Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1909-03-05

savings deposits which private enter
priae cannot supply, and at such q low
rate OF interest as not to withdraw
custom from existing banks. a
Panama canal All Right.
The Panama canal will have most
important bearing upon the trade be-
tween the eastern and the far western
sections Of o,ir country, and will great
~ increase the facilities for transport
tation between the eastern and west
ern seaboard, and may possibly ravo-
lutionize the transcontinental rates
with respect to bulky merchandise. It
will also have a most beneficial effect
to increase the trade between the east
ern seaboard OF the United States and
the western coast Of South America,
and, indeed, with some Of the i'm
portant ports on the east coast OF
South America reached by rail from
tho west coast. The work on the
canal is making most satisfactory
progress. The type Of the canal as
lock canal was fixed by congress after
q full consideration Of the conflicting
reports of the majority and minority
OF the consulting board, and after the
recommendation Of the war depart
ment and the executive upon those
reports. Recent suggestion that some
thing had occurred on the isthmus to
make the lock type of the canal less
feasible than 1t was. supposed to be
when the reports We're made and the
policy determined on, led to visit to
the isthmus Of board of competent
engineers to examine the Gatun dam
and locks which are the key OF the
lock type. The report of that board
shows that nothing has occurred In
the nature of newly revealed evil
dence which should change the views
once formed in the original discussion.
The construction will 60 on under
most effective organization controlled
by Col. Goethals and his fellow army
engineers associated with him, and
will certainly be completed early In
the next administration, IL not before.
south and the Negroes.
4 I look forward with hope to increas-
ing the already good feeling between
the south and the other sections Of
the country My chief purpose is not
to effect change In the electoral vote
Of the southern states. That is sec
ondary consideration. What look for
ward to Is an increase In the tolerance
Of political viewsof all kinds and their
advocacy throughout the south, and
the existence of respectable political
opposition in every state; even more
than this, to an increased feeling on
the part of all the people In the south
that this government Is their govern
ment, and that It's officers In their
states are their officers.
The consideration Of this question
cannot. however. be complete and full
without reference to the negro race.
its progress and It's present condition.
The 18th amendment secured them
freedom; the 14th amendment due
process Of law, protection Of property
and. the pursuit of happiness: and the
lOIu 0lAcAuIlCuJ GbtlCnAPSCu w oOSuAS
the negro against any deprivation OF
the privilege to vote, because he was
a negro. The 18th and 14th amend
ments have been generally enforced
and have secured the objects for
which they were intended. While the
18th amendment has not been gencr-l
ally observed in the past 1t ought to
be observed, and the tendency OF
southern legislation today is toward
the enactment of electoral qualifica.
lions which shall square with that
amendment.
Laws for Labor's Benefit.
There is one other matter to which
! shall refer. 1t was made the subject
of great controversy during the cleo.
ton and calls for at least a passing
reference now. My distinguished prede-
cessor has given much attention to the
cause of labor, with whose struggle
for better things he has shown the sin
cerest sympathy. At his instance, con-
gress has passed the bill fixing the liza
bility of interstate carriers to their
employees for injury sustained In the
course Of employment, abolishing the
rule of fellow-scrvant and the common
law rule as to contributory negligence.
1t has also passed q law fixing the
compensation of government employees
for injuries sustained in the employ
of the government through the negli-
gence of the superior. 1t also passed
model child labor law for the Dis
trict of Columbia. In previous admin
istrations an arbitrary law for inter-
state. commerce railroads and their
employees, and laws for the application
Of safety devices to save the lives and
limbs of employees of interstate rail
roads had been passed. Additional
legislation of this kind was passed by
the outgoing congress. *
| wish to say that In so far as
can, hope to promote the enactment
Of further legislation Of this charac-
ter. am strongly convinced that the
government should make itself as re-
sponsible to employees injured In its
employ as an interstate railway cor
poration Is made responsible by fed
eral law to It's employees.
In conclusion the president dis
cussed the question Of the power of
federal courts to issue injunctions in
labor disputes, relterating forcibly his
belief that to take away this power
from the courts would result in the
creation Of privileged class among
the laborers and save the lawless
among their number from a most
'needful remedy for the protection of
III OF, az ~.