Mexico Missouri message., 1918-06-20

world.
In the past, the regulations of rail-
roads and railroad rates has been a
live issue, but today the railroads of
the country are in the hands of the
United States Government. The Presi-
dent has been empowered to take pos
session and assume control of all the
railroads Of the United States, and
they are now being operated by his
Director General, and the question of
the right of the Government to COM
troll and regulate the carriers of the
country, about which there has been
much litigation and controversy for
a quarter of a century, is so complete
ly settled today that there is none to
deny the right and power of the Gov
ernment. The President has been
granted authority whenever in his
to initiate rates, fares, charges, class
opinion the public interest require *
ifications, regulations, and practices
This he is now doing through his duly
constituted agents and representa-
tives with the full approval and to
the entire satisfaction of the people
The action of Congress in placing the
railroads of the United States under
Federal Control has removed that
question from the field of legislation,
an destablished the transportation
system of the country as nothing else
could have done. So, it is futile to-
day for men or parties 20 attempt to
make an issue of railroad contro.,
when that control is so complete and
sweeping that railroad action is Gov
ernment action.
Food and fuel are being conserved
! by Federal authority, as are all the
products of the country essential to
the prosecution of the war The peo-
pie have yielded to these regulations
and indeed they are cooperating to
carry ou: the directions of the Gov
ernment in economizing these prime
necessities Of war. The taxation
which in ordinary times would be
resented, now finds ready response
from the people. Many business en-
terprises which are regarded as cold
and calculating are sharing their in
comes and profits in a spirit of loyal
ty and cooperation
He who now seeks 20 raise up old
issues or to form new issues on old
subjects shows that he is not alive to
this emergency. The Hun is at our
gates, and l have no issues to pre-
sent or cause to champion save only
that all things be directed to the one
great purpose of winning the war. We
are determined to keep the sovereign
authority of the country as the sane
tuary of liberty, and we stand ready
to undergo the discipline, endure the
sacrifice, and render the service in
this supreme struggle which is nee
]
militarism from the face fthe earth
The warlike and heroic spirit of our
people has already been reinvigorat-
ed and recreated, and we stand ready
today to meet the issues with all
the resources of the Nation. No peo-
pie in history ever responded more
nobly to the call of the Government
than have the people of the United
States to this crisis. The forces o;
the Nation have been co-ordinated
with and subordinated to the activi-
ties of war President Wilson, as
Navy, has the support of every loyal
American and in him is reposed the
confidence of the greatest number of
free people that any individual has
ever possessed So long as ! have in
him the degree of confidence which
now hold and which all the Nation
gives him, | am going to support him
and the policies he outlined for the
winning of the war Congress has
conferred great powers upon the
President and he is exercising those
powers with great foresight and wis
DOM
In granting the President this ex-
traordinary authority, fear has been
expressed that we would transcend
the bounds of the Constitution of the
United States. No man respects the
Constitution of the United States more
than I do. No man has greater con-
fidence in it than l have. l have no
fear of the Constitution losing its
force and efficiency by reason of legis-
lation comforting extraordinary au-
thority upon the President in time Of
war, The only sure way to preserve
mr. COnStitufioY, IN pOgtority l. 10 nd,