Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-12-13
RESUME OF
THE MESSAGE
Short Review of Presidents Recon-.
mendati0RS to Congress.

cred December 4, follow:
l again recommend law prohibiting a
corporations from contributing to the campaig
expenses Of any party Such bill has a
ready passed house of congress Let il
dividuals contribute as they desire; but let II
prohibit in effective fashion all corporation
from making contributions for any politica
purpose, directly or indirectly.
Another bill which has just passed one hous
of congress and which 1t is urgently necessar
should be enacted into law is that conferrin
upon the government the right of appeal i
criminal cases on questions OF law. This righ
exists in many of the states; it exists in tn
District OF Columbia by act Of the congress
1t is of course not proposed that in any cas-
verdict for the defendant on the merit
should be set aside a failure 10 pass it viii
result in seriously hampering the governmen
in its effort to obtain justice, especially agains
wealthy individuals or corporations who d.
wrong; and may also prevent the government
from obtaining justice, for wage,,workers VIII
are not themselves able effectively to contes
a where the judgment OF an inferior cour
has been against them.
In connection with this matter l would like
to call attention to the very unSatistactor!
state of our criminal law resulting in large
part from the habit of setting aside the judg
ments of inferior courts on teChncalltles alb
soutey unconnected with the merits of tht
case and where there is attempt to show
that there has been any failure of substantial
justice.
In my last message I suggested the enact
ment of law in connection with the issuance
drawn TO the matter by the demand that the
right of applying injunctions in labor cases
should be wholly abolished. 1t is at least
doubtful whether law abolishing altogether
the use of the irjunctions in such cases would
stand the test OF the courts; in which case
of course the legislation would be ineffective.
Moreover, | believe it would be wrong alto
gether to prohibit the use of injunctions. But
SO far as possible the abuse of the power
should be provided against by some such law
| advocated last year.
7 ,,.,laS hy NNb
and when mobs begin to lynch for rape they
speedily extend the sphere of their operations
and lynch for. many other kinds OF crimes,
so that two-thirds of the lynchings are not
for rape at all; while considerable proper
tion OF the individuals lynched innocent of
all crime. In my judgment, the crime of rape
should always be punished with death, as in
the case with murder; assault with intent to
commit rape should be made capital crime,
at least in the discretion of the court; and pro
vision should be made by which the punish
of the offense; while the trial should be so
conducted that the victim need not be wan
tonly shamed while giving testimony and that
the least possible publicity shall be given to the
details.
| call your attention to the need of passing
the bill limiting the number OF hours OF EN-
ploynent of railroad employees. The measure
is a very moderate one and ! can conceive OF
no serious objection to it. Indeed, so far as
it is in our power, it should be our aim
steadily to reduce the number Of hours OF
tio1 Of an eight-hour day
The horrors incident to the employment of
young children in factories or, at work any
where are blot on our civilization. 1t is
true that each state must ultimately settle the
question in its OWE way; but a thorough of
fetal investigation of the matter, with the re-
suits published broadcast, would greatly help
toward aro.sng the public conscience and Sc
curing unity of state action in the matter,
Among the excellent laws which the con-
efess passed at the last session was an en-
ployer,s liability law 1t was a marked step
ployers' liability the statute books; but
the law did not go far enough In spite OF
all precautions exercised by employers there
involved in nearly every line of business con
nected with the mechanic arts. If the entire
trade risk is placed upon the employer he will
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
the employer. Neither the federal law nor: as
far as | am informed, the state laws dealing
with the question Of employers liability are
b5 IL cgs epovfs n5e isdf5a n Navy
yards. arsenals and the like
It is not wise that the nation should
ALLEVIATE its remaining coal lands. | have TEN
porarily withdrawn from settlement all the
Gated as containing. in all probability CON
tanning coal. The question, however can be
properly settled only by legislation, which IN
my judgment should provide for the wit.-
drawal of these lands from sale or from
entry save in certain especial circumstances
The ownership would then remain in the
United States which should not, however,
attempt TO work them. but permit them TO be
worked by private individuals under royalty
system. the government keeping such control
as to permit il to see that no excessive price |
be as necessary to supervise the rates charged |
by the cormon carriers to. transport the pro-
duct as the rates charged by those who mine |
it: and the supervision must extend TO the |
conduct of the common carriers so that they |
shall in no way favor one competitor at the |
expense of another. The withdrawal of these
coal lands would constitute a policy analogous |
TO that which has been followed in withdraw
ing the forest lands from ordinary settle |
ment. The coal, like the forests, should be
treated as the property of the public. and its
disposal should be under conditions which |
would inure to the benefit of the public as
whole. /
only to a less degree the passage of the pure,
food bill and the provision for increasing and
rendering more effective the national control |
over the beef-packing industry, mark an i'm |
no-,.,t .dvs-ce in the n-oper direction In |
my judgment it will in the end be advisable |
in connection with the packing-h house inspec- |
label and for charging the cost of inspection
to the packers
country. but il Is especially difficult in ours, |
,axe. should on every ground be levied in a |
small district for use in that district. Thus |
the taxation Of real estate is peculiarly one |
for the immediate locality in which the real |
estate i found. But there many kinds OF |
taxes which can only be levied by the general |
government so as 70 produce the best results. |
because among other reasons the attempt TO |
impose them in particular state too often |
results merely in driving the corporation or |
Individual affected TO other locality or |
other state TIE national government has long |
derived its chief revenue from tariff on i'm |
r,1~fs and from an internal or excise tax In !
addition 70 these there i every reason why, /
y her -e,t our system Of taxation is revised, 1
,Le -1--fn-al government should impose a grad |
uared inheritance tax, and, If possible, grad |
usted income tax.
The industrial and agricultural classes must |
work together. capitalists and wageworker
must work together II the best work OF which |
- ~o--rt-v i capable IS 20 be done. 1t is
probable that thoroughly efficient system Of
education comes next 20 the influence OF pat
r;oti-r- il bringing about national success Of
this kind Our federal form Of government,
- fruitful Of advantage 30 cur people in Ger
- v-zvs in other ways undoubtedly limits
fo- i-sta-ce for the national p, --rnrnent 20
take the lead in technical industrial education.
to -ee thar THE p1b-.C school ,y-tem VI thls
country develops on al its technical. inArrs-
.--aT z~fe---Fr 1~d -7rr1s-cfa' sides This
mus. be left primarily 20 the several states.
efFort j. 20 give the governmental assistance
il fhe most effective way, that i. through as
sociafiurs 81 farmers rather than 20 OF through
iri '-vi.f-1ai farmers J. j. also striving 10 CO
ordinate its YORK with the agricultural de-
psrtn,ents of the several states ard 50 far az
its own work Is educational, 10 coordinate it