The Washington herald., 1908-02-01
PRESIDENT JUSTIFIES POLICY
IN MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Continued from Page Ten.

In a recent letter from learned judge
of the Supreme Court OF one of the Gulf
States, the writer spoke as follows:
In all matters pertaining 70 Interstate
commerce the authority Of the national
government already exists and does not
have to be acquired. and the exercise Of
this existing authority can be in no sense
a usurpatiOn of. or infringement upon the
rights of the States. On the contrary,
had the Federal government given this
question more attention in the past and
applied a vigorous check 10 corporate
abuses, conditions would now be better,
because the States would have had fewer
real or imaginary grievances and have
had less cause not only to attempt the
exercise of the authority reserved 10 the
national government, but 10 act without
proper moderation in matters peculiarly
within their own provinces. The national
government has been remiss in the past
but even at this late day it can solve
this problem, and the sooner the national
authority is exercised the less apt are the
States TO take action which viii repre-
sent encrOachment upon the national do
main. There is a field Of operations for
both powers, and plenty alike for ma
tiOual and State governments 10 do in
order 10 protect both the people and the
]
between Federal and State authority can
and should be speedily settled by the
Federal courts The fact that the M
tiOnal government has omitted 10 eXer-
else the authority conferred upon it by
the interstate commerce clause Of the
Constitution has made the States restive
under what they deem corporate abuses,
and in some cases has probably Stlmu-
lated them 10 go too far in the attempt
TO correct these abuses, with the result
that all measures which they passed,
good or bad. have been held up by the
Federal courts The necessary equitable
and uniform regulation cannot be OBJ
tanned by the separate action Of the
States. but only by the affirmative action
of the national government
This is an appeal by high State judge,
alarmed, as good citizens should be
alarmed, by conflicts over the matter or
Jurisdiction, and by the radical action
advocated by honest people smarting
from Il sense Of injury received from cor
porauOns, which injury the Federal
courts forbid the States 10 Try 10 REM
edy, while the Federal government neV-
ertheleSs re1rainS from itself taking
adequate measures TO provide remedy.
Il cannot too strongly bee insisted that
the defenders and apol0gis,s of the great
corporations, who have sought in the past
and stlll seek 10 prevent adequate action
by the Federal government TO control
these great corporations. are not only
I p
ing up a day Of wrath for the great cor
porations themselves. The nation VIII
not tolerate an utter lack OF control over
very wealthy men OF enormous power
in the industrial. and therefore in the so
Cial, lives of all our people. some OF
whom have shown themselves Cynically
and brutaly Indifferent 10 the interests
OF the people. and II the Congress does
not act. with good tempered and sensible
/ but rcsOlute thoTOugLness. in cutting out
the evils and in providing an effective SUI
peIFlslon, the result ls certain 10 pe dC-
tiOu on the part OF the separate States.
sometimes wise. sometimes lll-judgcd and
extreme, sometimes unjust and damaging
10 the railroads or other corporations.
more often ineffective from every stand
point, because the Federal courts declare
u unconstitutional
Prosperity il Assured.
We have just passed through two
months of acute financial stress, At any
such time il is a sad fact that entirely in
nocent people suffer from no fault OF
their own. and every one must feel the
keenest sympathy for the large body Of
I honest business men. of honest investors.
OF honest wagewOrkers, who suffer be-
cause involved IN a crash Tor which they
are in no way responsible At such q
time there is d natural tendency on the
part of many men 10 feel gloomy and
frightened al the outlook, bat there is
no justification for this feeling. There
is no nation so absolutely sure OF ulti-
mate success as ours. OF course, We
shall succeed. Ours Is q nation or mas
terful energy, with 3 continent for its
domain, and IL feels within its veins the
thrill which comes TO those who know
that they possess the future. We are
not cast down by the fear Of failure We
are upheld by the confident hope of ulti-
mate triumph. The wrongs that exist are
to be corrected, but they in no way JUS
tfy doubt as 20 the nDal outcome, doubt
as 10 the great material prosperity of the
future, or of the lofty spiritual life which
Is 70 be built upon that prosperity as "a
foundation. No misdeeds done in the
present must be permitted To shTOud
from our eyes the glorious future OF the
nation, but because OF this very fact il
behOoves us never 10 sweTye from our
resolute purpose 70 cut out Trongdoing
ard uphold what is right.
/ do not for a moment believe that the
factions of this administration have
| brought on business distress; so far as
/ this is due TO local and not worldwide
causes, and 20 the actions OF any particu-
! lar individuals. il is due 10 the speCu-
! lative folly and fragrant dishonesty Of
/ few men of great wealth. who seek TO
shield themselves from the effects Of
| their own WTOugdOing by aSCribing its
results 10 the actions Of those who have
sought 10 put a stop to the wrOngdOing-
l But if 1t We're true that to cut out rOt-
/ tenneSs from the body polite meant a
m0mentary check to an unhealthy seem
| ing prosperity. l should not for one mo-
ment hesitate TO put the knife to the cor
ruptiOn. On behalf of all our people, on
| behalf no less of the honest man of
means than of the honest man who earns
| each days livelihood by that days sweat
of his brow il is necessary to insist upon
/ honesty In business and politics alike, in
/ all walks Of life, in big things and IN lit
/ tie things; upon just and fair dealing as
| between man and man. Those who de-
mand this are striving for the right in
/ the spirit of Abraham Lincoln when he
said.
'Fondly do we hope, fervently do we
pray that this mighty scourge may
speedily pass away. Yet, II God wills
/ that it continue until all the wealth piled
/ by the bondsmen's 80 years of Unrequited
| toll shall be sunk, and until every drop
/ of blood drawn with the lash shall be
/ paid for by another drawn with the
| sword, as was said 1900 years ago, so
! still it must be said, The judgments Of
/ the Lord are true and righteous alto
! gether.'
with malice toward none; with char
! ity for all; with firmness in the right, as
| God gives US to see the right, let us
strive on to finish the work we are in"
In the work We of this generation are
! in. there is, thanks be 10 the Almighty,
no danger of bloOdshed and no use for
/ the sword; but there is grave need OF
| those stern qualities shown alike by the
men of the North and the men Of the
South in the dark days when each val
iantly battled for the light as it was
give each to see the light Their spirit
should be our spirit, as we strive to
/ bring nearer the day when greed and
trickery and cunning shall be trampled
under feet by those who fight for the
righteousness that exalteth a nation.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
The White House,
January 81, 1908.
VIII Increase Governors Income.