Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-12-13

/ SM lOOh ill ktOWlOdS5O AOh AA''
e. - province. In his last message
to congress President Roose-
velt came near taking all things for
his theme. He certainly spread out to
an extraordinary degree and practiced
the expansion which he and so many
others have been preaching for some
years, and this to congress at the be-
ginning of the short session! II he
makes his messages in proportion to
the length of the session, his message
at the beginning Of the Sixtieth con-
gress will be one of the most volumi-
nous public documents ever issued by
mortal man. But, truth to tell, the
president is never dull and the length
of his message is no argument against
| 1t. except perhaps that its great length
will deter many persons from reading
| 1T who otherwise would do SO. In q
general way it may be stated without
any great violation Of the truth that
he has borrowed, taken away and con
verted to his own use several Demo
cratic planks and some Socialistic
planks. For instance, take this decla-
ration:
| I again recommend a law prohibiting all
! corporations from contributing to the
campaign expenses of any party. Such
| bill has already passed the house Of
congress. Let individuals contribute as
they desire, but let us prohibit in effective
fashion all corporations from making con-
tributions for any political purpose, di-
rectly or indirectly.
That's proposition which Demo
Gratis have advocated persistently for
some years and for which the demand
has become so strong that it cannot
be ignored any longer. That many
Republicans who owe their congress
sional seats directly to large sums Of
money contributed by corporations to
their campaign funds condemn that
proposition in their own minds there
can be little question, but that wisdom
will require them to remain mum on
the subject = is altogether probable.
That such a law will be enacted in
| the near future is almost certain.
Every good citizen without regard to
politics will most heartily indorse this
sentence in the message:
The horrors incident to the employment
of young children in factories or at work
anywhere are a blot on our civilization
Both the congress and the state leg
islatures should take that subject in
hand and pass drastic laws upon the
subject The people are waking up to
the fact that child labor in factories
| is doing much to make the next gem
Grafton largely a generation of mental
and physical weaklings.
The much abused income tax feature
of the Wilson-Gorman tariff bill is at
last indicated by Republican presi-
dent. The message says:
In addition to these, there is every rea-
son why when next our system of tax
alton is revised, the national government
should impose a graduated inheritance
tax and, if possible a graduated income
| tax
The man Of great wealth owes a pc
| culiar obligation to the state, because he
derives special advantages from the mere
existence OF government. Not only should
ne reeoghlze ta,s oelisaalon I, 4 n ne Wy
earns ca s and spends his money, but it should
also be. recognized by the way in which
he pays for the protection the state gives
him.
,el te 70 w da ng@ nafio - incoe tx
which shan be constitutional, but whether
it is absolutely impossible is another ques-
ton, and if possible it Is most certainly
desirable,
How that paragraph will strike the
Republicans cannot at this writing be
stated positively, but it may be guess
ed that they are forninst the idea
The president says:
The chance for the settlement of dis
putes peacefully by arbitration now de-
pends mainly upon the possession by the
nations that mean to do right of sufficient
armed strength to make their purpose eff
fective.
The United States navy is the surest
guarantOr OIL peace Wnlcn TINS country