The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-12-12
THE NJ ESSAGE IN BRIEF.

To those who have not the time o
inclination to read all the president
message to congress, the following
brief statement of its contents may b
of interest:
The president recommends for tn
second time q law prohibiting all cor
porations from contributing to fund
for campaign purposes.
He would confer on the governmen
the right of appeal in criminal casel
on questions of law. He deplores thu
custom of setting aside the judgment
or inferior points or mere technic
alities of the law, in instances where
mol the slightest doubt exists of the
justice of the decision.
The president declares that the in.
junction can not be abolished under
the law and that in his opinion its re.
striction would be unwise. When the
instrument is put to its proper use,
he says, opposition to it will cease.
Labor agitators work untold harm.
The president recommends legislation
looking toward a general eight-hour
workday, but deplores class prejudice
between labor and capital. He recon.
mends the passage Of laws regulating
the hours of employment of railway
employees; ia regard to the liability of
employees: for the investigation of dis
putes between labor and capital.
The president believes the coal
lands, like forest lands, should be
generally Withdrawn and future, dis.
position guarded with great care.
10 regard to corporations Mr..
Roosevelt advocates further federal
control over interstate commerce. He
says combination is inevitable and
that under proper control it is not
harmful.
A graduated income and Inheritance
tax is advocated, the president declar.
ing that If necessary the constitution
should be revised to permit the pass.
age Of such laws.
The common schools should develop
more skilled workers. Courses in
mechanics and business should more
generally supersede the merely orna.
mental branches. Foreign trade
would be greatly increased by prepa-
ration in school of special agents or
of labor skilled in the preparation of
commodities for export.
The welfare OF the farmer Is the vel.
fare of the entire nation and govern
ment should spare 90 effort to for.
ward the interests Of the industry.
Currency reform is necessary, but
the president ventures to set forth no
recommend alton beyond urging con-
gress to give the matter immediate ut.
tention.
The Cuban occupation is reviewed
and the statement made that it will
cease as soon as stable government
is established in the island.
The Central American war and its
conclusion through arbitration is
pointed out as a happy instance of
the power Of the United States to pre-.
serve the peace of the occident.
The president has bent all his eff
forts toward a second Hague confer.
ence. He dwells upon the duty Of ma.
tions toward each other and the bless
ings of peace.
He asks no increase in the navy,
but that it may be kept at its present
efficiency by the substitution of mod.
ern for anted ated vessels. More men
are needed for coast defenses and u
system should be devised whereby u
per cent. of young blood may be in
iected into the high rank of both the
army and the navy. National shoot.
ing galleries, whereby every citizen
may learn to handle a gun, are essen.
tial as the standing army is small.
The army maneuvers should be on a
larger scale.
Uniform divorce legislation is a
topic congress should not fail to con.
slider.
The brief statement is made that ir.
rigation and forest preservation are
OF vital import. Ship subsidy is brief.
ly considered.
The need of revision of the laws
upon the fur and seal trade is ex.
planned and the negotiations with
Great Britain and Japan touched
upon.
A reduction in tariff on product.
from the Philippines Is recommended
The attitude toward Japanese i'm
migrants is deplored and Japan
progress is reviewed. In the opinion
Of the president the friendship OF tn
Japanese is of the highest importance
He characterizes the action of tn,
people of San Francisco in shuttins
out the Japanese from their school.