the business world can mate
rally mar this prosperity.
{ No Congress in our time has done
more good work of Importance than
the. present Congress. There were
several matters left unfinished at
your last session, however, which I
most earnestly hope you will COM
plete before your adjournment.
I again recommend a law prohibit
ing all corporations from contribut-
ing to the campaign expenses of any
party. Sucha bill has already passed
one house Of Congress. Let individ-
uals contribute as they desire, but
let US prohibit in effective fashion all
corporations from making ,contribu-
tions for any political purpose, d.
rectly or indirectly.
Another bill which has past one
house Of the Congress which it is
urgently necessary should be enacted
into law is that comforting upon the
Government the right of appeal in
criminal cases on questions of law.
The President says that the wheels
of justice are sometimes blocked for
lack Of this power and that failure
to pass it will result. in seriously
hampering the Government in its eff
fort to obtain justice, especially
against wealthy individuals or cor
porations who do wrong. and may
also prevent the Government from
obtaining Justice for wageworkers
who aresNot themselves able effect
ivelyG-SS contest a case where the
judgment of an inferior court has
been against them"
After referring to the absurdity Of
permitting a district judge to declare
a law passed by Congress "unconsti-
tutional,", the message states that the
Importance of %enacting into law the
particular bill in question is further
Increased by the fact that the Gov
eminent has now definitely begun q
campaign in those trust and inter-
state commerce cases where such a
course offers a reasonable. chance of
success.
The President believes it would be
well to enact q law providing some
thing to the effect that:
No judgment shall be set aside or
new trial granted in any case, civil
or criminal, on the ground Of misdi-
rection of the jury or the improper
admission OF rejection Of evidence,
or for error as to any matter of
pleading or procedure unless, in the
opinion of the court to which the ap-
plication Is made, after an examina-
ton Of the entire cause, it shall af-
irmatively appear that the error
complained of has resulted In a mis-
carriage Of justice.
On the subject of i~njunctions Mr..
Roosevelt says it is at least doubtful
whether a law abolishing altogether
their use in labor cases would stand
the test of the courts. 1t is criminal
to permit sympathy for criminals to
weaken our hands in unfolding the
law, and II men seek to destroy life
or property by mob violence there
should be no impairment of the pow
er of the courts to deal with them in
the most summary and effective way
possible. "But so far as possible"
the President, "the abuse
of the power should be provided
against by some such law as I advo-
Gated last year"
The message then devotes consid-
cradle space to. the prevalence of
crime among US, and above all to the
epidemic Of lynching and mob vio-
lence that springs up, now in one
part of our country, now in another.
Each section, North, South, East or
West, has its own faults; no section
can with wisdom spend its time jeer-
Ing at the faults of another section;
1t should be busy trying to amend Its
own shortcomings. To deal with the
crime of corruption it is necessary to
have an awakened public conscience,
and to supplement this by whatever
legislation will add speed and GER
tainty in the execution of the law.
When we deal with lynching even
more is necessary. A great many
white men are lynched, but the crime
Is peculiarly frequent in respect to
black men. The greatest existing
cause of lynching is the preparation,
especially by black men, Of the hid
eous crime Of rape-the most abom-
Unable in all the category Of crimes,
even worse than murder. Mobs fire.
cuently avenge the commission of
this crime by themselves torturing to
death the man committing 1t, thus
avenging in bestial fashion a bestial
deed, and reducing themselves to a
level with the criminal.
There is but one 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
social position, with even handed JUS
tice on his real worth as a a
There is no question Of social
equality" or negro domination in
volved; only the. question of relent-
'lessly Furnishing bad men.
Every colored man should realize
that the worst enemy Of his race is
the negro criminal, and above all the
negro criminal who commits the
dreadful crime of rape, and 1t should
be felt as in the highest degree an Of
fence against the whole country, and
against the colored ace in particu-
lar, for a colored man to fail to help
the officers of the law in hunting
Denies Mutiny on Tennessee.
oofor Cha rios r OIeary- of