The Springfield herald., 1906-12-07

the common people to be exploited by
the very wealthy. II we ever let this
OF either OF these two classes. we shall
show ourselves false to Americas past.
ZIONIST often work hand In hand. There
are Mt this moment wealthy reactIc A.
regard the public servant who prose
cutcs them when they violate the law.
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 plundcr the rich. There is
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 fcarlessly to do exact ana
even justice to al"
Railroad Employees Hours.
He asks for the passing OF the bill linn
iting the number of hours of
employment of railroad employees, and
one. lie says the aim of ali should be
to steadily reduce the number of hours
Of iae9r, with III as goal the age general i In In
sists that on the 1sthmus of Panama the
conditions are so different from what
eight-hour day on the canal would be
absurd. and continues. lust about as alb
Concerned, Where White labor cannot be
employed, to bother as to whether the
work is done by alien black men or alieh
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.
to the St abe
in the coal fields of Pennsylvania In 1902.
and refers to the wish OF the commission
that the state and federal governments
should provide the machinery for what
may be called the compulsory investIga-
tion of controversies between employers
and employees when they arise
In this age OF great corporate and Ia
6or combinations neither emPioyerSI NOR
the mercy of the stronger party TO DIS
pute resardess Of the ri5h.eousnsss snessssd of
measure would be In the line of securing
recognition of the fact that in many
strikes the public has Itself an int interest
interest not merely of general conven,
ience. for the question OF a Just and
sidered. Hpss puGe In al. % iesisation % Of this kind
1t is well to advance cautiously. testing
each step by the actual results: the step
proposed can surely be safely taken. for
the decisions of the commission would
not bind the parties in legal fashion ,,i; and and
ion to exert its full force for the right.
Control of Corporations.
A considerable portion of the message
is devoted to the subject OF federal con-
troll of corporations In what he reters 10
the passage at the last session or the
rate, meat Inspection and food laws. and
says that all of these have already JUST
the amendment of the meat inspection
law so as to put dates on the labels oil
meat products; and also & to ,,rs place Nm, hns
than on the government. Continuing ON
this subject of the control of corporations
by the federal government he says:
''1t cannot too often be repeated that eN-
perence has conclusively shown the i'm
possibility OF securing by the actions of
a
chaos in the way of dealing with the
exclusively within the limits of any one
state In some method whether by
we must exercise. and that at an early
date. far more complete control thah
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 secnr,
individuals AT the expense whether OF
the general public. the stockholders. or
the wageworkers. Our effort should he
not SO much to prevent CONSOLIDATE ton as
as to see that it results in no harm to
the people. The reactionary or ultracon.
sVe wealth essai aG'Is tie eopt to e secure % such
control as step toward socialism. AS Il
matter of fact 1t is these reactionaries
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing socialis-
tic feeling. One of the most ethcient
methods of averting the consequences Of
cent. wrong, is to remedy the 20 per cent
of evil as to which the agitation is well
founded. The best way to avert the very
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership of railways Is TO secure by
as whole such adequate control and
regulation OF the great interstate com
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-
tive action the abolition OF the grave
nection with the business use of wealth
under our present system-or rather no
system-of failure S to & exercise es any s,nhn ade,
as If the exercise of such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
vIdual effort. This is not fact 1t
would be a veritable calamity, to fail to
Individual capacity and effort; upon the
energy character and foresight which
1t is so important to encourage in the
individual. But as 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
results in a single Individual or corpor-
alton rising at the expense of all others
until his or its rise effectually checks all
competition and reduces former competi-
tors 10 position of utter inferiority and
subordination.
inheritance and income Tax.
1t was expected that the president
would refer in some way TO his belief
in the necessity for the curbing of enor
nous fortunes. and he has done by
recommending legislation for both in
come and an Inheritance tax. He be-
lieVes the government should impose n
graduated inheritance tax, and, II posi-
BILE. a graduated income tax He says:
II well aware that such subject
this needs long and careful study in
order that the people may become famil
lar with what is proposed TO be done,
may clearly sec the necessity of proceed
may make up their minds just how far
they are willing to go in the matter;
while only trained Legislators can work
out the project in necessary detail But
] feel that in the near future our nation
al legislators should enact a law provid-
ing for n graduated Inheritance tax by
which steadily increasing rate of duty
should be put upon all moneys other
vaiuables coming by gift. bequest,
devise to any individual or corporation.
1t may be well TO make the tax heavy
in proportion the Individual benefited
is remote of kin. In any event. in my
Judgment the pro rata of the tax should
increase very heavily with the increase
OF the amount left to any one individual
after certain point has been reached.
1t is most desirable to encourage thrift
and ambition. and potent source of
thrift and ambition is the desire on the
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