Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-12-06
PRESIDENTS
ANNUAL MESSAGE
Urges Same Justice to Black and
White Races-Educate All Class
es-Against Corporation Cam
paign Funds-Preachor5 of Dis
content Scored.
Washington, d. c E. Dec. 4

u law lIOAIbIllnS COllgOIdlIOlS ILoLu
contributing to campaign funds. He
also urges the passage of the measure
3nferring upon the government the
right OF appeal in criminal cases on
questions of law Continuing, the
president Says:
| cannot too strongly urge the pas
age OF the bill in question. A failure
10 pass il viii result in seriously ham
Pering the government in its effort TO
obtain justice, especially against
wealthy individuals OF corporations
who do wrong. and may also prevent
the government from obtaining justice
for waseworkerS who are not them
selves able effectively TO contest a case
where the judgment of an inferior
court has been against them. l have
specifically in view recent decision
by district Judge leaving railway
employees without remedy for viola
ton OF Il certain SO called labor statute.
The Importance of enacting into law
the particular bill In question is fur
ther Increased by the fact that the gov
ernment has now definitely begun a
policy OF resortIng to the criminal law
in those trust and interstate commerce
case where such course offers rea-
sonal lie chance OF success.
Proper Use of Iniuncttons.
la my last message l suggested the
enactment of law in connection with
the issuance OF injunctions, attention
having been sharply drawn TO the mat
ter by the demand that the right Of ap
plying iniunctionS In labor cases
should be wholly abolished. 1t Is at
least doubtful whether a law abolish
Ing altogether the use Of injunctions
in such cases would stand the test OF
the courts, in which case, of course, the
legislation would be ineffective. More
over, believe 1t would be wrong alto
gether to prohibit the use of injunc-
tionS 1t is criminal TO permit sym
pathy for criminals to weaken our
hands i'll upholding the law, and IL
men seek TO destroy life or property
by mob violence there should be no Inn
pairnent OF the power Of the courts to
deal with them in the most summary
and effective way possible. But so
far as possible the abuse of the power
should be provided against by some
such law as advocated last year.
Against Lynchfns.
/ call your attention and the atten-
ton of the nation to the prevalence OF
crime among us and, above all. to the
epidemic of Iynching and mob violence
that springs up now in one part of our
country, now in another. Each Sec !
tion, north, south, east or west, has
It's vn faults. No section can with |
wisdom spend its time jeering at the
faults of another section. 1t should be
busy trying to amend its own short !
comings. To deal with the crime or
corruption Ii Is necessary TO have an
awakened public conscience and TO
supplement this by whatever legisla- |
ton will add speed and certainty in !
the execution of the law. When we
deal with lynching even more is neces-
sary. 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 perpetration, especially by black
men, of the hldeous crime Of rape, the
most abominable in all the category
Of crimes even worse than murder.
Laylessness grows by what 1t feeds
upon. 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 |
twothirds OF the lynchings are not |
for rape ut all, while a considerable |
proportion of the individuals lynched !
are innocent OF all crime.
There Is but one safe 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, 10 treat each man,
whatever his color. his creed or his so
cial position. with even handed Justice |
ON his real worth as a man. White |
people owe il quite as much to them
selves as TO the colored race to treat
well the colored man who shows by |
his life that be deserves such treatment |
There Is no question of social equality |
or negro domination involved.
In my judgment, the crime of rape
should always be punished with death, |
as is the case with murder. Assault |
with intent to commit rape should be |
made q capital crime, at least In the |
discretion OF the court, and provision |
should be made by which the punish
ment may follow Immediately upon !
the heels OF the offense.
No more shortsighted policy can be |
imagined than in the fancied interest |
of one class TO prevent the education |
of another class. The white man, II |
ne is wise, will decline TO allow the |
negroes In q mass to grow to man
hood and womanhood without educa- |
tion.
preachers Of Mere Diseontent."
In dealing with both labor and cap |
ital, with the questions affecting both |
corporations and trades unions, there
In one matter more important to re-
member than aught else, and that Is
the Infinite harm done by preachers Of
mere discomfort These are the men
who seek to excite violent class ha-
tired against all men Of wealth They
seek to turn wise and proper move
ments for the better control of corpora
tions and for doing away with the
abuses connected with wealth into
campaign or nysIerlcaI excitement ano /
falsehood In which the aim is to In
fame to madness the brutal passions
Of mankind The sinister demagogues
and foolish Missionaries who are always
eager TO undertake such a campaign
OF destruction sometimes seek to as.
sociate themselves with those working
for a genuine reform in governmental
and social methods and sometimes mas
Ouerade as such reformers. In reality
they ara the worst enemies Of the
cause they profess to advocate, just as
the purveyors of sensational SANDER In
newspaner or magazine are the worst