The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-12-06
PRESIDENT ROOSEvELT'S MESSAGE
To THE S|XT|ET THsCONGRESS

he and they share in the beneht which
comes also TO the public at large. The
superficial fact that the sharing may be
unequal must never bring us to the
underlying fact that there is this shar-
Ing, and that the benefit comes in some
Cegree 10 each man concerned. Nor
nally, the wagewOrker, the man Of
small means, and the average consul
mer, as we'll AS the Nv erage producer,
GitiOnS such that the man Of eXcep-
tional business ability receives an ex-
ICeptional reward for his ability. Some
thing can be done by legislation to help
The general prosperity: but no such
help of a beneficial character can be
given to the less able and less fortu-
nate save as the results of a policy
which shall inure to the advantage Of
all Industrious and efficient people who
act decently; and this is only another
way of saying that any benefit which
comes to the less able and less FORUM
ate must of necessity come even more
to the able and more fortunate. II,
therefore, by envy of his hore for
tunate brother to striks at
the conditions under which
hey have both, through unequally.
prospered, the result will assuredly be
that while damage may come to the
che struck at, it will visit with an ev-
en- heavier load the one who strikes the
blow. Taken as a whole We must 60
W or down together.
Yet while not merely admitting,
but insisting upon this, it is also true
that where there is no governmental
restraint or supervision some of the
exceptional men use their energies, not
in ways that are for the common good,
but in ways which tell against this
common good. The fortunes amassed
through corporate organization are
now so large, and vest such power in
those that WELD them, as to make 1t
a matter of necessity to give to the
sovereign-that is, the government,
which represents the people as a whole
some effective power of supervision
over their corporate use. In order TO
insure a healthy social and industrial
life, every big corporation should be
held responsible by, and be accountable
to, some sovereign strong enough to
control its conduct. l am in no sense
hostile to corporations. This is an age
of combination, and any effort to pre-
vent all combination will be not only
useless, but in the end vicious, be-
cause of the contempt for law which
the failure to enforce law inevitably
produces. We should, moreover, re-
cognize in cordial and ample fashion
the immense good effected by cOrpOr-
ate agencies in a country such as ours.
and the wealth of intellect, energy
and fidelity devoted to their service,
and therefore, normally to the SER
vice of the public, by their officers and
directors. The corporation has come
to stay just as the trade union has
come to stay. Each can do and has
done great good. Each should be fav-
ored so long as it does good. But each
should be sharply checked where 1t
acts against law and justice.
''* The makers of our nation
al constitution provided especially that
the regulation of interstate commerce
should come within the sphere of the
general government. The arguments
in favor Of their taking this stand
We're even then overwhelming. But
they are far stronger today in view
of the enormous development Of great
business agencies, usually corporate
in form. Experience has shown con-
cIusively that it is useless to try to
get any adequate regulation and SUI
ervision Of these great corporations
by state action. Such regulation and
supervision can only be effectively ex-
ercised by a sovereign whose iuris-
diction is coeXtensive with the field Of
work Of the corporatiOns-that is, by
the national government. I believe
that this regulation and supervision
can be obtained by the enactment of
law by congress. Our steady
aim should be by legislation. eau
tiously and carefully undertaken, but
resolutely persevered in, to assert tho
sovereignty of the natiOnalgovernment
by affirmative action.
This is only in form an innovation
In substance it is merely restoration;
for from the earliest time such regula-
ton of Industrial activities has been re-
cognized in the action of the law
making bodies; and all that | propose
s to meet the changed conditions in
such manner as will prevent the COM
monwealth abdicating the power IL
has always possessed, not only in this
country, but also England before and
since this country became separate
nation.
cit has been a misfortune that the
national laws on this subject have