Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-05-01
IN SPECIAL MESSAGE
President Roosevelt Asks Con-
gress For New Legislation
TOUCHES ON BOSTON FRAUDS

Has Turned Report of Finance Com
mission Over to Department of
Justice For lnvestigation--Pays Re-
spects to Millionaire Whose Son
Is a Fool and His Daughter a For
eign Princess"
The message sent to congress by
President Roosevelt is a reiteration of
the advice given in recent communica-
tons, and especially those points which
he urged specifically in his message of
March %. He asks nothing now, but
he emphasizes the demand that con-
gress shall give him what he has asked
already, and not be so slow about it.
The schedule of measures which the
president wishes to be enacted into law
is as long as it was. when he first pre-
sented it month ago. Only one of
its items, the employers liability law,
has been put in statutory form, and
Mr.. Roosevelt plainly says it comes
short of what such law ought to be.
To preserve an equitable balance be-
tween the great powers of industry,
between labor and capital. he urges
perfecting legislation. To restrain
predatory wealth" and the encroach-
ment of great corporate combinations,
he asks an extension of executive au-
thority. And upon every form of
tyranny by ''plutoGratic class" over
1.-The vast masses of individuals" he
visits scathing condemnation.
The report of the Boston finance CON-
mission relative to the combination
among the big structural iron and steel
companies of the country, through
which they are alleged to have defraud-
ed the city out of thousands of dollars
by colusive bids for bridge work and
schoolhouse repairs, is included in the
message, the full report OF the commits
sion being attached to the message in
the form of an appendix.
To this report President Roosevelt
points to show the need of federal con-
troll of great corporations, and he also
states that he has referred it to the de-
partment of justice for investigation
and action.
Following is a synopsis Of the prin-
cipal points in the message:
The necessity of financial legislation,
including establishment of postal saw
ings banks, is emphasized.
The process of injunction in labor dis
rrh cfof q
involved, should be used sparingly and
only when there is the clearest necessity
for It,
The demagogue who strives to arouse
class consciousness in our working peo-
pie does foul and evil thing.
A class grievance" left too long
without remedy breeds "class con-
seriousness" and therefore class resent
ment
The only safe course is between plu-
tocratic class government and social
istic class government, either Of which
would be fraught with disaster.
The interstate commerce law has pro-
duced admirable results.
The antitrust law has proved mis-
chievous.
The burden Of proof should be on
combina tons to show that they have a
right to exist.
The powers and scope of the interstate
commerce commission should be great
ly enlarged.
SO far as labor is engaged in produc-
ton only, its claims to be exempted
from the antitrust law are sound.
We should sanction neither a boy
colt nor blacklist which would be H.
legal at Common law.
The reign Of great law-defying and
law-evading corporations is declared
to be over.
The presidents scorn for the law
defying millionaire is expressed as fol-
lows:
The first duty Of every man is to
provide livelihood for himself and for
those dependent upon him; it is from
every standpoint desirable that each Of
our citizens should endeavor by hard
work and honorable methods to secure
for bin and his such a competence as
will carry with it the opportunity to en-
Joy In reasonable fashion the comforts
and refinements of life.
but among the many kinds Of evil,
social, industrial and political, which
It is our duty as nation sternly to
combat, there is none at the same time
more base and more dangerous than
the greed which treats the plain and
simple rules OF honesty with cynical
contempt II they interfere with making
profit.
1.-The man who breaches hatred of
wealth honestly acquired, who incul-
Gates envy and jealousy and SANDER
Gus Ill will toward those of his fellows
who by thrift, energy and industry
have become men OF means. is to be
found in that particular kind Of multi
millionaire who is almost the least
snviable, and is certainly one Of the