Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-26

But strikes themselves are, and should
| he recognized to be, entirely legal.
combinations of worlkingmen have
a peculiar reason for their existence.
The very wealthy individual employer,
and still more, the very wealthy cor
/ porations. stand at an enormous ad-
| vantage when compared to the indi-
vidual worlxingman, and while there
/ are many cases where 1t may not De
necessary for laborers to form union
in many other cases 1t is Indispensable,
for otherwise the thousands of small
units. thousands of individual work
ingmen, will be left helpless in their
dealings with the big unit, the big in
dividual or corporation employer.
Recognized by Law
"Twenty-two years ago by the act of
June %, 1886, trades unions were
recognized by law and the right of
laboring people to combine for all law
fll purposes was formally recognized,
this right including combinations of
mutual protection and benefits, the
regulation of wages, hours and con-
ditions of labor and the protection of
the individual rights of the working
men in the prosecution of their trade
or trades; and in the act of June 1,
1898, strikes were recognized as legal in
the same provision that forbade par
ticipa ton in or instigation of force or
violence against persons or property or
the attempt to prevent others from
working by violence, threat or intimi-
dation.
"The business man must be protect
ed in person and property and so must
the farmer and the wage workers; and
as regards alike the right of peaceful
combination for all lawful purposes
should be EXPLICITLY recognized. The
right of employers to combine and con-
tract with one another and with their
employees should be EXPLICITLY recog-
nized and so should the right of the
employees to combine and contract with
one another and with the employers
and peaceably to persuade others to
accept their views and to strike for
the purpose of peaceably obtaining
from employers satisfactory terms for
their labor Nothing should be done
to legalize q blacklist or boycott that
would be illegal at common law. this
being the type Of boycott defined and
condemned by the anthracite strike
commission.
Financial Legislation
"The question of financial legislation
is now receiving much attention In both
houses and we have a right to expect
action before the close of the session.
1t is urgently necessary that there
should be such action. Moreover, action
should be taken to establish postal saw
ings banks. These postal savings
banks are imperatively needed for the
benefit of the wage workers and men
of small means, and will be valuable
adjunct to our whole financial system
THE time has come when we should
prepare for a revision of the tariff
This should be and indeed must be pre-
ceded by careful investigation. 1t is
peculiarly the province of the house of
representatives to originate a tariff bill
and to determine upon its terms: and
this / fully realize. Yet it seems to me
that before the close of this session
provision should be made for collect
ing full material which will enable the
congress elected next fall to act imme'
diately after it comes into existence
This would necessitate some action be-
fore the congress at its present session,
perhaps in the shape of directing the
proper committee to gather the neces-
sary information, both through the
committee itself and through the gov
ernment agents who should report to
the committee. and should lay before 1t
the facts which would permit to act
with prompt and intelligent fairness.
deemed wise to appoint individuals
from outside the public service, might
with advantage be members of the ex-
ecutive departments designated by the
president on-his own motion or on the
request of the committee, to act with it.
Change in Tariff
IL am of the opinion however. that
one change in the tariff could, with adj
Nyo no t17adp forthwith
"Our forests need every protection
and one method of protecting them
would be to put on the free list pulp
wood with a corresponding reduction on
paper made from wood pulp when they
come from any country that does not
put an expert duty on them.
ample provisions should be made for
a permanent waterway commission
with whatever power it is required to-
make ii effective. The reasonable ex-
pecta ton of the people will not be met
unless the congress provides at this
session for the beginning and prosecu-
tion of the actual work of waterway
improvement and control The con-
gress should recognize in fullest fashion
the fact that the subject of the con-
servation of our national resources
with which this commission deals Isl
literally vital for the future of the
nation.
Numerous bills granting water
power on nayigable streams have been
introduced. None of them gives the
government the right to make a reason
able charge for the valuable privilege
so granted in spite of the fact that
these water power privileges are equiv
alent to many thousands of acres of
the best coal lands for their produc-
tion of power. Nor is any definite time
limit set as should always be done in
such cases. I shall be obliged here
after in accordance with the policy
stated in a recent message, to veto any
water power bill which does not pro-
vide for a time limit and for the right
of the president or of the secretary
concerned to fl; and collect such a
charge as he may find to be just and
reasonable in each case.
"THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
1.-THE White House, March 25, 1905"
ADVOCATE OF VIOLENCE
ARRESTED BY POLICE