Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1906-12-06

| buSlneSS-and the enormous majority
OF corporations of any size are engas.
ed IN interstate business. The pas
sage 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 effec-
| tive national control over the beef
| packing industry, mark an important
advace in the proper direction. In
| the short session it will perhaps be
| difficult to do much further along this
line; and it may be best to wait until
the laws have been in operation for
| number of months before endeavorinr
to increase their scope, because only
operations will show with exactness
| their merits and their shortcomings
and thus give opportunity to define
what further remidial Legislation is
needed. Yet i'll my Judgment it will
in the end be advisable in connection
with the packing house inspection law
to provide for putting a date on the
label and for the packers. All these
laws have already jatifed their en-
! actment.
| Agriculture
The only other persons whose well
fare is as vital to the welfare of the
whole country as is the welfare of
the wageworkers are the tillers of the
soil, ths farmers. 1t is mere trusim
To say that no growth of cities, no
growth of wealth, no industrial de-
velopment can atone for any falling
off III the character and standing of
the farming population. During the
last few decades this fact has been
recognized with ever-increasing clear
ness.
Marriage and Divorce.
l am well aware of how difficult ii
Is TO pass constitutional amendment.
| Nevertheless In my Judgment the
whole question of marriage and di-
vorce should be relegated to the au-
thority of the National Congress. AT
present the wide difference in the
laws of the different States on this
subject result in scandals and abuses
and surely there is nothing so vitally
essential to the welfare of the nation,
nothing around which the nation
should so bend itself to throw every
safeguard, as the home life of the
average citizen. The change would
be good from every standpoint.
international Morality.
| On the question of International
morality Mr.. Roosevelt comes out
strongly, advocating clean dealing be.
tween the nations of earth and also
strongly advocates international arbi-
tration as a means of settling all diff
hcultles that may arise.
American Shipping.
Let me once again call the atten-
ton OF the Congress to two subjects
concerning which | have frequently
before communicated with them. One
is the question of developing Ameri-
can shipping. | trust that law EN-
bodying In substance the views, or a
mayor part of the views, exprest III
the report on this subject laid before
the House at its last session will be
past. | am well aware that in former
| years Objectionable measures have
been proposed IN reference TO the en-
couragement of American shipping {;
Lut 1t seems to me that the proposed
measure is as nearly unobjectionable
as any can be.
Currency Reform.
L especially call your attention to
the second subject, the condition of
our currency laws. The national
bank act has ably served a great pur.
pose in aiding the enormous busines,
development of the country; and
within ten years there has been an
increase in circulation per capita
from $21.41 to $33.0S. For several
years evidence has been accommodating
that additional legislation is needed.
Our Island Possessions.
1t is urged that these shall receive
the careful consideration Of Congress
and that tariffs, etc, shall be upon a
| Just basis.
Army and Navy.
The message goes at length into the
matter of the efficiency of our army
and navy. The President is much
gratilied at the progress we are max
ing In both branches of our common
defense. In the matter of rifle prac.
tee the President says:
The Congress has most wisely pro-
vlded for National Board for the
promotion of rifle practice. Excellent
results have already come from this
law, but it does not go far enough.
Our Regular Army is so small that in
any great war we should have to