Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-05
Vigorously Maintains the
Treaty Rights of
the Japanese
Numerous Important Recommends.
tions Are Made for the Enactment
of Legislation Covering a Wide
Range of Subjects
Special to The Herald.

WASHINGTON, Dec. A.
President Roosevelt's message
was transmitted to congress to-
day, its reading consuming near
ly three hours.
The president handled the diff
ferent subjects exhaustively, some
sections being received with pro-
nounced hand clapping.
The California delegation did
not relish the references to the
public schools and Japanese con-
troversy in San Francisco.
The presidents message was as
follows:
THE MESSAGE
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
AS a nation we still continue to enjoy
a literally unprecedented prosperity;
and it is probable that only reckless
speculation and disregard of legitimate
businessgmethods aon the part of the
business world can materially 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 ses-
sion, however, which 1 most earnestly
hope you will complete before your ad-
journment.
Corporation Campaign Contributions
again recommend law prohibiting
all corporations from contributing to
the campaign expenses of any party.
Such bill has already passed one house
of congress. Let the individuals con-
tribute as they desire; but let us pro-
hibit in effective fashion all corpora
tions from making contributions for
any political purpose, directly or indi-
rectly.
Governments Right of Appeal In
Criminal Cases
Another bill which has just passed
one house of the congress and 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. This
right exists in many of the states; 1t
exists in the District of Columbia by
act of the congress. 1t is, of course,
not proposed that in any case a ver-
dict for the defendant on the merits
should be set aside. Recently in one
district where the government had in
dicted certain persons for conspiracy
in connection with rebates, the court
sustained the defendants demurrer;
while in another jurisdiction an indict-
ment for conspiracy to obtain rebates
has been sustained by the court. con-
victions obtained under it and two de-
PENDANTS sentenced to imprisonment
The two cases referred to may not be
in real conflict with each other, but it
is unfortunate that there should even
be an apparent conflict. At present
there is no way by which the govern
ment can cause such a conflict, when
1t occurs to be solved by an appeal to
a higher court; and the wheels of JUS
tice are blocked without any real de-
cision of the question. ! cannot too
strongly urge the passage of the bill in
question. A failure to pass it will re-
suit in seriously hampering the govern
ment in its effort to obtain justice, es-
pecially against wealthy individuals or
corporations who do wrong: and may
also prevent the government from OBJ
tanning justice for wage workers who
are not themselves able effectively to
contest a case where the Judgment of
an Inferior court has been against them.
! have specifically in view a recent de-
cision by district judge leaving rail-
way employees without remedy for vio-
lation of a certain so-called labor
statute. 1t seems an absurdity to per-
NIT single district Judge, against
what may be the judgment of the inn
mense majority of his colleagues on
the bench, to declare a law solemnly
enacted by the congress to be "un-
constitutional" and then to deny to
the government the right to have the
supreme court definitely decide the
question.
Bears on Trusts
1t is well to recollect that the real
efficiency Of the law often depends not
upon the passage of acts as to which
there is great public excitement hut
upon the passage Of acts of this ma
ture as to which there Is not much
lie excitement because there is little
public understanding OF their import
ance. while the interested parties are
keeny alive to the desirability N de-
feating them. The Importance of en-
acting into law the particular bill in
question Is further increased by the
fact that the government has now
definitely begun a policy of resortng
TO the criminal law in those trust ana
interstate commerce cases where such
a course offers a reasonable chance of
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