Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-01-31

washington, Jan. 3l.--lne SpeClal
message of President Roosevelt to
Congress on the subject of the EN-.
ployers Liability Act, injunctlons In
labor cases and the financial situation
was presented to the Senate few
minutes after y o'clock today. When
Assistant Secretary to the President
Latta entered the Senate chamber
there were not handful of senators
present. Vice President Fairbanks al
once tore open the big envelope con
talning the message and handed 1t to
the assistant secretary Of the Senate
who Immediately began reading 1t.
Printed copies of the message were
also delivered by Secretary Latta and
these were distributed to the senators
who were in attendance. Many then
appeared to satisfy themselves con.
cerning the nature of the message by
scanning the printed document 30 that
before It's reading was half finished
they very generally took up other mat
ters and only q few followd the read
ing carefully until its conclusion.
Document Pleased Senators.
When the stricken out passages were
reached. many senator's looked around
the chamber and exchanged smiles.
Senator Tillman, Of South Carolina,
seemed especially pleased with the
document. Senator Robert NJ. LaFoll-
ette of Wisconsin, also paid careful
attention, while Senators Cullom,
Beverldge, McComber Knox. Il Calm.
ger, Eeison, Elkins, Memenway and
Burrows, on the Republican side, and
Culbertson. Teller, Davis, Bankhead
and Overman, among the Democrats,
were especially attentive to the docu-
ment.
House Vigorously AppIauded Message
The reading Of the message In the
House was listened to with intense
interest by the members, of whom
there was an unusually large number
in attendance. Upon the conclusion of
the reading of the message in the
Senate, Senator Davies, of Arkansas,
moved that 10000 copies be printed as
a public document. "It Is the best
Democratic document I have ever
heard emanating from the Republican
source" said Senator Davis after 1t
had been read. The motion was agreed
to. AS the reading proceeded In the
House, numerous members were heard
to exclaim audibly, most unusual
this is red hot etc." The reading of
the message was frequently Interrupt.
ed with applause and at its conclusion
the members, without regard to party,
loudly applauded, cheered, thumped
their desks and gave other evidences
of their approval Of the document.
Synopsis Of Special Message.
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
The recent decision of the Supreme
Court In regard to the employers H.
ability act, the experience of the In
terstate Commerce Commission and Of
the Department of Justice in enforcing
the interstate commerce and antitrust
laws, and the gravely significant at
titude toward the law and It's admins
tration recently adopted by certain
heads of great corporations, render it
desirable that there should be addi-
tional legislation as regards certain
of the relations between labor and
capital, and between the great cor
porations and the public.
The Supreme Court has decided the
employers liability law to be uncon.
stitutional because It's terms apply to
employees engaged wholly in intra-
state commerce as we'll as to employees
engaged in interstate commerce. BY
a substantial majority the Court holds
that the Congress has power to deal
with the question In SO far as inter.
state commerce IS concerned.
AS regards the employers liability
law, I advocate Its immediate reenact-
ment, limiting its scope so that 1t shall
apply only to the class Of cases as to
which the Court says it can constitu-
tionally apply, but strengthening Its
provisions within this scope. Inter-
state employment being thus covered
by an adequate national law, the field
OF intrastate employment will be left
to the action Of the several states.
With this clear definition of RESPONSE
bility the states will undoubtedly give
to the performance OF their duty with
In their field the consideration the
OF the subject demands.
Government Should Care For lts In.
Jursd Employees.
/ also very urgently advise that a