Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-02-08
ROOSEVELT RAPS
RICH MEMS PLOT
SAYS Wealthy Criminals Conspire to
Discredit His Policies.
URGES MORE RIGID LAWS

NdanAhhAOht w AAh oatNoN
hammer force and in passionate Ian
guage. President Roosevelt. in q spe-
cial message to congress. read before
that body, drives home his charge Of
the existence of vast conspiracy OF
wealth to discredit the policies of the
administration.
The president again urges federal
control of railroads. the supervision
10 be of wider scope than he has here
tofore advocated. He wants the gov
eminent empowered TO make physical
valuation of railroads TO supervise In
some way their financial operations
and to exercise whatever control may
be found necessary over their physi
cal operation.
Mr.. Roosevelt however. makes Il
plain that the Administrations policies
are not directed against law-ablding
corporations. but that il is the desire
To protect the property of every hon
est man and. to prevent wrong-dcing.
Certain representatives of preda
tory wealth." says the president
have banded together to overthrow
and dlscredit all who honestly admin
lister the law to prevent legislation
which would restrain them. to secure
freedom from all restraint which
would permit every INSCRIPTIONS
wrongdoer to do what he wished IN.
checked. providing he has the money
In plain words. Mr. Roosevelt says
the protestations OF the Staniard Oil
trust and Santa Pc railroad that nc
rebates were given or accepted are
false. Attacks on the administration
he declares positively. are made espe.
cially In the interest OF the Standard
OIL trust and OF certain notorious
railroad combinations
With regard to the Standard Oil
company. he says:
"The methods by which the Stand
ard oil people and those engaged in
the other combinations Of which |
have spoken above have achieved
great fortunes can only he justified
BY tho advocacy OF system Of moral
ity which would also Justify every
form of criminality on the part of q
labor union and every form OF vic.
lence. corruption and fraud from muir
der to bribery and ballotbox stuiiin-
In politics"
The president charges that a sys.
tcmatic campaign has been conducted
by the forces nimIcal to the admins
tration that periodicals and publica.
lions of various sorts have been sub.
adized to make insidious attacks upon
the governments policies ana 70 give
false impression concerning the Law
| aefying corporations.
In a forceful manner Mr. Roosevelt
dlsclalms responsibility for the fnan.
cial depression. He says:
II do not for moment believe that
! the actions of the administration
have brought on business distress So
| far as this is due TO local and not
worldwide causes. It is due to the
speculative folly and fragrant dishon.
esty of few men OF great wealth who
seek TO shield themselves from the
| effects OF their wrong doing by ascrib.
| ing its results to the actions of those
who have sought to put stop to the
wrong-doing.
"But If It were true that to cut out
rottenness from the body polite
meant n momentary check 10 our IN.
healthy seeming prosperity should
not for one moment hesitate To put
the knife to the corruption"
The business" which Is hurt by
the movement for honesty. Mr. Roose.
welt asserts, is the business which In
the long run It pays the country TO
have hurt
The administration purpose. MI.
| Roosevelt says. Is TO make property
holders realize that prosperity has its
| duties no less than its rights. II Is the
desire to prevent stock gambling. cor.
nering Of the market and to abolish
| the bucket shop. He suggests that this
might be accomplished by prohibiting
the use OF the mails. the telegraph and
the telephone to men who gamble In
stock futures.
other legislative measures recon.
mended by the president are re.
enactment of the employers liability
law within the constitution; compen-
sation for persons injured in the gov
eminent service. preventing the abuse
of injunctlons: increased power for
the interstate commerce commission.
enabling that body 10 act on its own
initiative: amending the Sherman act
to distinguish between mischievous
| and beneficial cOrDOratiOns