Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Stronger Trust Laws and Tax on
Incomes Suggested
Raps the callfornlans for Their Treat
ment Of the Japanese and Says We
May Assume Control In Cuba.

President Roosevelt in his message to
| Congress Tuesday indicates very clearly
that not only will there be no backward
step on any of the great policies initiated
| by his administration, but rather there
will be advanced along the whole line.
| He announces his determination to
| force the railroads and other great COM
binations to obey the law and states that
it is his definite and settled policy to re-
sort to criminal proceeding to this end.
| In order that his hands may be strength
ened in this matter he asks Congress for
/ a law giving the government the right Of
| appeal in criminal cases. He shows that
| railroads far from being injured by the
rate law, never have been more prosper
Gus. In fact, he says that OF all the laws
passed by the last Congress securing to
| the government a proper supervision and
| control over corporations doing interstate
| business have justified their enactment
| But he does not intend to stop here. He
| urges such an extension OF the powers
| of the interstate commerce commission
| as will enable 1t effectively to deal with
| the evils still existing. AS a further
measure of control over the great cor
| porations and to prevent the securing of
| inordlnate profits by favored individuals
| at the expense of the general public,
| stockholders or wage workers, a national
| license is suggested 1t is pointed out
| that this is not a step toward state own
ership, but is meant to head of uhe So
| cialistic and reactionary propaganda to
that end.
Continuing his efforts to place the meat
| industry on a proper basis he proposes
that canned goods be marked with the
| date Of preparation. A graduated tax on
inheritanc IS and incomes is suggested,
| the forr er to be heavier according to
the remoteness Of the kin benefited.
In regard to the income tax which was
declared unconstitutional by the Supreme
as this decision was by bare majority Of
| one 1t might properly be tested again. In
this connection and probably in answer
| to criticism made of his criticism OF a
court decision the President says that
just and temperate criticism OF judicial
decisions is not only permissible but
should be made.
An eight-hour law for railroad employees
is urged as an opening wedge for a gen.
| eral eight-hour day for all branches of
industry that can be 80 handled Drastic
| laws, covering the employment of women
and children, are advocated for the Dis
| trict Of Columbia and all territories under
control of Congress and the hope is ex-
pressed that the states will get together
and legislate along the same line
For the purpose OF aiding In the settle
ment of disputes between capital and la
Dor the President thinks that a law pro-
viding for the compulsory investigation
OF the differences would tend to an ami
cable solution Of any trouble and prevent
strikes. The President says the public
has rights which both sides should be
forced to consider. organized patriot
ism the substitution Of national feeling
for mere local pride is strongly advocated.
Sections classes and races should work
together for the whole. The result would
be irresistible national efficiency.
The President comes out strongly
against lynch law and especially where it
provokes race antagonsms. Swift pun
ishment by law should take the place Of
mob rule. Death should be the penalty
for rape. the crime which most often leads
to lynching. Along this line the President
depreciates the Withholding of education
from the negro holding that brutality is
legacy OF ignorance. The demagogues
! who preach discomfort and class hatreds
receive a singing rebukes Mob triumph,
I | he says, would be as dangerous as the
triumph of plutocracy.
On international relations the President
says that absolute selfshness should not
dictate our policy. 1t should be our eff
fort to raise the ethical standard OF our
, dealing with the world Along this line
the President draws attention 10 the high
motives back of the Pan-American Con-
gress at Rio Janeiro, and the settlement
Of Central American differences without
war. The collection of debts from weak
: nations by the armed forces OF great
Powers is deprecated. The United States
will not do II and the President hopes
that European nations will be brought to
take the same view.
1t lis a wicked absurdity" says the
President, for San Francisco to shut the
!, Japanese out OF her common schools and
any failure of Americans TO treat the
, Japanese here with the consideration that
8 our citizens receive in Japan is "a confess
sion Of inferiority in our civilization
He appeals to Congress for a law spe.
NaNA
s Of japanese and also for such civil and
n criminal statutes as will enable the gov.
d eminent to protect aliens in the rights
s secured to them under treaties which are
s the law OF the land.
k In relation to Cuba he says that new
elections will be held and the provisional
e government withdrawn, the United State,
II wishing nothing but the moral and ma.
O terial prosperity of the island" But 4
d the elections are a farce and insurrectioni
Il become a habit, the United States will
}, assume control and fulfil its obligations
a to Cuba and the world.
A great navy is not asked for, but Con
n gTess is urged to maintain at least IT.
: present strength, replacing at once al
N out-of-date ships by modern ones. Among
n other things he says that the unprec
: edented prosperity which we EMO,
q can only be marred by reckless spec
) ulation and illegitimate business meth
DDS; suggests a constitutional amend
ment regulating marriage and divorce
advocates ship subsidy, currency reform
: along the lines proposed by the recen
3 congress of bankers; lower tariff or fire.
3 trade with the Philippines; American cit
o izenship for the Porto Ricans; complet
. reorganization of the government of Alas
u ka; advises states to further technical an,
y industrial education and promises gov
eminent aid in the teaching of scientific
q methods OF agriculture to farmers; re
d news his plea for the preservation of tn
N forests shows the inadequacy OF the seal
is ing regulations and hints that If negou
= atoms with Japan and Great Britain TO
d the protection OF the herds fail Congress
j. must consider the proposition to exter
IN inmate the animals; urges the defeat Q
is the proposed anti-injunction law, but ad
l. vocates measures to prevent abuses @
a the existing law; recommends a law pro
l. hibiting political contributions by corpo
ID rations; announces the withdrawal OF tn
r. coal lands from settlement. No mentio
% is made of tariff revision or the disband
lg ment of the negro troops. special mes
r sage is promised on the Panama Canal.
or
~ A Gard