River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-03-11

savings deposits which private enter
prise cannot supply, and at such low
rate of interest as not to withdraw
custom from existing banks.
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 our country, and will great
ly increase the facilities for transport
tation between the eastern and west.
ern seaboard, and may possibly revo-
lutionize the transcontinental ratea
with respect to bulky merchandise. II
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
the 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
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
thing had occurred on the isthmus to
make the lock type of the canal less
feasible than it was supposed to be
when the reports were made and the
policy determined on, led to a visit to
the isthmus of board of competent
engineers to examine the Gatun dam
and locks which are the key of tho
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 go on under a
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, if not before.
South and the Negroes.
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 a change in the electoral vote
Of the southern states. T&at is Sec
ondary consideration. What I look for
ward to is an increase in the tolerance
of political views Of 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,
it's 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
18th amendment attempted to secure
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 gener-
ally observed in the past it ought to
be- observed, and the tendency of
southern legislation to-day 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-servant and the common
law rule as to contributory negligence.
1t has also passed a 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
a 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.
l wish to say that in so far as T
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 its employees.
In conclusion the president dis
cussed the question of the power of
federal courts to issue injunctions in
labor disputes, reiterating forcibly his
belief that to take away this power
from the courts would result in the
creation of a privileged class among
the laborers and save the lawless
among their number from a most
e.. h.