The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-07
To the Senate and House CT Represen
tatives:

TO the Senate and House Ct Represea-
tatives:
AS a nation WE still continue to en-
joy literally unprecedented prosperi-
'ty; and it is probable that only reskless
speculation and disregard of legitimate
business methods ON the part of the
business world ean materially mar this
prosperity.
No congress Of our time has done
more good work than the present con-
.gress. There WIRE several matters left
unfinished at your last session. how
ever, which msBt earnestly hope yeu
will complete before YOUR adjournment.
CORPORATION CAMPAIGN CONTRI-
BUTTONS.
I.again recommend a law prohibiting
all corporations from Contributing to
the campaign expenses of any party.
Such a bill has already past one: house
OF congress. Let individuals contribute
as they desire; blK let us prohibit IN eff
fective fashion all corporations from
making contributions for any political
purpose, directly or indirectly.
GOVERNMENTS RIGHT, OF APPEAL
IN. CRIMINAL CASES.
Another bill which has just past 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 Grim
inal ases N question OF law. This
right exists in many OF the states; it
exists in the District OF Columbia by
act Of the congress. 1t is of course
not proposed that in any case a verdict
Tor the defendant on he merits should
he set aside. Recently in aIe district
where the government had indicted
certain persons for conspiracy in con
mection with rebates, the court sustain
ed the defendants demurrer; while in
another Jurisdiction an Indictment for
conspiracy 81 obtain rebates las been
sustained by tChe court, con V1ctiOnS OBJ
tanned under it. and two defendants
sentenced to Imprisonment. The w
eases referred TO NAV not he in real
conflict with eerch other, but it is I'M
foTEIn2te that there Should even be aMl
apparent conflict. At present there is
no way by which the government can
cause such Il conflict. when it occurs,
to be solved by 81 appeal to a higher
court; and the wheels of justice are
blocked without any real decision of
h question | can not too strongly
urge tie passage CT the bill in question.
4 failure TO pass it will seriously ham,
per he government in its efforts TO
obtain JUS .ce, especially against
wealthy ~indivfdusls Or corporations
who 90 wrong; and may also prevent
the government from obtaining justice
for wageworkers who are not them
selves able effectively TO contest a case
where the judgment Of an inferfHr
court has been against them. I have
sre~i6c2lly in view a recent decision
by . district judge leaving railway
efnrfoyeas without remedy for viol2ts>n
OF ? certain sa-cal.ed labor statute. It
seems an thsurdity to permit a single
di>t rict judge. against what may be he
Judgment OF the immense majority Of
his Colleagues on the bench. to declare
Il law solemnly enacted by the congress
10 b "unconstitUticnal', and then y
DENY the government the right to h We
the SUPREME court definitely decife ! g
Cver-t~n
It is well to recollect that the rel
efficiency of the law often depends Dot
upon the passage of acts as to VI -
there is great public excitemen y
upon the passage of acts of this nature
as TO which there is not much ubl
excitement, because there is little Gb-
nc understanding of their import g
while the interested parties are r. nv
alive to the desirability of defe ng
them. The Importance Of enacting mo
law the particular bill In question 8
further increased by the fact that the