Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1908-12-11
President ROOS6ve|t'S
MESSAGE TO Congress-
Last Annual Document Of the Present
Incumbent Of the White House.

pacrty ana an ample reward for the
great directing intelligences alone CON-
petent to manage the great business
operations Of today. 1t Is web to keep
In mind that exactly as the anarchist
is the worst enemylof liberty and the
reactionary the worst enemy Of order
50 the men who defend the rights Of
property have most to fear from the
wrongdoers Of great wealth, and the
men who are cbampioning popular
rights have most to fear from the
demagogues who in the name of popu-
lar rights would Go wrong to and op-
press honest business men, honest men
Of wealth, for the success Of either
type OF wrongdoer necessarily invites
a Violent reaction against the cause
the wrongdoer nominally upholds.
The opposition to government con-
troll Of these great corporations makes
its most effective effort In the shape
Of an appeal to the old doctrine Of
states rights.
The proposal to make the, national
government supreme oyer, and there
fore to give 1t complete control over,
the railroads and other instruments Of
interstate commerce Is merely a pro-
posal to carry out to the letter one Of
the prime, purposes, If not the prime
purpose, for which the constitution
was founded. 1t does not represent
Capitalization.
I believe that the more farsighted
corporations are themselves coming to
recognize the unwisdom Of the violent
hostility they have displayed during
the last few years to regulation and
control by the national government Of
combinations engaged In interstate bust
ness.
- Labor.
There are many matters affecting la
Dor and the status Of the wageworker
to which should like to draw your
attention. AS far as possible l hope
to see frank recognition Of the adj
yantages conferred by machinery, or
ganization and division Of labor ac-
companied by an effort to bring about
larger share In the ownership by
wageworker Of railway, mill and fac
tory. In farming this simply means
that we wish to see the farmer own his
own land. We do not wish to see the
farms so large that they become the
property Of absentee landlords who
farm them by tenants nor yet SO small
that the farmer becomes like Euro
pean peasant. 81 ys..
The depositors In our savings banks
now number over one-tenth OF our en-.
fire population. These are all capital
lists who through the savings banks
loan their money to the workers--that
ia In many cases to themselyes-to
carry on their various industries.
Postal savings banks will make It easy
for the poorest to keep their savings
in absolute safety. The regulation OF
the national highways must be sucn
that they shall serve all people with
equal Justice. Corporate finances must
he supervised so as TO make IL iar
safer than at present for the man OF
small means to invest his money IN
Stoke There must be prohibition OF
child labor diminution Of woman Ia
hor shortening Of hours OF all me-
chanical labor stock watering should
no n-ohIblted. and stock gambling so
far as Is possible, discouraged. There
should be progressive inheritance
tax on large fortunes. Industrial eau
cation should be encouraged
protection For WsOsworksrs.
rbera Is one matter with which the
CONGRESS- should deal at this session,
rhore should no longer be any paiter-
Inc with the question of taking care
~ tbe wageworkers who, under our
~ Orosent industrial system, become KIN
al crInpled or worn out IS part on tne
soonlar incidents Of given business
the ohiect sought for could be aenleV-
ID 70 a measurable degree as lar ~
s ~ killed or crippled are concerneu'
~ .res nroner employers liability laws,
!, far as concerns those who nave
haen worn out, / call your atten'iVn y
.ne fact that definite steps toward pro no,
v,d,ng old age pensions have Des l
tasan IN many of our private inous-
tries go. ,n,ostioa-
PendlnG a thorOugnsOlnS y