The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-02-08
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SENDS
SPECIAL MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

Washington, D. c., Feb. 1.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt Friday transmitted to
congress one Of the most remarkable
documents ever given out by chief
executive of this republic. 1t is spe-
cial message dealing ostensibly with
the employers liability act, interstate
commerce laws, the abuse of the in
junction, the regulation OF trusts and
railroad corporations. In reality 1t is
a defense of the administration
course, denial of responsibility for
the recent banking troubles, a demand
for aid in the presidents fight against
the trusts and a savage attack upon
as we'll as complete defiance of John
d. Rockefeller and the whole Standard
Oil system.
The presidents attitude is made
plain in the following excerpts from
his message:
"The methods by which the Stand
ard Oil people and those engaged in
the other combinations of which have
spoken above have achieved great for
tunes can only be justified by the adj
vocacy of system of morality which
would also justify every form of Grim
| inality on the part of labor union,
and every form of violence, corruption
and fraud, from murder to bribery and
ballot box stuffing in politics.
II do not believe that the actions OF
this administration have brought on
business distress. So far as this is due
to local and not worldwide causes,
and to the actions of any particular
individuals, it is due to the speculative
folly and fragrant dishonesty of a few
men of great wealth, who seek to
shield themselves from the effects OF
their own wrong-doing by ascribing it's
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 a momentary lull to an I'M
healthy seeming prosperity, could not
for one moment hesitate to put the
knife to corruption. On behalf of all
our people, on behalf no less Of the
honest man of means than the honest
man who earns each days livelihood
by that days sweat of his brow, it is
necessary to insist upon honesty in
business and politics alike, in all walks
of life, in big things and little things,
upon just and fair dealing as between
man and man.
TT is all wrong to use the injunc-
ltion to prevent the entirely proper and
Legitimate action of labor organizations
in their struggle for industrial better
ment, or under the guise of protecting
property rights unwarrantably to in.
wade the fundamental rights of the in
ldividual.
"The interstate commerce commits
sion should be provided with the
means to make physical valuation OF
any road as to which it deems the val
luation necessary. In some form the
federal government should exercise SUI.
|pervision over the financial operations
|of our interstate railroads. In no other
way can justice be done between the
private owners of those properties and
the public which pay their charges.
II think that the federal government
must also assume certain measure of
control over the physical operation OF
railroads in the handling of interstate
traffic. The commission now has au-
thority to establish through routes and
joint rates. In order to make this pro-
vision effective and in order to pro-
mote in times of necessity the proper
movement of traffic, / think it must
also have authority to determine the
conditions upon which cars shall be in
exchanged between different interstate
railways. 1t is also probable that the
commission should have authority in
particular instances to determine the
schedule upon which perishable com
modities shall be moved.
II do not know whether it is posi-
BILE, but if possible, it is certainly de
sirable that in connection with meas
ures to restrain stock watering and
|overcapitalization there should be
measures taken to prevent at least the
|grosser forms of gambling in securities
and commodities, such as making large
sales Of what men do not possess and
Icornering the market.
"The time has come for the strict su.
lpervision of these great corporations
land the limitation of their stock and
bond issues under some proper official
will make for conservatism and
strengthen the companies doing lie
lgitimate business, and eliminate, let us
hope, those which are merely specu
lative in character and organized sim.
ply to catch the unsuspecting or cred
ulous investor.
For the last year the attack has
been made with most bitterness upon
1.-The actual administration of the law
Especially through the department OF
Justice, but also through the interstate
r. Il