The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-12-19
PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE TO
CONGRESS

If the S1XIleIn congress, READ before
both houses on Tuesday, is an ex-
coedingly long document even for a
presidential message, making over
fourteen columns in nonpareil tyne
in the ordinary newspaper. The
strong features of the message are
summarized as follows:
constitution gives to the govern.
ment the paramount right of control
over all corporations doing an inter.
state business.
Make legal all corporate combina-
+ions of capital for business pursuit
hv substituting new federal law for
sherman antitrust law, which is
worthless; but bring all such COM
binations under absolute governmental
control, making the abatement of
abuses the prerogative of the execu-
tive rather than of the judiciary.
Absolute divorce of Interstate cor
norations from stock gambling by es-
adjustment of government control of
issues of securities, by enforcing pub
Tcity. simple method of accounts, etc.
Abolition of all rebates and special
privileges.
Short term franchises for all cor
porations engaged in public business,
particularly those using water power.
Place railroads absolutely under the
control of the Interstate commerce
commission and so enlarge the powers
fhof If will no IL
thoroughgoing.
Control by the interstate commerce
commission of all issues of railroad
securities, arbitrary control and reg
ulatiOn of all rates and control of all
traffic agreements between systems.
Give to guiding genius of railroads
lust due of wealth, but abolish pos
sibilities of using railroads in stock
gambling operations and huge swim
dies upon the public.
Premium upon individual initiative,
but control of principle of individ-
ualism in business.
Cry of "state rights" when raised
in connection with the Capitalization
in the central government of the pow
er to deal with centralized wealth, is
not sincere, but is lifted by those who
oppose governmental control of in
terstate corporations and stand for
absolute and unrestrained individual
ism in business.
Bring telegraph and telephone COM
panies doing interstate business under
control of interstate commerce COM
mission.
National and state control of all
natural resources. Men who produce
and find market for that which is pro-
duced should have far greater share
of wealth thus produced than at pres
ent Workingmen should be interest
ed in the corporations for which they
work and produce.
Practice of issuing ex-parte 1njunc-
tons should be greatly reduced. Few
cases in which there is excuse for
such procedure.
National laws to protect wagework-
ers in the employ of corporations and
the government, when injured in such
employ, or worn out in service.
Increased salaries for judges Of fed
eral bench.
Uncertainty which attends punish
ment of great criminals, through tech
nicalities and Indifference of courts
and restrain and curtailment of au-
thorities of courts.
Eo11nuyino &C. fnvf NJ 0f fnG
more important portions of the mes
sage:
Finances.
During the past seven years there
has been net surplus of nearly $loO'-
100000 of receipts over expenditures.
The interest bearing debt has been
reduced $4,000, 900 and the annual In
terest charge reduced $9,0OO,OOO.
Corporations.
l believe that under the interstate
clause of the constitution the United
States has complete and paramount
right to control all agencies OF inter-
state commerce, and I believe tnat
the national government alone can
NA0lCISe lulS rlSuI. UCLAO'0 s
Is worse than folly to attempt TO pro-
hibit all combinations as is done Dy
the Sherman antitrust law, because
such a law can be enforced only I'M
perfectly and unequally, and its en-
lorcement works almost as mucn
hardship as good. I strongly advocate
that, instead of an unwise effort 10
prohibit all combinations, there snail
be substituted law which shall ex-
pressly permit combinations which
are in the interest of the public, Dut
Shall at the same time give to some
agency of the national government
1ull power of control and supervision
over them. One of the chief features
OF this control should be securing en-
Tire publicity in all matters which the
public has a right to know, and 1ur-
thermore, the power, not by judicial
but by executive action, to prevent or
put a stop to every form OF improper
Iavoritism or other wrongdoing =
The railways of the country snouio
De put completely under the inter-
state commerce commission ana re