The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-02-04
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
President Rooseyelt's special mes

sage, which was read to congress Sat.
urday, is of the most important
communications the chief executive
has ever sent to the Legislative branch
Of the government. It is q conserva.
tive discussion OF the important ques-
lions facing the legislators with rec.
concentrations which cannot but meet
with the approval OF every patriotic
citizen. Throughout the document
there Is the ring OF the square DEAL
Briefly summarized, the president
recommends the passage Of an EN-.
ployers' liability act covering such
corporations as are under federal con
troll and perform interstate business;
he urges the passage Of a law pro.
viding that employees Of the govern.
ment who are injured in the course
Of duty should be given liberal com.
%pensation; he advocates the establish.
ment of an employers liability Gus.
tom to cover all industrial pursuits,
and declares that every industry
should bear the burden Of accidents
which arise within its scope; he urges
the retention Of the injunction power
Of the courts. modified to overcome
some Of the evils It now possesses; he
demands that there shall be put one
law for the poor and the ricn; he In
sists that property and employers
shall be compelled to perform the duty
they owe to society, as well as the
wage earners; he calls for legislation
that will place corporations under the
control Of the government through a
public utility law and protect the in.
vestor against watered stock and
bond issues; he favors traf1c associa-
lions under the dictatorship Of the
interstate commerce commission; he
asks that laws be passed to regulate
under government supervision conduct
Of interstate corporations; he CON
dennis stock gambling. and urges that
the same laws apply to it that apply
to lotteries; he condemns the Stand
ard Oil company and railroads which
have granted rebates, and protests
against agreements made In restraint
Of trade; he shows how the puppets
OF law.defying wealthy men, "the
criminal rich" agitate against the
policies OF the administration and con
denim just judges; he urges that the
control OF all corporations doing an
interstate business be placed in the
federal government, but asks that the
courts at one decide the line Of de-
marcation between federal and state
authority and says that both state and
federal governments must work to.
gether in. controlling great corpora.
tons; he denies that the policy OF the
federal administration has caused the
business depression through which the
country has just passed.
President Roosevelt tells in plain
Anglo-Saxon words Just how the law.
defying heads Of many great corpora,
tions are fighting against the federal
governments effort to compel all to
obey the law, and explains the policies
Of the present administration. He
covers the fight OF the government
against graft and tells how to clint.
nate graft and law defying in the fu.
ture.
The message might be termed a re.
port to the people on what the gov:
eminent is doing, what 1t believes
should be done; a suggestion to con.
gress how to do 1t, and an ultimatum
to those who violate the laws and
rights OF the people to the effect that
the administration will remain arm in
Its light against corruption. "the Grim.
inal rich." and law-defying corpora
tions.
The Oklahoma legislators are max.
Ing . reputation In law.enacting in
quantity. II not In quality.
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