The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-04
The Presidents Message.

. IIeSluenC hooSeVelC mas IOunQ gOOQ
many things to talk about in his mes
sage to congress, and the document is
unusually long. It is interesting to note
that. the first recommendation is the
passage Of q law prohibiting all cor
porations from contributing to the
campaign expenses of any party. A
bill TO that effect is pending. having
passed one house and with this boost
from the president will probably go
thru the other one.
The president calls for amendment to,
the law comforting upon the govern
ment the right of appeal in criminal
cases on questions of law, and cites the
confusing conflict Of judicial opinion:
In the view Of: one judge the. govern
ment is, entitled to. an appeal on the
question of immunity, whereas in the
opinion Of another judge the govern
the liability Of criminals. who claim inn
munity on the score Of having. been
compelled totestifY against themselves.
This recommendation grows out of
Judge Humphreys decision in the beef
trust case, by which the indicted beef
barOns escaped. : =. ~ 60 = u ="
In the matter Of the power of the
court to J apply injunctions in labor
cases, the president cites his previous
Recommendation, that those against
whom the injunction is asked must be:
served with notice of hearing in order
that they may appear to show cause.
why the injunc ton should not be is
sued. With this provision the presi-:
dent strongly supports the exercise. of
the power of injunction by the Courts
in labor cases as in 5other cases, recog-
nizing that this power should be exer-
cised with extreme: care while at the
same time there must be no hesitation
in dealing with disorder.
Capital punishment as a penalty for
the crime Of rape or attempted rape is
one Of the interesting features Of the
message. The prevalence of lynch law
and mob violence growing largely out
of the repetition of this crime is evil
IDENTIFY the ground upon which the pres
ident takes this acknowledgements po-
sition, however, which will be gener-
ally supported. If capital punishment
is to be inflicted at all certainly on no
account is it more richly deserved. II
He urges legisslation restricting the
number Of hours of employment. Of rail
road employees and in general favors
the eight-hour day. but he very posi-
lively iresists the movement for the APP
plication of the eight-hour standard
where conditions do not Justify it. For
instance, he resists the demand Of the
labor organizations for eight hours on
the Isthmus of Panama, declaring that
such areghlationz there would be alb
surd, and that it is equally absurd to
bother whether the necessary work be
done by alien black men or alien yell
low men, since white labor cannot be
employed. While conditions of labor
must be treated mainly by the various
states, the president urges an investi-
cation into the conditions of child Ia
Dor and the labor of women, with a
view to influencing by publicity Of con
ditions state legislation and practice,
He also favors the passage Of the EN-,
ployers' liability law, which failed at
The last session. The anthracite coal
commission. created in 1902, recon-
mended :. that. the state and federal
government should provide the machine
cry for compulsory arbitration, and the
president indorses this recommends.
ton, believing that many strikes and
lockoutst might be prevented if the par.
ties to the dispute were required to ap.
pear t1rst before an unprecedented body
Under the head Of corporations, the
president recommends that the packing
house inspection law provide for put
1 ting date on the label and for charg
ing the cost Of inspection to the pack
ers This is a provision stubbornly op
posed BY the packers and defeated al
the last session. 49,, $: ~
Under the same heading the presi
dent also takes notice Of. the enor
nously increased earnings Of the rail
roads Notwithstanding their expressed
apprehension with regard to the efec
Of government regulation. y,
On the subject Of over-capitalizatio1
f. he recommends, in view Of the diff
Guilty Of securing uniform Legislation
by all the states, some form Of ma