The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-12-10
ROOSEvELT'S FINAL
ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
Presidents Message Reiterates
Need of Reforms He Has
Previously Advocated.
APPEAL TO PEOPLE
An Effort viii Be Made to Get Labor
and Capital Together for the
Sake of the Public
Welfare.

Washington, d. c., Special: Presi
GENT Roosevelt's ina message to con
gross, advocating strongly the enactioI
of the reforms TO which his admins,
tration has been devoted, was read il
both houses today. The message IL
part, follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatYes: The financial standing OF th'
nation at the present time is excellent
and the financial management Of the ma
toms interests by the government during
the last seven years has shown the mos
satisfactory results. But our currency
system is imperfect, and it is earnestly
to be hoped that the currency commits
sion will be able to propose d thoroughly
good system which win do away witt
the existing defects.
During the seven years and three
months there has been q net surplus OF
nearly one hundred millions OF receipts
over expenditures, a reduction of the
interest bearing debt by ninety millions
IN spite of the extraordinary expense OF
the Panama canal, and q saving OF near
~ nine millions ON the annual interest
charge. This is an xccedingly satisfac-
tory " especially in view of the
1act That during this period the nation
mas never hesitated to undertake any
expenditure that 1t regarded as neces-
sary. There have been no new taxes and
no increases of taxes: on the contrary,
some taxes have been taken off; there
has been 81 reduction OF taxation.
Corporations.
As regards The great corporations en-
gagged in interstate business, and espe-
ctally the railroads., | can only repeat
what l have already again and again
oelleve that under the interstate clause
OF the constitution the United States
mas complete and paramount right 10
control all agencies of interstate com
merce, and l believe that the national
government alone can exercise this right
with wisdom and effectiveness so as both
10 secure Justice from, and to do justice
to, the great corporations which are the
most important factors in modern bust
70 attempt TO prohibit ali combination
as is, done by the Sherman antitrust
law, because such a law can be enforced
only imperfectly, and ~unequally, and it's
enforcement works almost as much hard
snip as good. / strongly advocate that
instead Of an unwise effort to prohibit
al combinations, there shall be sub
STUFFED a law which shall expressly per-
init combinations which are in the inter
est or the public, but shall at the same
siiIie give to some agency of the national
government full power of control and
supervision over them. One of the chief
features of this control should he secur-
ing entlre publicity in all matters which
the public has a right to know, and fur
LlefInore, the power, not by judicial but
stop to every form of improper favorttism
or other wronsdoing.
The Railroads.
m railways of the country should be
Inerce commission and removed from the
domain of the antitrust law. The power
OF the commission should be made thor
so that it could exercise com
pete supervision and control over the
issue OF securities as well as over the
raising and lowering Of rates. AS regards
rates, at least, this power should be
summary. The power TO investigate the
nhancial operations and account of the
pan.s FEATURES in recent legislation.
Power to make combinations an. traffic
eg.sements should be explicitly conferred
UPON me railroads.. the permission of the
commission being first gained and the
eomn,nation or agreement being published
IN AZ its details. In the interest of the
punlic the representatives of the public
snoutd have complete power to see that
the railroads do their duty by the public.
should also be exercised so as to see that
no injustice is Gone to the railroads..
The shareholders. the employees and the
guarded. 1t Is to the interest of all of
them that no %swindling stock specrla-
ton should be allowed. and that there
c%urtties. ~
The guiding. intelligencea necessary for
management of railroads should receive
ample remuneration; but no man should
pc aiioweo to make money In connection
Capitalization and kindred stock gambiine
performances; there must be no defraud.
ING OF INVESTORS, oppression of the farm
or eaiious disregard of the rights and
needs of the employees. In addition to
tiiiS. the. interests OF the shareholders. of
the employees. and of the shippers should
I'll be guarded as against one another.
10 give any one of them undue and i'm
the others. :"
Rates must be made as low as is COM
patible with giving proper returns to all
highest to the lowest. ap.1 proper returns
TO the shareholders: but they must not.
for instance. be reduced In. such fashion
as to necessitate a cut in the wages Of
the employees or the abolition Of the
proper and legitimate profits OF honest
shareholders.
telegraph and telephone companies err
gagged In Interstate business should he
state Commerce commission.