Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-03
PRESIDENT DISCUSSES
NEEDED LEGISLATION
Annual Message to Congress Deals With Live
Questions to Railroad LAWS
Recent Crisis No Tariff Revision Now

Washington, Dec. 3.-The message Of
President Roosevelt to the Sixtieth
congress was read this afternoon. The
president points out needed changes
In the Interstate commerce laws, pic
lures the lessons to be drawn from
the recent financial furry, and dis
cusses other live questions, with rec
concentrations as to legislative action
The message in part is as follows:
No nation has greater resources than
ours, and think 1t can be truthfully
said that the citizens of no nation pos
hess greater energy and industrial abil-
aty. In no nation are the fundamental
business conditions sounder than In
ours at this very moment, and it is
foolish when such Is the case for peo-
pie to hoard money instead Of keeping
1t In sound banks. for 1t is such hoard
Ing that Is the immediate occasion Of
money stringency. Moreover, as a
rule, tho business of our people is con-
Quoted with honesty and probity, and
this applies alike to farms and fac
tories. to railroads and banks, to all
lour legitimate commercial enterprises.
In any large body Of men, however.
there are certain to be some who are
dishonest, and II the conditions are
such that these men prosper or commit
their lnisdeeds with impunity their
example IS q very evil thing for the
lcommunity Where these men are
business men Of grea. sagacity and o.
Temperament both INSCRIPTIONS and
reckless, ans where the conditions are
such that they act without supervision
lor control and at first without effective
check from public opinion, they delude
many innocent people int making In
vestments or embarking In kinds of
business that are really unsound. When
1.-THE misdeeds of these successfully dis
honest men are discovered, suffering
comes not only upon them, but upon
tho innocent whom they have misled.
1T is Il painful awakening, whenever 1t
occurs, and naturally when it does &C.
cur those who suffer are apt to forget
that the longer 1t was deferred the
more painful it would be. In the effort
10 punish the guilty it Is both wise and
proper to endeavor so far as possible
Ito minimize the distress Of those who
have been misled by the guilty. Yet it
lis not possible to refrain because OF
such distress from striving to put an
end to the misdeeds that, are the ulti-
mate causes Of the suffering and, as a
means to this end, where possible to
punish those responsible for them.
There may be honest differences of
lopinaon as to many governmental poll
lcies, but surely there can be no such
differences az to the need Of unfinch-
ing perseverance in the war against
successful dishonesty.
i Interstate Commerce.
i No small part Of the trouble that we
have comes from carrying to an ex-
|tren1e the national virtue Of self reli-
lance, of independence in initiative
land action. 1t is wise to conserve this
Virtue and to provide for its fullest
exercise compatible with seeing that
liberty does not become liberty to
slwrcng others. Unfortunately this is
THE kind of liberty that the lack Of all
directive regulation inevitably breeds.
THE founders of the constitution pro
,vided that the national government
should have complete and sole control
LOT interstate commerce. There was
then practically no interstate business
save such as was conducted by water,
and this the national government at
..once proceeded to regulate in thorough
going and effective fashion. Conditions
have now SO wholly changed that the
interstate commerce by water Is insig-
lniiicant compared with the amount
that goes by land, and almost all big
business concerns are now engaged In
Interstate commerce. As result it can
he but partially and imperfectly con-
|tr,olled or regulated by the action Of
any one Of the several states, such ac-
|tiOn inevitably tending to be either
too drastac or else too lax and In either
case ineffective for purposes of Justice.
Only the national government can IN
acknowledging fashion exercise the
needed control. This does not mean
that there should be any extension OF
federal authority, for such authority
already exists under the constitution
In amplest and most far reaching form,
but It does mean that there should be
an extension Of federal activity. This
IisI not advocating Capitalization. 1t is
merely looking facts In the face and
realizing that Capitalization in business
has already come and cannot be avoid
led yor undone and that the public at
large can only protect itself from GER
tain evil effects of this business cen
tralization BY providing better methods
for the exercise Of control through the
authority already centralized in the
national government by the constitu,
Ition itself. There must be no halt in
the healthy constructive course Of &C.
Ition which this nation has elected to
pursue and has steadily pursued dur
ing the last six years, as shown both
lin the legislation Of the congress and
1.-THE administration Of the law by the,
Of Justice.
| National license For Railroads.
| The most vital need is in connection
with the railroads. As to these, in my
Judgment, there should now be either