Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-03-10

Washington, March president
Taft's inaugural address, delivered
after he had taken the oath of Office,
was as follows:
My Fellow Citizens: Any one who
takes the oath have just taken must
feel heavy weight of responsibility.
If not, he has no conception of the
powers and duties of the Office upon
which he is about to enter, or he is
lacking in a proper sense Of the obli-
cation which the oath imposes.
The Office of an inaugural address
Is to give summary outline of the
main policies of the new administra-
ton, so far as they can be anticipated
/ have had the honor to be one of the
advisers Of my distinguished prede
cessor, and as such, to hold up his
hands in the reforms he has initiated.
/ should be untrue to myself, to my
promises and to the declarations of
the party platform upon which / am
elected to Office, If did not make the
maintenance and enforcement of those
reforms most important feature of
my administration. They we're di-
rected to the suppression of the law
lessness and abuses of power of the
great combinations of capital invested
in railroads and in industrial enter
prises carrying on interstate COM
merce. The steps which my predeces-
sor took and the legislation passed on
his recommendation have accom-
plished much, have caused general
halt in the vicious policies which Gre
ated popular alarm, and have brought
about in the business affected, much
higher regard for existing law.
To render the reforms lasting, how
ever, and to secure at the same time
freedom from alarm on the part of
those pursuing proper and progress
sive business methods, further legisla-
tive and executive action are needed.
Relief of the railroads from certain re-
strictions of the antitrust law have
been urged by my predecessor and will
be urged by me. On the other hand,
the administration is pledged to legis-
lation looking to proper federal SUI
pervision and restriction to prevent ex-
cessive issues of bonds and stocks by
companies owning and operating inter-
state commerce railroads.
Then, too, reorganization of the
department of justice, of the bureau
of corporations in the department of
commerce and labor, and of the inter-
state commerce commission, looking
to effective cooperation of these
agencies, is needed to secure a more
rapid and certain enforcement of the
laws affecting interstate railroads and
industrial combinations.
l hope to be able to submit, at the
first regular session of the incoming
congress, in December next, definite
suggestions il respect to the needed
amendments to the antitrust and the
interstate commerce law, and the
changes required in the executive de-
partments concerned in their enforce
ment.
1t is believed that with the changes
to be recommended, American bust
ness can be assured of that measure
of stability and certainty in respect to
those things that may be done and
those that are prohibited, which is es-
sential to the life and growth of all
business. Such plan must include
the right of the people to avail them
selves of those methods of combining
capital and effort deemed necessary
to reach the highest degree of econom-
ic efficiency, at the same time diff
Terminating between combinations
based upon legitimate economic rea-
sons and those formed with the intent
of creating monopolies and artificially
controlling prices.
The work of formulating into prac-
tical shape such changes is creative
work of the highest order, and re-
quires all the deliberation possible in |
the interval. believe that the amend |
ments to be proposed are just as nee
essary in the protection of legitimate |
business as in the clinching of the re-
forms which properly bear the name i
of my predecessor.
Extra Session for March is.
A matter of most pressing impor-
lance is the revision of the tariff. In
accordance with the promises of the
platform upon which l was edected,
/ shall call congress into extra session.
to meet on the fifteenth day of March,
in order that consideration may be at
once given to bill revising the Ding
ley act. This should secure an ade-
quate revenue and adjust the duties in
such a manner as to afford to labor
and to all industries in this country,
OF the farm, mine or factory,
protection by tariff equal to the diff
ference between the cost of produc-
ton abroad and the cost of production
here, and have provision which
shall put into force, upon executive
of certain facts, a high
er or maximum tariff against those
countries whose trade policy toward
us equitatly requires such discrimi
nation. II is thought that there has
been such a change in conditions since
the enactment of tie Dingley act,
drafted on a similarly protective prin-
.f-1o .hat tha rnoocuro IF tho toriN