Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-26
TRIUMPHANT DEMOCRACY


TN VIEW of present conditions IN tne
Republican party and the gloomy
l. outlook for 1t unless speedy read
justment can be made between theories
and practices. the Presidents special
message is of unusual interest. 1t IL
Eliminates the path the Republicans
may take in the coming campaign, ana
is convincing evidence of the fact to
which we elhave already called attention
in these columns, that there is an ap-
Proclamation between the Republican
and the Democratic parties, but that 1t
is the Republican party that is approx
imating the Democratic. Many of the
suggestions made by Democrats and
Democratic newspapers are embodied in
the message, which is therefore strong
ly favored with Democratic doctrine.
When it was read in the house 1t
evoked the applause of Democrats, who
recognized in the recommendations of
the chief executive an Endorsement of
reforms for which Democrats have been
fighting consistently for long time.
The president urges the abolition of
child labor. He says that it should be
prohibited throughout the nation, and
suggests that a model child labor bill
should be passed in the District of Co
lumbia. Upon the model of this bill the
states could frame legislation which
would result in putting an end to the
disgraceful practice of hiring children
at low wages to take the place of
adults.
The recommendation for immediate
re-enactment of an employers liability
act is renewed, and 1t is proposed that
by way of setting an example the gov
ernment should show its good faith by
enacting a law giving compensation to
it's own employees for injury or death In
Cured in its service.
President Roosevelt holds that no
temporary restraining order should be
issued by any court without notice, and
that the petition for permanent in
junction should be heard within a rea-
sonable time by the court issuing it.
He characterizes the antitrust law
as an unwisely drawn statute. In the
modern Industrial world, he says, COM
binations are absolutely necessary; they
are necessary among business men;
they are necessary among laboring
men, and are becoming more and more
necessary among farmers. While some
of these combinations are among the
most powerful of all instruments for
wrong doing. others offer the only ef-
fective way of meeting actual business
needs. The antitrust law should not
be operative against labor unions, etc.
He calls attention to the urgent ne
cessity of amending the interstate COM
merce law, as we'll as the antitrust
law, along the lines indicated in his last
message. The interstate law, he says,
should be amended so as to give rail-
roads the right TO make traffic agree
ments subject to these agreements be-
ing approved by the interstate COM |
merce commission and published in all
their details. The commission should
also be given the power to make public |
and to pass upon the issuance of all
securities hereafter issued by railroads |
doing an interstate commerce business. |
Action should be taken. says the pres
ident, to establish postal savinrs banks,
which are imperatively needed for the
benefit of the wage workers and men of
small means and will be valuable ad-
junct to our whole financial system. |
He has given heed to the demands and
protests of publishers associations, and
ff,f1 hat ofo
in the tariff could with advantage be |
made forthwith. Our forests need every
and one method of protect |
ing them would be to put on the free
list pulp wood, with a corresponding |
reduction on paper made from pulp
wood. incidentally the adoption of this
recommendation will make pulp of the
paper trust (our metaphor, not the
Readers of The Herald are familiar
with the reforms recommended in this
progressive and in many features DEM
ocratic message. They have been
advocated in our columns from day to
day. BY his proposals for ameliorative
changes the president censures the re-
suits of Republican policies. Will the
nation in November indorse his censures
by electing a Democratic president?
That would be the natural and logical
sequel of this message. To a Demo-
cratic administration should be en-
trusted the work of putting into prac-
tical effect and permanent shape the
social improvements which, on the eve
of his retirement from office. an Amer
ican president, loyal to his country
rather than to Lis party, is advocating
"strenuously."
THE MESSAGE ILLUSTRATES
APOLOGET1C REPUBLICANISM
AND FORESHADOWS TRIUMPH
ANT DEMOCRACY.