Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1904 — MESSAGE TO CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

Salient Points of the Communloatloa Made the Statesmen by the President. Washington, Dec. 7. President Roosevelt's message, sent to congress Tuesday, discusses every question before the people except the tariff. He ooys that the expenses of government an net Is* kept down to n minimum; that labor unions, wisely conducted. *re often necessary and should exist, but violence or wrong-doing on their part must lie suppressed determinedly: that a stringent employers’ liability law, to protect workers from the consequences of Injury In their duties, should be passed and enforced; that laws limiting the hours of labor of railroad men and enforcing proper precautions for the safety of employes and passengers are needed to prevent the growing number of railroad accidents. He declares It unseemly for govern ment employes to band together to ertort high salaries from the government. Letter carriers and others should argue their claims fairly before congress. Uniform legislation governing childlabor and the work of women, particularly mothers, is needed. The place of the mother is In the home.

The national government alone, he wya, can deal adequately with the great corporation*; moderation and good* sense should rule in the nation’s dealings with them; that the bureau of corporations will make a special report on the beef industry, and that the business of insurance is national in Its application and the power of the bureau of corporations should be extended to cover Interstate transactions in insurance. He also wants the Interstate commerce commission given i>owor to adjust a rate deemed unfair. Speaking of the city of Washington, which he wants made a model city, he Mys that adequate punishment should be provided for wife beaters, perhaps some form of corporal punishment. Every silver dollar should be made redeemable In gold at the option of the holder, is his declaration. Enormous naturalization frauds demand a comprehensive revision of the naturalization Jaws, lie says, and of Immigration he says we cannot have too much of the right kind and recommends legislation that Is designed to insure us that kind. He s{>eaks up for a strong army and navy, intimating that the millennium is afar off yet; declares thut the United States is not land hungry, and says that “Within two years we shall be tiying the experiment of an elective lower house in the Philippine legislation.’*