Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-12-08
ROOSEVELT SENDS LAST
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
.. euov> Dorn ~
continued from Page ~

,.dividual initiative and individual ca
a,tr and IN ample reward for the
p" at directing intelligences alone CON-
sa,snt to manage the great business
pp.orotions of today. 1t Is well to keep
mind that exactly as the anarchist
- .ha worst enemy OF liberty ana the
.,otionary the worst enemy OF order
Tho men who defend the rights of
onortv have most to fear from the
rropgtloers Of great wealth, and The
won who are championlng popular
-,,,hts have most to fear from the
..n,ayog,,cs who In the name Of popu-
,or rights would do wrong to aud op-
.,ross honest business men, honest men
=. u,slth, for the success Of either
+rre Of wrongdocr necessarily invites
a violent reaction against the cause
.he vrongdocr nominally upholds.
The opposition to government con
+rc, Of these great corporations makes
Ats muol :, .aI,4
of al appeal .-ie o!
states rishes.
The III, pusal 20 E3a';c TIE naiionn,
yoyernmept supreme over, and Shcre-
fore to give il comI32tc control over
the railroads. and other Instruments ~
Interstate commerce is merely ii pri
nosal to carry out t., the setter one o.
the }rime purposes. if not the pria2
nurpose for which the constitution
was founded 1t does not represent
Capitalization.
! believe that the more fArsigbtcd
corporations are themselves coming to
recognize the unwislo.n Of tie via en- /
hostility they have displayed durin.
the last few yeas to regulation an.
control by the national government o.
combinations engaged ia interstate bust
ness
There are many matters affecting lt
Dor and the status of the waGeworkc,
TO which l should like to draw your
attention. AS far as possible | hope
to see frank recognition of the adj
vantages conferred by machinery, or
ranization and division OF labor. &C
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.
The depositors in our savings banks
now number over One-tenth of our en-
tire population These are all capital
lists who through the savings banks
loan their money to the workers--ithat
Is In many cases to themselves-to
carry on their various industries.
Postal savings banks viii make it easy
for the poorest to keep their savings
in absolute safety. The regulation Of
the national highways must he such
that they shah serve all people with
equal justice. Corporate finances must
be supervised so as to make 1t far
safer than at present far the man OF
small means to invest his money in
stocks. There must be prohibition Of
child labor, dimfnution Of woman la
Dor, shortening of hours of all me-
chanical labor. Stock watering should
be prohibited. and stock gambling. SO
far as is possible. discouraged. There
should be progressive inheritance
tax on large fortunes. Industrial edu-
cation should be encouraged
Protection For Waeeworkers.
There is one matter with which the
congress should deal at this session.
There should no longer be any palter-
Ing with the question Of taking care
OF the wageworkers who, under our
present Industrial system, become kill
e. crippled or worn out as part Of the
regular incidents Of given business
The object sought for could be achiev-
eu 10 measurable degree, as far as
tnoSe killed or crippled are concerned,
ny proper employers liability laws.
AS Tar as concerns those who have
Deen worn ont, can your attention to
inc TACT that definite steps toward pro
no'ng old age pensions have been
taken In many Of our private indus.
tries.
PENDING thoroughgeing investiga-
oon and action there is certain legis-
Atlon which should be enacted at
once. The law passed at the last SEES
'oh OF the congress granting com
pensation to certain classes Of en-
p'oyees Of the government should be
extended to include all employees Of
Tue government and should be made
more liberal in its terms. In this re-
spect the generosity Of the United
o'ates toward its employees compares
aost unfavorably with that OF every
sountry In Europe-even the poorest.
1ne terms of the act are also a
.aldship in prohibiting payment in
uses where the accident is in any
"ay due to the negligence Of the en-
poyee. 1t is Inevitable that daily ia
I,llarity with danger will lead men to
s Ae chances that can be construed
INTO negligence.
renew my recommendation made
~ previous message that hAlf holt