Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1906-12-14
MESSAGE IN BRIEF
Important Points Of Presidents
Communication to Congress

SNSd hSSSuiocf Z. totoNs
| again recommend a law prohibiting all
corporations from contributing to the campaign
EXPENSES of any party. Such bill has al
ready passed one house of congress. Let in
dividuals contribute as they desire; but let US
prohibit IN effective fashion all corporations
from making contributions for any political
purpose, directly or indirectly,
Another bill which has just passed one house
OF 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; il exists in the
District Of Colsmbia by act OF the congress.
verdict for the defendant on the merits
should be set aside. A failure to pass Il will
result in seriously hampcring the government
an It's effort to obtain justice, especially against
Wealthy individuals corporations who do
wrong; and may also prevent the government
from obtaining 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.
In connection with this matter l would like
10 call attention to the very unsatisfactory
state of our criminal law, resulting in large
ments of inferior courts on techniealities sb-
solutely uneonnected with the merits of the
case. and where there is NO attempt 10 show
that there has been any failure of substantial
Justice,
In my last message / suggested the enact.
ment of law in connection with the issuance
drawn to the matter by the demand that the
right of applying iniunctions in labor cases
should be wholly abolished. 1t is at least
doubtful whether law abolishing altogether
the use of the injunetions in such cases would
stand the test of the courts; in which case
of course the legislation would be ineffective.
Moreover. believe it would be wrong alto
gether to prohibit the use OF inIunetions. But
so far as possible the abuse of the power
should be provided against by some such law
as advocated last year.
Lawlessness grows by what It feeds upon;
and when mobs begin TO lynch for rape they
speedily extend the sphere of their operations
and lynch for many other kinds OF crimes,
that two-thirds of the lyuchings are not
for rape at all; while a considerable proper
ton of the individuals lynched are innocent of
all crime. In my Judgment, the crime Of rape
should always be punished yith death, as in
the case with murder; assault with intent to
commi, rape should be made capital crime,
at least in the discretion of the court; and pro
vision should be made by which the punish
ment may follow Immediately upon the heels
of the -otferse; while the trial should be 50
conducted that the victim need not be
tdnly shamed while giving testimony. and that
the least possible publicity shall be given to the
details,
| call your attention to the need of passing
the bill limiting the number of hours of EN-
ployment of railroad employees. The measure
is very moderate and ! can conceive of
serious objection to il. Indeed, so lar as
it is in our power. it should be our aim
steadily to reduce the number Of hours OF
labor, with as a goal the general introduc-
tion of an eight-hour day.
The horrors incident to the employment of
young children in factories or at work any
where are blot on our civilization. 1t is
true that each state must ultimately settle the
question in its own way; but thorough of
fetal investigation of the matter, with the re-
suits published broadcast, would greatly help
toward arossing the pub lie conscience and Sc.
curing unity Of state action in the matter.
Among the excellent laws which the con-
IaGt
Ployers liability law. 1t marked step
in advance to get the recognition of en-
ployers' liability on the statute books but
the law did not go far enough. In spite of
all precautions exercised by employers there
are unavoidable accidents and even deaths
involved in nearly every line of business con-
nected with the mechanic arts II the entire
trade risk is placed upon the employer he will
promptly and properly add it to the legitimate
cost of production and assess it proportion
ately upon the consumers of his commodity
should place this entire risk of trade" upon
the employer. Neither the federal law as
far as | am informed, the state laws dealing
With the question of employers liability are
sufficiently thoroughgoiug The federal law
should of course include employees in navy
yards, arsenals and the like.
II is not wise that the nation should
ALLEVIATE its remaining coal lands. | have tenn
porarily withdrawn from settlement all the
lands which the geological survey has indi-
Gated as containing, in all probability con-
tanning coal The question, however. can be
properly settled only by legislation, which in
5rawal Of these lands from sale or from
entry, save in certain especial circumstances.
The ownership would then remain in the
United States, which should not, however,
attempt to work them. but permit them to be
worked by private individuals under royalty
system. the government keeping such control
to permit it to see that no excessive price
was charged consumers. 1t would, of course.
be as necessary to supervise the rates charged
by the cormon carriers to transport the pro-
duct as the rates charged by those who mine
it, and the supervision must extend TO the
conduct of the common carriers, that they
Shall in no way favor one competitor at the
expense Of another. The withdrawal of these
coal lands would constitute policy analogous
to that which has been followed in withdraw
ing the forest lands from ordinary settle
ment The coal like the forests, should be
treated as the property of the public and its
disposal should be under conditions which
would inure to the benefit of the public as a
whole.
The passage of the railway rate bill, and
only to less degree the passage of the pure.
food bill, and the provision for increasing and
rendering more effective the national control
over the beef-packinP industry, mark an i'm
portant advance in the proper direction. In
my Judgment it will in the. end be advisable
II n% 10 nroy5e pang dae
label ard for charging the cost of inspection
TO the packers.
The question of taxation is difficult in any
country, but 1t is especially difficult in ours
with its Federal system of government. Some
taxes should on every ground be levied in q
small district for use in that district Thus
the taxation of real estate is peculiarly one
for the immediate locality in which the rea
estate is found But there are many kinds Of
taxes which can only be levied by the genera
government so as to produce the best results
because, among other reasons, the attempt t.
impose them in one particular state too Otter
results merely in. driving the corporation OF
individual affected to some other locality Of
other state The national government has loni
derived its chief revenue from tariff on i'm
ports and from an internal or excise tax. II
addition to these there is every reason why
when next our system of taxation is revised
the national government should impose a grad
uated inheritance tax, and, If possible, grad
uated income tax.
The industrial and agricultural classes mus
work together, capitalists and wageworker