Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-12-13

whom American traditions abe dear
decentiy by their neighbors, owe IL To
themselves TO remember that the most
damaging blow that can be given pop
worthy and sinister agitator on a
platform OF violence and hypocrisy.
Whenever such an issue Is raised in
hlnching from II, for in such case dem
ocracy Is itself on trial. popular self
government under, republican forms Is
mob is Just as evil a thing as the tri-
umph Of the plutocracy, and TO have
whatever 81 we sucuumb to the other.
In the end the honest man,whether rich
or poor who earns HIS own living and
as much to fear from the insineere
and unworthy demaRog, promising
much and performing nothing. or else
would set on the mob to plumber the
rich, as from the crafty corruptionist.
who, for his own ends, would permit
the very wealthy. II we ever let this
government fall into the hands of men
of either Of these two classes, we shall
show ourselves false to Americas past.
Moreover, the demagog and corrup-
zionist often work hand in hand. There
are at TINS m nbnIa weahhy ts ION
regard the public servant who prose-
cutey them when they violate the law,
or who seeks to make them bear their
proper share OF the public burdens, as
being even more Objectionable than
the violent agitator who hounds on
the mob to plumber the rich. There Is
nothing to choose between such a re-
dictionary and such an agitator; funda-
mentally. they are alike in their selfish
disregard of the rights OF others: and
it is natural that they should Join in
opposition to any movement Of which
the aim is fearlessly to do exact and
even Justice to all"
Railroad Employees Hours.
He asks for the passing Of the bill linn
employment Of railroad employees, and
classes the measure as very moderate
one. He says the aim of all should be
of labor, with as a goal the general in
PRODUCTION Of an eight-hour day, but in
sists that on the 1sthmus OF Panama the
conditions are so different from what
they are here that the introduction of an
eight-hour day on the canal would be
absurd and continues, lust about as alb
surd as 1t is, so far as the isthmus is
concerned, where white labor cannot be
employed, to bother as to whether the
work is done, by alien black men or allen
He urges the enactment OF a drastic
child labor law for the District of Co.
lumbia and the territories, and a federal
investigation of the subject of child and
female labor throughout the country.
He reviews the work OF the commission
appointed to investigate labor conditions
i'm the coal fields of Pennsylvania In 1902,
and refers to the wish of the commission
ELnaI the state ana 1e0eTdl RCVGtt4tdienl5
should provide the machinery for what
may be called the compulsory investiga-
ton OF controversies between employers
and employees when they arise
Control Of Corporations.
considerable portion Of the message
is devoted to the subject OF federal con-
troll of corporations in what he refers to
the passage at the last session of the
rate, meat inspection and food laws, and
says that all OF these have already justi-
Haa ehnf opNVra hFfF m
the amendment OF the meat inspection
law so as to put dates on the labels OF
meat pTOGueIs ana aIso 20 PlsGe ,b S,T
than on the government Continuing on
this subject of the control OF corporations
by the federal government he says:
at cannot too often be repeated that ex-
perience has conclusively shown the i'm
possibility Of securing by the actions OF
legislatures anything but ineffective
chaos In the way OF dealing with the
great corporations which do not operate
exclusively within the limits of any one
state. In some method, whether by
national license law or in other fashion,
we must exercise, and that at an early
date, a far more complete control than
at present over these great corpora
tions-a control that will among other
things prevent the evils of excessive
overcapitalization. and that will compel
the disclosures by each big corporation
of its stockholders and of its properties
and business, whether owned directly or
thru subsidiary or AFFILIATED corporations.
This will tend TO put a stop to the secur-
ing of inordlnate profits by favored
the general public, the stockholders, or
the wageworkers. Our EFFORT should be
not so much to prevent consolidation as
such, but so to supervise and control II
as to see that II results In no harm TO
the people. The reactiOnary or ultracon-
sentative apologists for the misuse OF
control as a step toward socialism. AS
matter Of fact 1t is these reacuonarles
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing socialis-
tic feeling. One of the most emclent
methods of averting the consequences OF
dangerous agitation, which IS 81 per
cent. wrong. is to remedy the 20 per cent;
of evil as to which the agitation Is wen
| founded. The best way to avert the very
| ownership of railways is TO secure by
| the government on behalf of the people
regulation of the great interstate com
! mon carriers as will do away with the
evils which give rise to the agitation
| to the dangerous and wicked agitation
| against the men of wealth as such Is to
secure by proper legislation and eXecu-
| abuses which actually do obtain in con-
| nection with the business use of wealth
under our present system-or rather no
| quate control at all Some persons speak
| as II the exercise of such governmental
! Of Individual Initiative aud dwarf indi-
vidual effort. This is not a fact. 1t
would be a veritable calamity TO fail to
/ put premium upon Individual initiative.
Individual capacity and effort; upon the
| energy, character and foresight which
it is so important to encourage in the
individual. But as a matter of fact the
| deadening and degrading effect of pure
socialism, and especially of its extreme
form communism, and the destruction OF
individual character which they would
bring about, are in part achieved by the
wholly unregulated competition which
results in a single Individual or coTpor-
alton rising AT the expense of all others
until his or its rise effectually checks all
competition and reduces former competi-
tors to a position of utter inferiority and
subordinatiOn.
inheritance and Income Tax.
It was expected that the president
would refer In some way to his belief
In the necessity for the curbing of enoT-
nous fortunes, and he has done so by
recommending legislation for both in
come and an inheritance tax. He be-
liDYes the government should impose a
graduated Inheritance tax, and, If posi-
bic, a graduated income tax He says: