Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-01
ROOSEVELT
WARNS ALL
VII DOERS
ADVOCATES LAWS GOVERNING
RICH AND POOR
MESSAGE SCORES PREDATORY
CORPORATIONS
Standard oil Company and Several
Railroads Made Target for
Hot Shot Fired by the
President
By Associated Pras..

By Associated Press.
VI ASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-The spe-
w cial message Of the president to
congress on the subject of the
employers liability act and injunctions
in labor cases was presented in the
senate a few minutes after IL o'clock
today. When Mr.. Latta, assistant sec
retary to the president. entered the
chamber, there was but handful of
senators present.
The vice president at once tore open
the big envelope containing the mes
sage and handed it to the assistant
secretary of the senate, who immedi-
ately began it's reading. Printed copies
of the message were delivered by Mr..
Latta and were distributed to sena-
tors present. Many of them appeared
to satisfy themselves concerning the
nature of the message by scanning the
printed documents, so that before its
reading was half finished they very
generally took up other matters, and
only a few followed the reading care
fully. When the striking passages
were reached many of the senators
looked around the chamber and ex-
changed smiles.
Mr.. Tilln1an seemed especially pleased
with the document. Senator LaFol-
lette paid very close attention. Sena-
tors Cullom, Beveridge, McCumber,
Knox, Gallinger, Nelson. Elkins, Hem
enway and Burrows, on the Repub-
Iiean side, and CuTberson, Teller, Davis,
Bankhead and Overman among the
Democrats were especially attentive
to the document
The reading of the message in the
house was listened to with intense in
terest by the members, of whom there
was an unusually large number in at
tendance. On the conclusion of the
reading of the message Senator Davis
of Arkansas promptly moved that TO-
900 copies of the message be printed as
a public document. 'It is the best
Democratic document that I have ever
heard emanating from a Republican
source said Mr.. Davis.
The motion was agreed to and with
out further comment the message was
referred to the committee on Interstate
commerce. AS the reading of the mes
sage progressed in the house numer-
Gus members were heard audibly to
exclaim. Most unusual" "This is red
hot" etc.
The presidents vigorous denuncia-
tion of wrongdoers was greeted with
loud applause. as was his defense of
federal judges who punish Offenders
for violations of the law.
The frequency of the applause in
creased as the reading proceeded. The
hum of conversation over the message
subsidized and the members followed
every word. But the climax came
when the reading was concluded.
Without regard to party the members
loudly applauded, cheered, thumped
their desks and gave other evidences
of their approval of the document.
After moments silence the applause
broke out again, several members, in
cluding many Democrats, arising from
their seats and elapping their hands.
The message then, on motion of Mr..
Payne (New York;, was referred to
the committee on the state of the
Union. Ollie James (Kentucky) pro-
duced laughter and Democratic ap-
plause when he tauntingly inquired OF
Mr. Payne: How many thousand
copies do you desire for circulation? %
Mr.. Payne replied laughingly, "Oh, the
usual number"
Following is the text of the message:
Labor and Capital
To the senate and house of repre-
sentatives:
The recent decision of the supreme
court in regard to the employers liza
Dility act, the experience of the inter-
state commerce commission and Of the
department of justice in enforcing the
interstate commerce and antitrust
laws, and the gravely significant atti-
tude toward the law and It's adnlinis-
tration recently adopted by certain
heads of great corporations render it
desirable that there shall be additional
legislation as regards certain OF the
relations between labor and capital and
between the great corporations and the
public.
The supreme court has decided the
employers liability law to be unconsti-
tutional because it's terms apply to em-
ployes engaged in interstate commerce.
BY constitutional majority the court
holds that the congress has power 70
deal with the question IN so Tar a.
Interstate commerce Is concerned.
AS regards the employers liability
law, I advocate it's Immediate re-enact-
ment, limiting its scope so that Il shall
apply only to the class OF cases as 70