Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-10-02
TOday's Telegraphic News,
The President In St. Louis.

steamer Mississippi, with the flag OF the
Presi lent flying from her peak, slipped
under the Eadds bridge before 8 O'Clock
this mording, nearly an hour before her
schedule time for arrival. The fleet Of
gaiIy decorated steamers, tugs, launches
and pleasure craft of ali descriptions
that was awaiting the presidents arrival,
chorused a noisy welcome with bells
sirens and just plain whistles, and the
President came out on deck to acknow-
ledge the welcome by waving his hat.
Captain seth Bullock aud Lieutenant
McIlheny were at the Presidents side
when be made his appearance.
At $50 the committee representing
the business organizations drove to the
levee to receive the Press ieot and few
minutes later the Mississippi steamed
up to the dock, and the President landed
escorted by his secret service guards and
secretaries.
"By George, this is just splendid" he
said, as he surveyed the crowd, the line
of decorated boats and the bunting
decked businesshouses on the levee.
After hand shaking with the members
OF the committee the President entered
carriage and with the members of his
party was driven around town and then
to the Auditorium where he made an ad-
dress.
Just as the parade started downpour
of rain began TO fall, but standing 10 his
carriaee, waving his hand to the crowd,
the President greeted the thousands
along the line of march. The seat 10
the carriage was pool of water. All
other carriages in the parade were COW
cred.
A considerable portion of the Presi-
dents speech was in reference to the
. opening up of the great West, the phe-
nominal growth Of the cities of that Sec
ton of the country, the commerce of the
American lakes and reasons he sees for
the building of great fighting navy.
10 speaking of present interstate COM
merce conditions Mr.. Roosevelt, among
other things, said
"a hundred years ego there was, ex-
cept the commerce which crawled along
our seacosst or up and down our interior
waterways, practically no interstate COM
merce. Now, by the railroad, the MALE,
the telegraph, and the telephone an im-
mense part of our comn e'ce is interstate.
"By the transformation it has escaped
from the power of the Slate and come
under the power Of the nation. There
fore there has been great practical
change in the exercise of the national
power, under the acts of Congress, over
interstate commerce. The change IS
regards interstate commerce has been,
not 10 the constitution, but in the busi-
| ness of the people to which it is to be
applied. Our ecouCmic and social future
depends in very large part upon how
the interstate commerce power of the
nation is interpreted.
/ believe that the nation has the whole
governmental power over interstate COM
merce and The widest discretion In deal
ing with that subject; of course under
the express limits prescribed in the con.
s,itution for the exercise of all powers,
such for instance as The condition that
"due process of law" shall not be de-
MED. The nation has no direct power
over purely Interstate commerce, even
where it is conducted by the same agen-
ces which conduct interstate commerce
aud the courts must determine what Is
| national and what is State.
Personally firmly believe that there
should be national legislation TO control
all industrial corporations doing an inter-
state business, including the control of the
output of their securities, but as to these
the necessity for federal control is less
urgent and immediate than is the case
with the railroads. Many of the abuses
connected with these corporations will
prcb .bly tend to disappear now that
the government-the public-is grad
uslly getting the upper hand as regards
putting a stop 10 the rebates and special
privileges which some Of these corpora
tons have pj)yed at the hands of the
common carriers. But ultimately it
will be found that the complete remedy
for these abuses lies in direct and affirma-
tive action by the national government.
That there ia constitutional power for the
national regulation of these corporations
| have myself no question"
The trip from the auditorium to the
Jefferson Hotel where luncheon was
served, was under ideal conditions. The
rain stopped and The sun was shining.
The President almost Rugged Cover
DOR Folk who introduced him and made
the governor vince at his handshake,
remarking: ppm great admirer OF
yours, Governor.
The President ate an elaborate lunch
con with great avidity at the hotel with
400 others and did not refuse the sherry,
the wine or the brandy. No speeches
we're made at the luncheon table.
He seemed delighted at the third ova-
ton which greeted him as he drove from
the hotel to the wharf where he left for
Cairo aud Memphis at 8 p. IN.
At The Wood River Refinery below
Alton this morning, one thousand Stand
ard Oil employees fred 81 charges of
dynamite to the Presidents boat as
salute. The superintendent had the
1000 employees lined up on the river
bank, each man yelling Justify and wav-
lag flags.
To Sue Telegraph Companies.
New York, Oct. 2.-Attorney General
j lckson applied today 10 Justice Ford