The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-04
ional license by which the government

ClOnal license Dy which the government
may exercise such control as may. pre-
vent evils of excessive over-capitalizaq
tion. This, he thinks, will tend to put
a stop to the securing Of. ,inordinate
profits, at the expense of the general
public and the wage workers. IT, \
To the reactionaries who manifest
alarm at. the tendencies toward social
ism, the president suggests that they
are themselves most potent in increas-
ing socialistic feeling; that the most
efficient protection against dangerous
agitation, which he says is 80. per cent
wrong is to cure the 20 per cent of
evil out of which the agitation grows.
He would not prohibit all combina-
tions, but intelligently discriminate.
and wisely regulate organized industry
and commerce. Such a combination,
for instance, as railroads might make
for the purpose Of resisting the de-:
mands Of large shippers made at the
expense of smaller competitors would
be. in the public interest and should be
favored. 'a' g.. ..~'.s,., T.. 4
The public has been looking with
interest for the presidents recon-
mendations with regard to Inheritance:
and income. taxes. The former he
strongly indorses:. and suggests that
when next our system Of taxation is
revised the government" should impose
a graduated inheritance tax. He would:
also take: into account the.Snearness of
kin and impose the heavier tax, in pro-.
portion as the. relationship Isl more re-.
mote. The Inheritance tax. is not an,
untried measure, having been under
taken first in 1897, when, the makers
Eof the constitution were alive and at
| the head of affairs. It. was a gradu-
ated tax at that time.s Again in 1862
It was imposed for the purpose Of rails.
| ing war revenues, the minimum sum Of
$1,000 being exempt and the tax be-
coming progressive according to the re-
moteness. of the relationship Of the
| benefciaries. Again in 1898 an inherit
| lance tax was one Of orr: war meas.
ures, fall ling upon estates exceeding in
value $4,000 and increasing g. as before,
according to the amount left and the
remoteness of kin. The constitutional
ity of the Inheritance tax has been de-
term1ned by the supreme court. The
president would also recommend q
graduated. income tax, but recognizes
the constitutional difficulties and recon-
mends that congress endeayor, if DOS
slble, to find some way, of imposing
such tax as will meet constitutio
restrictions.
Among his recommendations is a
national divorce law. This may. REQUIRE
IA constitutional amendment but the
consequences Of loose legislation by
various states are so serious as to JUS
tify, in the president's view, extraor-
binary efforts to correct the. evils of
easy divorce. ~ 4. .-.'
| The pending ship subsidy bill is
recommended without discussion as
being as nearly unobiectionable as any
can be. = J. r -. .-
Attention is called to recommends.
tion of the secretary of the treasury
for currency reform, but evidently the
4 president ~ does not desire to commit
himself to any special plan. It is, as
he indicates, a matter for experts, and
he contents himself with urging con.
gress to take prompt action p. .s.>g>
The president advises reduction of
the tariff in favor Of the Philippines
) or absolute free trade as a measure of
4 Justice to the people of the islands
!: who are also to be given the oppor
i tunity to test in measure their ca
:: pacity for self-government by theil
: calling Of the first Filipino Legislative
assembly.
+ The slight friction which has arisen
over the exclusion of Japanese from
the public schools of San Francisco fur.
nishes the. text for a serious discussion
of international morality and good
manners as compared with Individual
The president declares that it is mis-.
d take and betrays spirit Of foolish
4 cynicism to maintain that all interna,
: tienal government action is and must
4 ever be based upon mere selfshness
/ and that to advance ethical reasons for
such action is sign of hypocrisy
Eethica1 reasons which will not justify
individual action will not justify gov.
ernmental. q, It is a. sure mark Of a
low civilization, he argues, a low moral
ity, to abuse or discriminate against OF
in any way humihate the strang ger With
in our gates iwho.is conducting himself
properly, and it is peculiarly incum
bent on every government official
whether of the nation or of the severa
t states, to keep in mind this obligation
Shutting the Japanese out Of the pub
lie schools, the president declares, is 1
: wicked absurdity when there are ne
: first-class colleges ins the land, inclltd
/ ing the universities and colleges Sol
t California, which do not / gladly wei
come Japanese students and on which
\ Japanese students do not reflect credit
: Turnout Japan Americans are vel
treated and the president calls atsen
! tion to the fact that any failure on The