Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Tuesday last President Roosevelt sent his
message to Congress, which convened the
day before. The message is long one, dis
cussing many subjects, the most important
of which arc the following
81 again recommend law prohibiting all
corporations from contributing to the cam
paign expenses of any party. Such bill
has already passed one house OF Congress.
Let individuals contribute as they desire,
but let US prohibit in effective fashion all
corporations from making contributions for
any political purpose, directly or indirectly.
"There is every reason why the national
Government should impose graduated In
heritance tax, and, If possible,a graduated
income tax. In the near future our national
Legislators should enact a law providing for
graduated inheritance tax. The pro rata
of the tax should increase very heavily with
the increase of the amount left to anyone
individually after a certain point has been
reached. The prime object should be to
put constantly increasing burden on the
inheritance of those swollen fortunes which
1t is certainly of no benefit to this country
TO perpetuate." Though the President ac-
knowledge that "as the law stands, 1t Is
undoubtedly difficult to devise a national
income tax law which shall be constitution.
AL" he believes there Is possibility Of de-
vising a constitutional income tax law
which shall substantially accomplish th Q
results aimed at"
"Every colored man should realize that
the worst enemy OF his race is the negro
criminal, and above all the negro Grim
inal who commits the dreadful crime OF
rape and 1t should be felt as in the highest
degree an offense against the whole country,
and against the colored race In particular,
for q olored man to fail TO help the officers
of the law in hunting down with all posi-
BILE earnestness and zeal every such infamous
offender, Ia my judgment the crime of rape
should always be punished by death -
while the trial should be 30 conducted that
the victim need not be wantonly shame d
while giving testimony. The members Of
the white race should understand that every
| lynching represents by just 80 much loos-
ening OF the bands Of civilization. No man
| can take part in the torture Of human be.
ing without having his own moral nature
permanently lowered. Let justice be sure
and swift but let II be justice under the law
and not the wild and crooked savagery OF
the mob.
ave hold that the Government should
not conduct the business of the nation, but
that 1t should exercise such supervision as
will insure It's being conducted In the inter-
est Of the nation. 1t must not be supposed
that . y it will be possible TO stop pro-
gress along the line of increasing the power
| of the national Government over the use OF
capital In interstate commerce. There Will
ultimately be need of enlsrging the powers
of the Interstate Commerce Commission, 90
as 10 give It a larger and more efficient con-
troll over railroads. In some method, wheth-
ion, we must exercise, and that at an early
date, 9 far more complete control than at pre-
sent over great corporations-a control that
will among other things prevent the evils
of excessive over capitalization, and thai
will compel the disclosure by each big cor
poration OF its stockholders and Of its pro
perty and business. In enacting and en-
forcing such legislation as this Congress al
ready has 10 It's credit, we are working on (
coherent plan.
Discussing the hostility 10 the Jspanes
in California, President Roosevelt says 1t i
"discreditable 70 us as people and it ma.
be fraught with the gravest consequences Il
the nation. To shut them out Of the school
Is a wicked absurdity, and where the Fed
eral Government has power 1t will deal sum
mariy." He recommends that Congre'
pass an act specifically providing for th
naturalization Of the japanese as America
citizens. He also requests that laws
, passed To enable the President ITO enforC
the rights Of aliens under treaties"