Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-04-28
Child Labor Bill ana Pay for Injury
to Public Service Employees.
NJUNCTIoNs AND COETEIRT
President Urges Legislation to Pre-
vent Abuse Of These Legal Factors.
ANTITRUST LAW TOO WEAK
strengthening Of the Act e. Dewsnaed
on Both Moral and Ecoaenic
Greunds = Other Peints
I'm Message.

i tMNtNAAN
this afternoon:
To the senate and House Of Representa-
tives: In my message to the congress Of
March Is, 1908 I outlined certain measures
which believe the majority Of our coun-
trymen desire to have enacted into law az
this time These neaaures do not repre-
sent by any means all that would like TO
see done II thought Il possible, but they
do represent what believe can now be
done IL an earnest effort toward this end
Is made. M
Since | wrote this message an empioyers
liability Law has been enacted which. II Is
true. comes short Of what ought to have
been done. but which does represent real
advance. ApnareatiY there is 5000 ground
to hope that there viii ~ further legtslation
providing for reoompemsing All employees
who suffer injury while eneaked IN the
public service: that there win be a child
labor law enacted for the District Of Col
umbia; that the Waterways eommisslon
will be continued with sufficient financial
support to increase the effectiveness Of its
preparatory work; that steps viii be taken
to provide for such Investigation into tariff
conditions by the appropriate COMMITTEES
OF the house OF Representatives and BY
government experts IN the executive service.
as will secure the full information neces-
sary for immediate action IN revising the
tariff at the hands OF the congress elected
next fall; and finaliy that financial lagiala-
tion will be enacted providing for temporary
measures for meeting any trouble that may
arise in the next year or two. and for
commission of experts who shall thoroughly
investigate the whole matter, both here
and in the great commercial countries
abroad, so as to pc able 70 recommend
L.
tenn on an efficient and permanent basis.
II IL much to be wished that one feature Of
the financial legislation OF this session
should be the estshlahment Of postal saw
ines banks. Ample appropriation lhould
be made to erahle the Interstate c0rnr
4 nIercs comIuission - carry out the very
/ important feature a tbe Hepburp law
which gives to the commission pnhsgpialon
and control over the accountine systorns
OF the railways. Failure TO provide means
which viii enable the commission % ex-
anime the books Of the railways would
\ amount to an attack on the law at its most
vital point. and would beneslt. as nothing
else could benefit those railways which are
corruptly or incompetently managed Forest
reserves should be established throughout
the Appalachian mountain region where
ever il can be shown thst they wili have
n
servation and Improvement OF pavikabie
rivers.
Doubt About T'vvo Measures.
There seems. however. much doubt about
two Of the measures I have recommended;
the measure 10 do away with abuse OF the
power Of injunction and the measure or
group OF measures to strengthen and render
both more efficient and more wise the coRr
troll by the national government over the
great corporations doing an interUtAte busi-
ness. 4
First, as to the power Of injunction and
Of punishment for contempt In contempt
cases. save where Immediate action d im-
perative, the trial should be before another
Judge. As regards injunctions, some such
legislatlon as that I have previously rec
commended should be enacted. rhst are
blind who fail TO realize the extreme bitter
meas caused among large bodies Of worthy
citizens by the use that has been repeatedly
made OF the power OF injunction IN labor
disputes Those I'm whose sudsment We have
most right 20 trust are Of the opinion that
while much Of the complaint aEainst the
use OF the injunction q unWaffsnted. yet
that II Is unauestionably true that IN
number OF cases this power has bsen used
70 the grave injury OF the rights Of isborlng
men. ! ask that it b. limited IN acme such
way a. that I have already poin4a4 otat in
my previous message for the very reason
that do not wish TO see an snabittatod ef-
fort made to destroy H. Il is unwiss SttIb-
bornly to refuse 20 provide against Eeps-
tssion OF the abuses which have eAn4e4 the
present unrest In democracy liko ours
Il Is idle 10 expect permanently 70 thwart
the determination Of the great body OF our
citizens. II may be and often 4 the highest
- aIaant - -
tive. to resist and defy q gust Of bopular
passion: and most certainly no public SER
want. whatsveF may be the consequences 70
himself. should yield to what he thinks
wrong. But in a question whioh is om-
! phaticaily one Of public policy. tns policy
which the public demands ia sure in the
end 10 be adopted: and . persistent refusal
to grant to a large portion OF our people
what is right il only too APT IN the end
to result in causing such irritation that
, when the right is obtained Il 10 obtained
! in the course OF q movenfent % III consid-
; cred and violent as to be aecompahied BY
much that is wrons. The process Of in1une-
ton in labor disputes. as well as where
state laws are involved. should be used
sparingly. and only when there is the clear
est necessity for It; but It IL one 80 neces-
sary TO the efficient performances Of duty
By the court on behalf OF the nation that
1t ls In the highest decree TO be regretted
that il should be liable 20 reckless use; for
I this reckless use tends 20 make honest men
desire 40 TO hamper its eyecution a. TO
destroy its usefulness
ssCIaas Consciousness" Condemned.
Every far-sighted patriot should protest
. first OF all against the growlh in this
country OF that evil thing which is called
class eonsciousneas.' The denaagogse
the sinister or foolish socialist visionary
! who strives to arouse this feeling OF class
consciousness In our working people doef
a foul and evil thing; for ne Il no trus
. American, he is no self-rsspeotin1 citi4er
of this republic. he fortslts hlu rsGAt q