Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-12-07
Presidents Message.

The annual message Of President
Roosevelt to congress, which was read
in the house and senate last Tuesday
is one of the longest papers Of the
kind on record, and while there is much
room for difference of opinion, 1t is
probably one of the ablest.
In this message the president dis
cusses a wide range of subjects, in
Guiding almost every question that is
now occupying the attention of think
ing men, from law and lynching to
marriage and divorce, from the eight
hour law to a tax on incomes and in
heritances.
Owing to the great length Of the pa
per- THE ENQUIRER has not seen proper
to attempt to print 1t in full. 1t would
fill at least two and half pages, and
we are inclined to think that most Of
our readers would prefer the compre-
hensive summary that appears on our
first page, to the full text.
1t is probably in the discussion Of the
political question of the admins
tration of justice that the president is
ablest and happiest, and in the follow
ing it seems to strike keynote that
might very properly find a response in
every legislative body in the Union:
I'm connection with this matter I
would like to call attention to the very
unsatisfactory state Of our criminal
law, resulting in large part from the
habit of setting aside the judgments
of inferior courts on technicalities abb
SClutely unconnected with the merits
Of the case, and where there Is no at
tempt to show that there has been any
failure of substantial justice. 1t would
be we'll TO enact law providing some
thing to the effect that:
mo judgment shall be set aside or
new trial granted in any cause, civil or
criminal, on the ground of misdirection
of the jury or the improper admission
or rejection Of evidence, or for error
as to any matter of pleading or pro-
cedure unless, in the opinion Of the
court to which the application is made,
after an examination Of the entire
cause, it shall affirm mativeIy appear that
the error complained of has resulted in
miscarriage Of justice"
The lynching question the president
discusses at length along lines that are
in full accord with the best thought
Of the south on the subject. The fol-
lowing advice to the negro is well con-
sidered and timely:
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 dread
full crime of rape. ana it should be felt
as in the highest degree an offence
against the whole country, and against
the colored race in particular, for a
cOlOred man to fail to help the officers
of the law in hunting down with all
possible earnestness and zeal every
such Infamous offender. Moreover in
my judgment, the crime of rape should
always be punished with death, as is
the case with murder; assaults with
intent to commit rape should be a cap
ital crime, at least in the discretion Of
the court, and provision should be
made by which the punishment may
follow Immediately upon the heels Of
the offence. while the trial should be
so conducted that the victim need not
be wantonly shamed while giving tes-
timony, and that the least possible
publicity shal be given to the details"
One Of the most portentous ques-
tons touched upon. probably is the