The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-12-04
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

NOOSoVelt, redu aG Inc opening OF
congress today, and published in
full in today's issue of the
Pioneer, is. a document which
will add both to the presidents
reputation as a tireless agitator
o, reform, and to his reputation
as a writer. 1t deals with a
variety of pertinent subjects with
intelligent minuteness, and at
the same time possesses rare
literary style.
TO the man who is interested
in the affairs of the nation, it will
repay a careful reading, and even
those who have neither the time
nor the inclination to pursue the
twenty.seven columns to the end,
will find a reading of selected
parts of the message of immense
value anu luUor6SG.
X
The first subject taken up by
the president, and to which he
devotes but paragraph, is cor
poration contributions to cam
paign funds, and he recommends
the passage of a law forbidding
the giving of money to any party
by any corporation. He then
discusses at length the question
of the governments right of ap-
peal in criminal cases, which he
strongly urges congress to make
possible, and the question of in
functions, which has been raised
as an issue by the labor organiza-
tions.
From this the president passes
to the subject of lynching and
the race problem in the south.
He deplores moo action and finds
a remedy for negro crimes in
"swift, relentless and orderly
punishment under the law" and
in the elevation of the black race
by. extending the education
privileges. which it low enjoys
in a small measure.
William R. Hearst, late candi'
date for governor of New York,
comes in for some scathing re-
Dukes under the topic of capital
and labor, and although the
president strikes with padded
gloves, in that he does not men
ton his name, the blows are
aimed at the yellow editor never.
theless. He says:
In dealing with both labor and
capital, the questions affecting
both corporations and trades
unions, there is one matter more
important to remember than
aught else, and that is the in
finite harm done by preachers of
mere discomfort. X Il
The plain people who think, the
mechanics, farmers, merchants,
workers with head or hand, the
men to whom American tradi.
tions are dear, who love their
country and try to act decently
by their. neighbors, owe it tc
themselves to remember that the
most damaging blow that can be
given popular government is tc
elect an unworthy and sinister
agitator on a platform Of violence
and hypocrisy.
Y X X x
The presidents views on cor,
porations might be summed ur
by saying that he favors com
bination of capital, but believes
that the government should pre-
vent the evils that flow from toe
much com bination, by strict con
troll and supervision. After pro.
posing a control that will prevent
over.capitalizatlon and kindred
evils, the president says:
The actual working of our laws
has shown that the effort to pro.
hibit all combination, good or
bad, is noxious, where it is not
ineffective. Combination of CAPT.
tai, like combination of labor, is
a necessary element Of our pres.
emit industrial system. Z X
What we need is not vainly to
try to prevent all com bination,
but to secure such rigorous and
adequate control and supervision
of the combinations as to prevent
their injuring the public. or ex.
listing in such form as inevitably
to threaten injury.
! Another topic on which Presi.