The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-12-05
ksburg and the Tidewater and Piedmont Country.
a..5I3-HT' 'SMESSAGE

The presidcot IN bis message to con
gress says.
50 nation has g"ratcr resources than
ou... uIl th.s It can be trithfully
sad ihat the citizens of no nation pos
eess cr,atcr carl .y and industrial abll
- e. no ua.i,u are the fundamental
business conditions sounder than In
rnr, at this very moment. and 1t IS
f'o',.h chen sa,h IS the case for peo
r.c o. ho.rl wouoy instead Of keeping
a in sound hauSt. Ior Il IS such hoard
.r. ihat g. tive Immediate occasion OF
uisae, s.rlarcucy. Moreover, as
rulc fhe business 0f our people Is con
duritI v.ti honesty ana proo.iy. and
ris app-,s alike TO farms and fac
tories. - r.Nrmls and banks. to all
our Legitimate commercial enterprises
ID any large body Of men. however
thcre ere certain 20 be some who are
iii honest. and If the conditions are
such that 'hcse men prosper or commit
their mis- leeds with impunity their
example Is vegy owl thing FOR the
community. Where these men are
business men Of grca. sagacity and o.
temperament tO.h INSCRIPTIONS and
reckless. qnl vhcrc the conditions are
,rrl that they net without supervision
sf control auI at first without effective
check from public opinion, they delude
many innocent people into making In
yes,ments or embarking In kinds OF
business that are really unsound. When
The mlsdecds OF these successfully dis
honest men are discovered. suffering
comes not only upon them, but upon
the innocent whom they have misled.
II isa painful awakening whenever Ii
occurs. and naturally when II does oc-
cur those who suffer are apt to forget
that the longer Il was deferred the
more painful it would be. In the effort
TO punish the guilty II Is both wise and
proper 10 endeayor so far as possible
~ minimize The distress OF those who
have been mlsled 10y the guilty. Yet 1t
II not possible TO refrain because OF
such distress from striving to put an
end TO the mlsdecds tina, are the ultl-
mate causes OF the suffering and, as a
means 10 this end. where possible to
punish those responsible for them.
There may be honest differences Of
opinion rs 20 many governmental poll
cics. but surely there can be no such
differences rs to the need Of unhlnch
ing perseverance In the war against
uccessful dishonesty
Interstate Commeree.
No sma, part Of the trouble that we
have come, from carrying TO an ex-
tremn the national ylrtue OF self rell-
ance. Of independence In initiative
and action. II IS wise TO conserve this
virtue and 70 provide for its fullest
exercise compatible with seeing that
liberty does not become a liberty to
wrong others. Unfortunately this is
the kind OF liberty that the lack Of all
effective regulation inevitably breeds.
The founders OF the constitution pro
yIded that the national government
should have complete and sole control
OF Interstate commerce. There was
then practically no interstate business
save such rs 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.
nifcant compared with the amount
that goes by land, and almost all big
business concerns are now engaged IN
Interstate com mmcrce AS n result 1t can
be but partially and imperfectly con-
trolled or regulated 10y the action OF
any one OF tie several states, such ac-
ton inevitably tending to be either
too drastic or else too lax and In either
case ineffective for purposes Of justice.
Only the national government can III
thoroughgolng 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 amDlest and most far reaching form,
but Il does mean that there should be
IN extension Of federal activity. This
Is not advocating Capitalization. 1t is
merely looking facts In the face and
realizing that Capitalization I'm business
has already come and cannot be avoid
ed or undone aud that the public at
large can only protect itself from GER
tain evil effects of this business cen
tralizatlon by providing better methods
for the exercise OF control through the
authority already centralized In the
national government by the constitu'
ton itself. There must be no halt In
the healthy constructive course OF ac'
ton which this nation has elected to
pursue and has steadily pursued dur
Ing the last six years, as shown both
I'm the legislation OF the congress and
the administration Of the law by the
department 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
a national Incorporation act or law
licensing railway companies to engage
i'm interstate commerce upon certain
conditions. The law should be so
framed as to give to the interstate
commerce commission power to pass
upon the future issue Of securities.
while ample means should be provided
to enable the commission whenever In
its Judgment It Is necessary to make
physical valuation OF any railroad. AS
| stated in my message to the congress
n year ago. railroads should be given
power to enter into agreements sub
iect to these agreements being made
public in minute detail and to the con-
sent Of the Interstate commerce COM
mission being First obtained. Until
the national government assumes prop
er control of interstate commerce In
the exercise Of the authority 1t already
possesses 1t will be impossible either
10 give to or to get from the railroads
Fer Over Sixty Years.
Mrs, Winslow's Soothing syrup
has been used for over sixty years BY