The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-10-04
ROOSEVELT ASSISTED
IN THE DEDICATION
Pennsylvania's New State Capitol Building at Har-
risburg Dedicated Today and the President Made
Flying Trip From Washington to Address the
Great Gathering.

, which guarantees TO the voters free ex-
preston in tho selection of candidates for
office; you have by law regulated and Inn
| proved the civil service systems Of your
| greatest cities and finally, you have past
! a law containing "A provision which / most
earnestly hope will In substance be en-
bodied likewise In n law by the congress
at the coming session-a provision prohi-
biting the officers OF any corporation
from making "a contribution OF the money
OF that corporation 10 any candidate or
any political committee for tho payment
OF any election expenses whatever.
BETTER POLITICAL CONDITIONS.
10 Is surely not too much too say that
this body OF substantive legislation marks
an epoch I'm the history of the practical
betterement OF political conditions. not
merely for your state, but FOR all our
states. i do not recall any other state
legislature which, In a similar length OF
time. has 10 its credit such body of ad-
mirable legislation. Let me- however,
most earnestly urge that your legislature
continue this record OF public service by
enacting one or two additional laws.
one subject which every good citizen
should have at heart above almost ALI
others is the matter OF child labor.
Everywhere the great growth OF modern
industrialism has been accompanied by
abuses in connection with the employ
ment of labor which have necessitated a
complete change in the attitude of the
state toward labor
This Is above all true i'm connection
with the employment of child labor. In
Pennsylvania you have made a begin
nlng, but only a beginning in proper leg
islation and administration ON this sub
Ject; the law must if necessary be
strengthened, and IL must be vigorously
enforced The National government can
do but little I'm the matter of child
labor tho / earnestly hope that that III
tie will be permitted TO be done nv
congress. The great bulk OF the work
however must be left 10 the state legis-
latures; and II our state legislatures
would act as drastically and yet as wisely
on This subject OF child labor as Penn
sylVania has acted within the present
year as regards the subjects I have emu
merated above. the gain would be liter
ally incalculable: and one OF the most
vital needs OF modern American life
would at last be adequately met
so much for the state. Now for the
.a u"tioi anu mere L can not do better
Ihan man base my theory OF governmental
action upon the words and deeds Of
one or Pennsylvania's greatest sons
Justice James Wilson. Wilson's career
mas been singularly overlooked for
anu more it is now being adequately
appreciated; and congratulate your
state upon the fact that Wilson's bod
is 70 be taken from where II now rests
and brought back to lie. as IL should
IN Pennsylvania soil. He was a sirner
OF the Declaration OF Independence lie
revolution, in which he had served as
soldier, would be utterly fruitless
unless IL was followed by a close and
permanent union OF the states; and in
the constitutional convention and in
securing the adoption OF the constItr-
tion and expounding what IL meant,
ne rendered services even greater than
he rendered as a member OF the con-
! ihental congress, which declared our
Independence: for II was the success
or the makers and preservers OF the
Union which justified our Independence
He believed I'm the people with the
faith OF Abraham Lincoln; and coupled
with his faith In the people he had
what most or the men who In his gen
Grafton believed in the peopIe aid NOT
have that liz the courage TO recopnize
the fact that faith In the people amount
go 60 10 nothlng unless the representatives
or the people assembled together in
the national government were given
fuil and complete power to work on
eSeair eSea 6d,orh of the peoplse He developed
absolutely essential not merely 10 the
eHclency but TO the existence OF thIs
naton) that an inherent power rested
In the nation, outside OF the enumer
ated powers conferred upon IL nv the
constitution, I'm all cases where the
object involved was beyond the power
ordinarily exercised by sovereign ma
tions.
ERRONEOUS DECISIONS
Many legislative actions and MANY In
dicial decisions which am confident time
VIII snow TO have been erroneous and a
damage TO the country would have been
avoided II our Legislators and turists had
approached the matter OF enactlng and
constituting the laws of the land in the
spirit OF your great Pennsylvanian. Jus
tce Wilson-in the spirit OF Marshall and
OF Washington. Such decisions put us al
great disadvantage In the battle for
industrial order as against the present in
dustrial chaos. If we interpret tho con-
stituton In narrow instead OF broad
fashion, II we forsake the prInciples of
washington, Marshall. Wilson, and Ham,
hton, we as people will render our
serves impotent TO deal with any abuses
which may be committed by the men who
nave accumulated the enormous fortunes
or today and who use these fortunes I'm
still vaster corporate form I'm business
The legislative or judicial actions and
decisions OF which l complain, be IL re-
membered. do not really leave TO the
states power TO deal with corporate
wealth In business. Actual experience
has shown that the states are wholly
powerless TO deal with this subject: and
any action or decision that deprives the
nation OF the power 20 deal with IL, sim
ply results in leaving the corporations
absolutely free IN work without any ef-
fective supervision whatever: and such a
coursn Is fraught with untold danger 10
the future OF our whole system OF gov
ernment. and, indeed. to our whole civil
ization.
All honest men must abhor and repro
bate any effort 10 excite hostility 10 men
or wealth as such. We should do all we
can TO encourage thrift and business en-
ergy, to put premium upon the conduct
or the man who honestly earns his liveli-
hood and more than his livelihood. and
VINO honestly uses the money ne has
earned. But IL IL our clear duty TO see.
IN the Interest OF the people, that there
IS adequate supervision and control over
the business use OF the swollen fortunes
OF today, and also wisely 60 determine
the conditions upon which these fortunes
are TO be transmitted and the percentage
mat they shall pay 90 the government
whose protecting arm alone enables them
to exist. only the nation can do this work
To relegate IL 60 the states "a n rarcc
nNH Ia gNe all.