SUPPLEMENT
TO
om:ioN AIIHT.
rRtDAY, BBOBMBlim , iaos
PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Federal Rate Supervision
Is the Theme
ECONOMY IN EXPENSES
Monroe Doctrine Should Be Main
tained Inviolate.
WORE LIBERAL PHILIPPINE TARIFF
Communication li Submitted and Ut
tnd to fclmulUn.gugly In tho
Two Houm Confr Cit
Ugnthlp on Porto
rlican..
.a..ti.ttl.ia Krfl ft l'e.J'dnt KooSeveH
..ub, .B.Unvue.l l Mil fiuuwiul
grtas ..
u tna H.ati and M-uaa of 1irpravntattvra : hm R t a (, 0 tu, iha
turn ! ii ! oly rntiiiu lu ,n!ltrrl , rp..rai ina anggd In tha bualn-aa
J.. mli, I'hd-mbUdiy lhara will uf intBfmtmlm taninainn Aa I aatd in
I vu an i n i " i'"-"""; "
mi,U and aw will I frll mm or Itw by all
.'U ?. .... ,"2 ... . ... in
.1,. i..j un the ..... Hl.l to. !. III
.r4filty pf Hi ri.untit to hln
IhJUMUmt h. ur '.I lh f AwM'
., lit lotH. An.rrt.n tilltvn. mi ml-
4rr lhcr hi ' b n.Ml or manUAl.
hihr l l fi"r 7atr, bul-
it mn r .r.rl..r.l mr.
ln uur nnltitll i.l rtl rm lh In.
rr( ol nil ""n r ni mtriino
(.,-it.iwia .( in ruui-HMM-ir. - - jf-gulatiun la r.n.arnad. la Iha rnanmrnl
art..g and tha u.lrar lng, Agat ,RK tlf , mi. arama to arura lo tha
,.lh f u. Urd iha wiad.m i g.Ma uf tha ilvr nmnil aurh auparva..n
a.a.i, in maa ( SJS ' .'d r.gu.t.m ut th. fair, charged by tha
.natty ran but t. l.Uy rnNjir !h ' ) r.foau. f tha ruuntry angagrd In Infr-
II of ua. ' 'Tho 1 .;v.ir piavatit tha linpoaitlun f uoju.t or
tn..nt ut Iha -y Jill h. ta; pat Prt 'f lip , r.t,.lc. ,B ,vr Bhmi,
i iV r it i- A t'aliln LMjgT o b I'ta ttm Thl. po.ar to ragulala ratra.
: . V. , . Mihi.: world, ahouid b aavrrtaad with mNtarailin.
.hl In tl Inuiwri mj.jrit f ft , ,uv ( th (ioVrninnt lnlrfrln with
iiirl dnii( nn t... b hi nn iin-r. . ,u.inr mur thn U nr"-rr. I
It hi li.i.ull nl ln.lairt, Ixntni Mm )lo BO b,n,,, ,h. ()ovrrnmnt un.lrr
a.lC km max bnm u.ra Nurmallr tha ,.,t w, l,i,h can aim propriety
at.an or rai frlurliv rapa.llir . ,)( ,n ,,tu,,, hnda. Hut n-llhrr ito I
thk hr guUh.i in. Iai ot mn thr ron ,,.,,. , lh. ,i,nmnt fllnrhlni lr.,m
than ll n.ui.l I....1U.-. ''"'' bi "I; ,,,, ,h .,.. . ,ur. t outaln lhrln
... a..l b..h ha anJ lh l i , , aui.rrU.loo It
.wrh ' " . .,, mY ,.,.,.inra lo ln.ll.al. th. .aaet
Jam. Th. auorrn,!.! ' " ,.,,., ih. w .huh .hoold b. .na.i.l;
liur b. unoual mol nr h.lna u lo lit f .... m
'"'"''" '"' ' ,'' ' '" J i.T'.a. I.
" . v ,.n. ii.. .......
rn:;:;... t:";'-
wjr lh. aar.. ptt.-rr. a
lil . .. hl.d by making -,U..o..a a..-k
7 . .. " ' ..a.H .t.iin w
,.) aa an ai.-rpth.nal raward f..r hi. ahr.lt. whaih.r a glvrn rata praai-rlbrd by a rail
atfiurthtrig ran 1 d..na by Ugiaiallon to Italp road la raa.nal.U and Juat, anJ If H la
Ih gnrrat mnai.rrlll , hut no au h fiwin r a
V...t. rh.iBii-r i-.n t .urn
.... .t.i. ....I lr.. rt.iiuii.tr mnsm a. Iha
fr-auila r a nlP t wril.-n artail innr. in in
tli.t ft ail itidUBtrl'Hia and HliHit ''
pi. who a t dr. mil), and thl h nM) an..lhT
M.v ..f Mma thai aur i1!.!! ht h ..n.r !
tra nl'la and 1b fitriotml- muil of hi
raally
rrti n.fa l
th'
mif abl. and
f.tfiuttat. If. thfffi. Ih l. fi"-
un.i wttn u rtoivrd by nvy nf hia m-rr
r...iUft.i linlhr l.t atrilic at Iha roitdlt I'ota
wn.lrr wM. h thy boih. though ro.uaii
lrrd. tha r rati II will aaaurdlr b. that
wlnlr lUiimir na iin. ! tn una atrui a ai.
Ii alii ki.ii with an 'van hravb-r load th on.
tNh.i Bttlkat lh blow Tak-n aa a w hoi.
w. mu at ail g up or go down ogthrr. minimum raira. I call your attention to tha
4'vrpaimitMJtia. 1 fart that my prupo.al la not to gtv tha
Vt whll not maraiy admlitlng, bul Inaiat- t'oinmu.lon pow.r lo Initial or original
Sng uiH.n ihla. II I aiao lm thai whrr ihi ratr. a-nrtil, but to rrguiai a rat al
ia no Muvi rnmanial r-tralnt or auirviahm. raty nid or urlglnatad by lh road a, upon
Hn of Iha rt r,iiinal Nn uaw their nr-
f.rf in wat. thai ar for th. conimn
g.Hrtl but in ' whl.'h tell again.! ihla
rommoti gMK( Th. f .rtunra amaued through
.Hai .rNnltathn ar now ao large, and
vrat an' h tn'ttrr in Ihoae Ihai wield th.m, aa
. make li a matter uf nrwJty lo give t.
4 ha iu(i r Ign -mat n to - toveriiniei,
rht.h riv.rnta tha mopi aa a whole aom
r(i-tlt wrr of auteiv-lon over Ihrlr vT- ,
ui. In order lo tnaur a healthy m- i
1 " " " ".'I .hli.,.r ha. bam tol.1 by a Ir.frt,- nftlr.r lo
,,.,,1.lr .,. ri.mr .lr...j.i...uh la " g.,Uy ..t Mm. rommorilty
,l. to rori- T". ' ' ',..tu,tn , ,.,!. in til. r.l. lo laku rfl.il
bl on ."i 'm. y uXm 1,1 '," 7. -"'., ."'- ";"'
IT a.l !.- ol ill. .o.Hrn,.l for I.w; lb- front of I'l- "... -IHPf" .ml ..on.
I Irh h. fall.it. i law ln.vii.biy railroad .nd to Ih. .I.n.a.a of all lh.tr
,r,, ".ra W. .houM, m..rr...v.r. r..onl.. In 1 comcMltor.; for II imi.t not b. for.ott.n
,otl.l and m.. '..hum IH- Immrr... ,i.l Ih.l tha bl .hln.ar. ar. .1 Ira.t .. murri
ilt'. l.y wirmiraia ...-n.'l.ai In toup.liy'to hlaina aa ny railroad In th. m.lt.r uf
lu. h mm oiiia. an.l ih wraith of lnt.Ha.-i, .n- I rabataa. Th. law ahould maka It cliar o
.. ..... ....... ....... ...i io n.-ir arrvi... that nohoilv it fall in iind.r.lan.l Ihat any
an'l Ihrrrfiira normally l lh. airvl.a of tha kind of loniml.alon .ald on fr.l.ht ahlii
ioil.lt. by Ibflr orri-.-ia .ii.l .ttri..-lora. 1'l.a n.nnlft, wh.lhar In thla form or In Iha rorm
...... mil. -I. haa wnia lo alay. Jual aa Hi. Ii.dr of nrtlllou. daina., or of . romraalon. .
iniliin ha. r.-in. lo alai. i.-h mn do .nd fr. i.aa, rrdurrd I'arafn.or ral., or p.y
h.ia .l..n. .rral ...l. r:.fh ahould b. favon-d mriit of brok.riiR., la III.. at. II la worth
mo lot., an II it- R1. I'm rui'li Hhoiild b. whll. (-oM.lil.rlh. wh.thrr II would not b.
al.an ly ohf. krd wlo-r. H "' If In.l I.W l. I. i-onf.r on Hi Hut arnntrnt Ih. rlKht
, juall.r. of i lMI Bi llon Kilalli't lh. li.n.llcl.ry of
Ion. aa Ih nnan.-i-a of Hi. Nallon ir ri-h.il. for ul I.11.I twlra thr valu. of Ih. ra
k...l ui.ii mi h.'io-al lila hi olhir iiu.-aMon in.; n,. would lirl atop what la rr.lly
..f lnl.'inal ....riomv wllh wlil.h lh. I'ol.Mto.a blackmail. Kl.tnlor nllow uiu'oa ahould I..
lm lh. t-owir to d-al In-. Ilia to aptiroa.-h In , (.t.d, for Ihry l.ava now .loun lo au.-h .n
lu.iiori.in.. Hi nmili-r of ii.l.avoi lu. lo a.-.,.ui,.nt uml it,.y .ra driuurallxlnK .nd .ra
ra proi-i-r In.liwtrlnl c.n.llllona und.r whl.'h u., B riii...
th. Ili.ln Idll.la- "".I '! I1' "" i 'r- ' ,. b.at pna.ll.la ri'.ulallon of r.t.a Would,
pornlloi.. .loll., an lnt.-r.luli- hii.lm.. ar. to of ,.urv, ,. that r.-.iilnllon a.i-ur..l by an
'I'l.. miiai-ra ofiour Nttll-'iml t'.inatltii- i,th,Mt al(r(,,,n,.nt miiioii. th. rullroH.la th.m
tloil iin.vhl.-.l rpii.lly that Iha frllilll"ll , .u, ,.,ry out th. law. Hmll . K'narnl
..r liil. ii.lai. rommii.'. ahoul.l i-..m. wllhln 1,,,mi.11( vl,l, for lnatnnra, ut one. put .
th. ai.hrrr or ih. iinirmi xot.riiiii.in. 1 u"
iliuili. lit. In favor of Ihi lr liihln. llilti alan.l
w.rn vviii Ihrti .t niln. 1 ul llo.y rn
far .l.o,,..r lodav. In vl.-w of Ih. ;""niio..a
.l.vi'lopinriil H"'"1 l"i"H'" aa.-n. li-". u.u
lly ...i(.ml. In f.am. Kpi lain . luia ahown
..ii.oaalt.lt' It will leilillllly ba Itr.'.amiry ul-
ininlely lo confer In fulleal form .itch l.ow.r
ui.on Ihe Nnllonal novel limeiii i.y a i.i-oi.or
irniu.lmrhl of the Colialllullon. It Would oh-
Vlolialv b' imwla. lo eli.l.'nvor lo ae.'ilre atlch
an nin.n.lnient until II I- curiam Hint th.
reault cannot ha obl'.tiu-d un.lcr the t'.Mial llu-
41. n aa It now la. The Inwa of Ihe t'ouarca.
Rnd t.f III. aevel.l iiniea iiniierio, aa paa.e.i
n l.v the eollfla. have realllted more often
In ahowln. Hint the mute, hava no power In
tli. mailer than Hint the Null. mill lluvarn-mi-tit
hna i.iwer; an Hull th.ra at prcaenl
lata a v.ry unfurl iiluitii t-omlltlon of tl.ln.a,
Under which Ihcae Krent corporation dolii.
an Inleialnte bualnena occupy the p.mlllon of
ilhli.ila without .overcl.n, neither ny
.inle overnment nor the Natl.m.l tlovern
ment tiavlrilt eftocllv. conlrol over them, our
irn.ly lni ahould he by lealalollon. caulhun
y and carefully iindeiinken, but reaolutely
p.raevered In, tn a..rt Iha aov.r.lnty of th.
Jjntl.mal llnvarnniant by .fTlrm.llva .etlun.
Trlla la only In form n Innov.llon. In
.ubalanc. II lm m.r.ly . raaloratloBi for from
ron. lualvi iy ii"" 11 1
r.v a... .1...... . . . k. ti.m H11.-I1 Puhlln ahould. Ill my Ju.lKl11. nl, l.e M .-om-
.ui.r.o.i n.i . ia v 'i.. y,. ?. t. ! " "" "-v'r
r ; .. r. V. by . a..r.-ndn whoa, jiiil.,11,- mllibina .ml r.r.ful .11 -vlalon. .Kr..-
, ,, ia .r ,'i-"rl,y n "1v """, "' 1 ""
mn,, rl ona-lluit I". I" " K...nl (lov- Hul, In n.y JuilKlli.hl, Ih. n...Hy for .lv
lr. n l "II".. Ilinl thl. r.ul.llon n.1 ( Ihla further power ! by no meiilla i
lu u. V ..I..11 .-en be oMitlm-d by Hi ia.t- m-t "a Hie heie.lty for .Ivlng the fom-
up.iM.il. n inn ' if .1.1. r...... iiil..lon or .dinllil-tiiillve body Ih. other
tOKI.I Ol IIIW t'J
th tart If ( tlm such regulation of Influx
trlHl activities he been recognised Id the ae
Hum of th lawmaking bodies; and nil t ! t
I propo ii t.v ntt th changed condition
In su h manrivr aa will prevent the common
wealth mI. Dialing Hi powir It has always
pijaraeaed, not nniy in tlil country, but also
In Kngland, before and since thl country be
i.miiiv a eirals Nation,
It liaa linen a misfortune Out th National
law tin this subject have hitherto been of a
negative r prohibitive miliar than an af
nimallva kind, anil ailll more that they hav
In pert sought tu prohibit what could nl
he affectively prohibited, and hav In part
In their pMihlhltlotie confounded what ahould
be allowed and what should nt be allowed.
It Is generally useless to try in prohibit all
restraint on competition, what liar llila r
airalttt ba reasonable or unreasonable; and
whara It la nut useless It la generally hurtful.
K van I a hava ihuwn thai It la not possible
adequately tu secur tha enforcement of any
law of ihla kind by incessant appeal to tha
anuria. Tha Department of Juetle haa fir
tha laat four yaara dvuid mor attention
in tha enforcement nf tha anti-trust legisla
tion than tn anything le. Much haa bn
accomplished; particularly marked haa baa a
t ha moral aflat' t of 1 h pt oscutlons ; but
It la Increasingly evident that thara will he
a vary nurn tnt bnnlnl raaull In iha
way ut economic rhanaa. 1 successful
prosecution of on davU to avada tha law
Immadiataly develop anuthar davlra to c
cuiupllh tha linn purpose, What la needed
la nut sweeping prohibition of avary arrange
ment, good or bad, which may land to ra
aulrt ruinpaililon, but au h adequate super
vision and regulation aa will pravant any re
st hf tun of competition front being to tha
delrim.ttt of tha publtoaa wall aa aurh
supervision and regulation will pravant
ulnar abuaaa In no way connected wllh ra
alrlrllttn of competition. Uf these s buses,
pet ha pa tha chief, although by no mini tha
nly nn a, la over apiiellxailou-g.neielly It
alf tha raaull of dtalioneat promotion be
aua ut Iha rmrlad avila It brlnga tn Ita
train ; for u h ovarrapltallailn of im
nieana an Inflatlun that Inttcaa bualnaaa
paitit?; it nlwa rumala tha irua relation nf
Iha profit aaritfd tu ilia laplial actually Iti
vaalcd. and II rraalaa a burdan of Inlaraat
pninia whlrh la a fantla rauaa of lm
ptfipor raduHin In or Hmliailon f wagaa;
It damagaa tha amall linu.r, dtorouragaa
Uirtft, and anrturaga gambling and apru
latlon : whlla pcrhai'a wirat of ail la tha
itlc-ktnaaa and dlhitiaaiy whbh It impiiaa -for
harm to mrala la wora than any poa-
Ihla barm l ttiaUrlal Itm-r-aia, and Iba
d'baorhary of poU(t and bualnvaa by graal
dihonat i'orHitailnna la far woraa than any
a tut nt at "rial a II thy di tha public,
t rttil tha National ttntarnrnfni ubtaiita. In
mumm tnaniiar whlrh Iha wladom of iha
f'tiligrvaa may auagrat, propar tontrol ovr
tha big rorporatluna angagvd In inifraiaA
rintTiri-a- that la, ovar tha gral MiaJ'rliy
of tha big rurp.trattona.tt will b impa)Uia
to dal ailjoatfly with thaaa avila.
I am wall awara of iha flif nrutiiaa of iha
IfgUtaiion that 1 am auggtating, and of tha
d oi (ftnpri at and rauibua action tn
j.r,unig II I ahould emphats. .My prot.at
Kftini luiprMporiy raiiiai nr liaiy action
niy mr ; of la'ainbrr O laal, tha limna
tUmttt mMi pr.lr,g nrllit fmr m
'. '. 11 '-n b. ir-.u..y ...rCi4
I ,h" "'
j t,p (rH ronatilvfallnn to b kpt In mln4
u uiNt tl x.r h.ul.l r arnrttintlv nd
: ahauttt t ltn In ini adnilnlilriill body
rrrnc4 ,r , fnligrr ir UB ( th
j ,rnt nirll f.nnmrcw rwramlil..n or
( a turirMli1 litlrriiKl I'on.m.rr I'om-
rniliiit)r)i Uch f .minilltn huuld ti rn.l
uomiuKarallr iliiilmtrllv. I dn not Ii
""am aal.llni toi..llllon. llh h.h It I.
it.lral.la in il.al. In my Jmum.nl in. moat
( ....
roni.ln la Ih.i r..nfrr.lng upon auina coin
-Unt admlni.ua. Iw bod, Ih. powar io da.
rlda. utiun Ih raw bring brought bafora It,
ri'unq " nw .n -m ..ju...
ih-n, after full invratlgatlon of tha
romitlalnt. to Prarrlb th limit of
rata hovnnd w hii h It hail not i
lawful lo g"" tha maximum rraaunabl. rata,
a. It i utmmonl) allrd ihU drrtalun to go
Into !Yr-t within a rraonabla lima and lu
from thritra on old, auliji t to r
lrw hv ih. t-tturta. It aomrllmra happ.na
at urnat-nt. not thai a rat la loo high, but
n,nt a fnwirrd ahii-iMT la glvrn too low a
raia. In wh rax Ih i rumla.i"n would
ha. a iha right tu fli Ihta already r.tablllt-d
minimum rat aa th maklmum; and It
w.iuld ttrrd only ona or two aurh dt-i'lalona
by th t nm mt . luii to cur raiirnaii com
l MlI- nf ii,. ora.tl.a of aUlna imnroLtar
rotnplaim and afiar ltir.tlgatlon. A heavy
tMnliv ahould b ia led from any corpora-
Hon wlilrti fall to reaprrt an urdar of tha
nmintaton. 1 regard Ihla power to patah
th a maximum rai aa being raaanllal to
any ( heme of real reform In lh matter of
Railway regulation, Th flr.i nerr.ally la to
.niur It , and unieaa li ia granirq in in.
cmmlon thara la little uaa In touching
xixm puhjiot at all.
f ln tlin ftorla of any one bl. alilppar or
w ,.,,11 ,-,., to illa.'i Inilli.te uanllotl or aa-
a, nnt H-. ovi-r aunt, rival; and aurh
,r;;,;.11,,' K t mnk. rnllrond. ih.m.
a.lv.a uK.-hta for t-iifori-ln. Ih. law. 1 he
powi-r .li-d In the tlovi-rnmi-nt to put .
lop to Kl'i'"Ui.nta 10 lh. ni'irinii'iil or the
powura 1 nav .i.u.o.ia.iu ., auu 11
may well be lliu.ln.al.le to .ll.nipt lo veal
inui pnri.u.r p....r ... ...d . ...
jollier aduilnlalriillia l.udy until It already
poa.i.aaca mid la eaercleliiK what 1 ri-rrard na
:ty fur the niu.t linportnnt power of all the
I powera 1 .rcc.m.inend--na Indeed Ihe vitally
Iiti purtutii power- that lo fl n .Ivim m.xj-
tnuill fine, wnicn rnie, hiht 1.1. ..p.. ot a
reasonable Hm., .oca Into full rffect, aub-
t.ct to review l.y the court.
All piivate-c.r llnoa, Induatrtnl roada, ra
frliterntor i-haiitca nml tha Ilk. ahould ha ex
pi'i'H.ly put un.li-r Hie aupervlBlon of the In.
loretiite t'onituerce tomtnltialon or noma almllnr
boify ao fur aa rntea, an.l agreement, praoth
CHlly .ffei.tln. ralea, .ra concerned. The prl
vatecnr owner, and Iha ownera of Indtiatrlal
rallniAda are entitled to a fair and reuaon
able uompeuaatlon tin their Inveatment, but
neither private era nor Induatrl.l rallroada
nor Mtiur track, .hould ba uttllaad .a devlcea
for aacurln. pr.f.renll.l ratna, A rebat. In
Icing ch.r..., or In mileage, or In . dlvl.lnn
of Ui rat. for rafrlii.llng ch.rga. la Juat
foi-mt. nf i.w. ii has often occurred mat a
aa p.rnlcloua gg g rtbcU In any ethar war,
No lowar rata ahould apply on gooda lmion
ad than actually obtain on domcatlo guodi
from iha Amaru an m mbtmrd to dmtlnatlon ag
i;rpt In caaa whara watr oumpntltlun la tha
controlling Influent:. Thar ahtmld b pub
Ih'iiy of tha aoeount of otinmon carrier.; no
common carrier .ngagad In Intttatat bualnaaa
ahould knp any book! or memoranda other
than thoaa report d purauant to law or rgu
latlon, and tlntaa bookM or mvrnoranda ah(uld
Ij opan to Ih lnaprilun of th Uovarmnent.
tmly In Ihla way uan violations or avaaiona
of th law b auraly da td. A ayatem of
asamlnaiLtfi of railroad arrounta afiuuld b
pmvided flm.'ar to that now uondui-tid Into
tha National bank by tha bank iamlnr. a
few Drat rlaaw railroad arcountanta. If they
had propar dlrafth-n and prupar authority to
liiap''t book a and papra could a:tmoliih
much In pravantlng willful violation of tna
law. It would not b nauaaaary fur them to
aainln Into th anounta of any rallroao un
la for good roaaona tbay war dlre:td U
d mi by tha Jntrtata Com mart' Conim.a
al'ifl. tt la greatly to ba dlrd that aom
way might ba fuund by wblrh an agrninl aa
to traiiattortallon wllhln a atata tntndd to
oparata aa a fraud upon th fadaral inter,
atat cornmartr. taw could ba brought utidrr
th. jurladb'tlon or tha federal ant hurl Haa, At
praaent It orrut that large Mliipmanta of fn
tar atata traffla ar eonrollad by cmcaaiona
fin purtly atata bualnaaa, wbl h at coura
amounta to an .vaaloo of th law, Tha Com.
mlaalon ahould hava puwr to vnforca fair
treatment by th great Iruna llnoa of lateral
and branch Drive.
I urg upon th ong re tha nd of pro
viding for aijitdliloua a-tln by tha internal
Commerce Vmmllon la all the ma tiara,
whether In regulating rale fur transportation
mt fr etorlng r for handling property or
rommottltlea tn transit. Tha hlatury of tha
caaew litigated undr th .raent rotnmere
a. t ahuwa that Ita rfThacy baa tten to a great
degre deatrod by th weaion uf delay, at
(mat iha moat formidable wei-jn In th hand
uf thoe whoa purp-j tt la to viola I tha
taw.
Iat ma moat earnestly say that then rerorn
mendatlnna ar not mad tn any enlrlt of
h'atllliy to tha railroads On thP-al grounds,
on grotiri'1 of rlgttt, aueh hostility would b
Int'derahla; and on grounds of mre National
elf-lntereat w must remember that aurh ho
1 1 III y would trl agatnet th welfare not mara
iy uf son. few rich man, but of a multitude
uf amall In vast on. a multitude of railway
pmp)os. wagewuf kers; and moat ativrly
against tha tnttreat uf th public aa a whol.
I n.iifv ihat on th whol our rilrad have
dona well and not III; but th railroad men
who with to do well (should not ba xpod 10
c-n-tiltlon with thoa who hav no auh 4.
elr. and tha only way to aarure thla and Is
to give to sum Uuvram-nt tribunal th
iw.war to ee that Justly Is don by tha un
filing aa ilv as It ts gladly dona by tha
willing. M-reover, If sum Uuvnimnt bty
ka given tnr-reaaed power the etTat-t will b to
furnish authuriiatlva anewer on behalf of th
railroad whenever Irrational clamor against It
la ralard. or whenever charge ma do agaln.t
It ar dtaprovnd. I ak thla Icglslattun not
only In lh. Interest of Ih publlr, but In th
Intarv.t of th honest railroad man and tha
hontM shipper alike, for tt ks they who at
hlefly Jrot-arded by the pra ttra nf their dl
hon.at comiivtltora. Thl leglalallon ahould ba
era. led in a epirtt aa rrmol. a poealbie from
hyat.rla and rancor. If wa th Anierl.an
tenly .ltlc ar Irti. lo th. tradltlona w
bar. Inherited wa ariall alwaye -.n .ny ef-
fort to make ua hale any man twK-.ua. ha I
II.-H. ju.t .a much aa w. ahould .com any
effort to rr.aka us lo..k down upon or lr.at
... . . ' . L . ' . . t
)"' - man ny nia conuuc.--r.i 1' '
man hu tiehavr decently, whether he
mad his aucceaai by building or managing a
ratlruail or by ah letting gitoJa over that rail
road. The big railroad men and big shippers
ar simply Amerbans of th ordinary typ
who have developed to an extraordinary d
grew certain great buetness qua lit lea. They
ar neither bftter nor worse than their fellow
cltlsens f smaller meanex They are merely
mora abl tn certain lines and therefor es
pd lo certain peculiarly elrng temptations.
The temptations hav not sprung newly Into
heing; th ei'-eptionslly sut'ceaitful among msn
kind have always b-n espuerd to them; but
they have grown amailngly In power aa a result
of the ritraordlnary development of Industrial
ism along new lines, and under these new eon
dlthrtie. hlch tha lawmakers of old could
not force and therefor could not nrovirt
again.!, they hav becom ao serlouw and
menacing as to demand entirely new remeJIes.
It la in th Interest of th best type of rail
road man and the best type of shipper no
lerw than of th public that there should b
tovernmental eti perv laton and regulation of
the great business) operation, fur the asm
reain that It Is in th Interest of th aur
lect. If h make) hi fortun hone y. there dfalBC fcln lruwicy n4 JuVenlt offenders.
I no jual rauaa of quarr with him In- handling of tha charitable work
deed, wa hava nothing but the kindliest feel- J T IH.irlrL Moreover there should be
Inge of a-lu.tratlon for th auccea-ful buelne J .rr0l!T' Jl A V!
iwailon which wl.hea tfi treat Ms emnloieej,n whlrh lt u not aJr,ady authorised by es
arlaht that there should be an effect iv em- ,t)ng law
pm, era1 liability act. or an effective sy-tem of . f.n ' (h. rr0mmdtion I mad In
iMMiera .n.Wtrnm1v.,rm.-
ndorch,r;. lr::" 1,.
drlv
Into doing III, In order to compet
Hh its rival.
1 1, which prefer to do 111. V
ih delusion that the standard of profits. of
bueririeM pr,warlty. ts wufftclent tn Judging
any busineaa political queatKH. from rate " - " . "
legl.latlot. to municipal government. Hu.lnew an be actually met In most cases only by
aucceas whether for tha Individual or f.r th Ih themselves, but It Would b well
Nsth.n.' Is a good thing only so far mm tt ts fr the Nation to endeavor to secure and
accompanied by and develH' high atandard publish comprhenslv Information as to the
if con.luct--honnr, Integrity. etlc coursge. I conditions of the labor of children In the
The kind of buslnrew pn-siwrlty that blunt ' different states, so as to apur up those that
the -tan. tan! f honor, that puts an Inordinate nr behindhand, and to secure approximate
value on mere wealth; Ihat mekea a man ruth- ly uniform legislation of a high character
rs and conscience). In tral and weak and ; among th several states, in such a republic
cowardly tn cittsenetiip. ts not a good thing
at all. but a very bad thing for tha Nation.
This t.overnmenl stands for manhood Aral
and for buslneaa only aa an adjunct of man-
hood,
Th queatlon of transportation lies nt tha
root of all Industrial succe.a, and the revo
lution In traniortatlon which has taken
place during the last half century has been
th mmi Important factor In the growth of
th new Industrial conditions. Most em
phatically we do not wish to see the man of
great talents refused the reward for his
talents. Htlll less do we wish to see him
penalised; but we do desire to see the sys
tem of railroad transportation so handled
that the strong man shall be given no ad
vantage over the weak man. We wish to
Insure as fair treatment for lh small town
aa for the big city; for th small shipper as
fr the big shipper. In the old days the
highway of conimioce, whether by water or
by a road on land, was open to all: It be
longed to the public and th traffic along It
was free. At present the railway la this
highway, and We must do our best to see
ihat It is kept open to all on equal terms,
I'nllke the old highway It Is a very difficult
and complex thing in manage, and tt Is
far better that It should be managed by prl
vattt Individuals than by the tloverntnent.
Hut It fan only be so managed on condi
tion that Justice Is done the public. It Is
because. In my Judgment, public ownership
of railroads I highly undealrable and would
probably In this country entail far-reaching
disaster, that 1 wlnh to see such supervision
and regulation of them In the Interrst of
the public us will ntuke It evident that there
no tired for putuit owneraiwp. in op
ponents of liovernment regulation dwell
upon the difficulties to he encountered nnd
the lntrh-.it and Involved nature of the
problem. Their contention la true. It ts a
omplli-atrd and de Urate prop u-m. and nil
kind, of difficulties are sure to arise In con
nection with any plan of solution, while no
plan will bring all the benefits hoped for by
Us more opllniiMlo adherents. Moreover,
under tuiy healthy plnn, the brnetHg will
develop gradually ami not mphlly. Kl
nnlly, we must clrnrly ntidcrstiind that the
public servunts who are to do tht peculiarly
responsible ami dellcnte work muni . them
selves be of the hljihent type both as re
gards integrity and efllclency. They must
be well p Id, for otherwise able men cannot
In the long run be secured; and they must
Powkchh a lofty probity which will revolt as
quickly nt the thought of pondering to any
gu-tt of popular prejudice n Kit Inst rich men
as at the thought of anything even remotely
rear mldlng subserviency to rich men. Hut
while 1 fully admit the dtrru-ultlea In the
way, I do not for a moment admit that
these difficulties warrant us In stopping in
our effort to secure a wIm and Just system.
They should have no other effect than to
spur us on to the exerciae of the resolution,
iha even-handed Justice, and the fertility
of resource, which wo like to think of as
typically Amerlctin, and which will In the
ettd achieve good results In this as In other
fields ot activity. The taak l a great one
and underlies th tusk of dealing with the
whole industrial problem. Hut the fact that
It Is a great problem does not warrant us in
shrinking flora the attempt to solve It. At
present we face such utter lack of super
vision, such freedom front the restraints of
law, that excellent men have often been
literally forced Into doing what they de
plored because otherwise they were left nt
the mercy of unscrupulous competitors, to
rail nt and assail the men who have dona as
they best could under such conditions ae
compllahea little. What wa need to do is to
develop an orderly aystem; and such a sys
tem can only come through the gradually
Increased exercise oC tha right oi efttcleut
Qovarnment control.
ffafntf Applli
In my annual message to thg Fifty-eighth
Congrssa, at its third saasiun, I calisd attan
Hon to th celty for legislation rtqulr
log tha us. of block signals upon railroads
engaged In Interstate corn men. Tha num
ber of serious collisions upon unblockad
roads that hava occurred within the past
year adds force to the recommendation than
made, Tha Corigr should provide, by ap
propriate legislation, for the Introduction of
block signals upon all raJlreads engaged In
Interstate commerce at tha earliest practi
cable data, as a mesmir ot Increased safety
to tha traveling public.
Through daclslons of th Huprame Court of
the United Htatas and tha lower Kedaral
courts In caa brought bafora them for
adjudication th safety-appliance law has
bean maiorlally strengthened, and the Gov
ernment haa been enabled to secure Its
effective enforcement In almost all caecs,
with th result that tha condition of rail
road equipment throughout tha country la
much Improved and railroad employes per
form their duties und.r safer conditions than
heretofore. Tha Government's most effective
aid in arriving at this result haa bn Ita
Inspsriton service, and that thee Improved
conditions nr not mora general Is due to
the Insufficient number of inspectors em
ployed. The Inspection arvlc. has fully
demonstrated tta usefulness, and In appro
priating fur Ita maintenance the Congress
should make provision for an Increase In th
number of Inspectors,
Hour of Labor of Railroad KmpJoye.
Tha grsslve hours of labor to which rail
road employes In train service are In many
case subjected Is alo a matter which may
wall engage the eerloua attention of the
Congr. The strain, both mental and
physical, upon thoa who nr engaged In the
movement and operation of railroad train
under modern conditions la perhaps greater
lhan that whlrh exlats In any other lndu.try,
and If there axe any r aeons for limiting
by law the hours of labor In any employ
ment, they certainly apply with peculiar
.'orce to the employment of those upon whose
Igllanc and alertness In the performance
of their duties tha safety of all who travel
by rail depends,
KmployerV JMnfallttr Igtr.
In my annual message to tha Fifty-seventh
Congress, at Its second sens I on, I rec
ommended the passage of an employes' lia
bility law for the District of Columbia and
In our Navy-Yarda. I renewed that recom
mendation In my meesaga to tha Fifty
eighth Cong ran, at Its second sens Ion, and
further suggested the appointment of a com
mlaalon to make a comprehensive study of
employers' liability, with a vlw to the en
actment of a wis and constitutional law
cove.rlng the subject, applicable to all In
dustries within th scop of th Federal
power. I hop that such a law will be pre
pared and enacted aa speedily as possible.
I-Abor.
Th National Government ha as a rule
but lltti occasion to deal with the for
midable group of problems connected more
or less directly with what ts known as th
tatror question, for in th great majority or
emmvm the, problem muat ba deal with by
, tha at.t. and municipal authorities .nd not
ty th National liovernment, Th National
j uovernm.nt haa control of the Ulatrlct of
t'olumbta, however, and It ahould aea to It
that the City of Waahlnglon I. mad. .
imod cr , r.,p.et., both .a regard,
p .rk. puol0 piaygrounda. proper regulation
of the e-y.tem of housing ao aa to do away
j with th .Vila of alley tenements, a proper
proper factory laws to pre1
the employment of women and children In
the District These will be useful chiefly aa
object leaeons, but even this limited amount
of usefulness would ba ot real National
value.
There has been demand for depriving
court of the power to Issue Injunctions In
labor disputes. Huch special limitation of
the equity powers of our court would be
most unwl.e. It Is true that some judges
have misused thla power; but that does not
Justify a denial of th power any more than
an Improper exercise of the power to rail a
strike by a labor leader would Justify the
denial of the right to strike. The remedy Is
to regulate the procedure by requiring the
Judge to glv due notice to the adverse
partlea before granting the writ, tha hear
ing to be ea parte If the adverse party does
not appear at the time and plar ordered.
What Is due notice must depend upon the
facta of tha rase; tt should not be used as a
pretest to permit violation of law, or the
Jeopardising of life or property. Of course,
this would not authorise th Issuing of a
restraining order or Injunction In any ca.e
, ft.nrw (he rer0mmndat!on
znix
' an lnvestlga
Commerce and
r, ' . ,.J,, -
' . .77. A" V" ...-.T"
k ln . eount the various problems
whl.'h the question of child labor is
as ours the one thing that we cannot afford
to neglect Is th problem of turning out de
cent clttxena. The future of the Nation de
pends upon the cltlienshlp of the genera
tions to come: th children of today are
thoa who tomorrow will shape the destiny
of our land, and we cannot afford to neglect
them. The legislature of Colorado has rec
ommended that the National (lovernment
provide some general measure for the pro
tection from abuse of children and dumb
animals throughout the I'nlted Mates, I
lay the matter before you for what 1 trust
will be your favorable consideration.
The Department of Commerce and Labor
should also make a thorough Investigation
of the conditions of women tn Industry. Over
5.000. (HK American women are now engaged
In gainful occupations; yet there Is an al
most complete dearth of data upon which to
bae any trustworthy conclusions as re
gards a m:bject as Important as It Is vast
and complicated. There ts need of full
knowledge on which to base action looking
toward at ate and municipal legislation for
the protection of working- women. The In
troduction of women into Industry Is work
ing change and disturbance In th domestic
and social life of the Naiton. The decrease
In marriage, and especially In the birth
rate, baa been coincident with It. We ntust
face accomplished facts, and th adjustment
to factory conditions must be made; but
surely It can be made with tess friction and
less harmful effet ts on family life than Is
now the case. This whole matter In reality
forms one of the greatest sociological phe
nomena of our time; It Is a social question
-if the first Importance, of far greater Im
port anee than any merely political or eco
nomic queatlon can be; and to solve It we
need ample data, gnthered tn a sane and
sclentlMc spirit in the course of an ex
haustive tin em lg ul Ion,
Insurance,
The great insurance com pan tea afford strik
ing example of corporation whose business
has extended tar beyond the Jurisdiction of j
the states which created them as to preclude '
strict enforcement of supervision and rent ti la-
thm by the parent slates. In my last an
nual nioanHge I recommended "that the Con- j
grcas carefully consider whether the power of .
the bureau of ciroiatli). cannot constltu-
tlonally be extended to cover interstate trans
actions tn Insurance." He-cent events ha.ei
ttcter of Insurance, for In the absence of
emphasised the importance of an early and ex- i
haunt He consideration of this quest hm, to ,
see whether it Is not poaslble to furnish bet- '
ter safeguards than the several mute, have t
been able to furnish aaatnst corruption of ;
the flagrant kind w hich has been exposed. It '
haa been only too clearly shown that certain
of the men at the head of these large cor- j
poratlon take but small note of th ethtcab;
distinction between honesty and dishonesty;'
they draw the line only thla aide of what may
be called law honeeiy. the kind of honesty j
necessary In order to avoid railing Into the '
clutches of the law. Ot coursw the only com.
plot remedy for this condition must be found
tn an aroused public conscience, a higher senso
of ethical conduct in the community at large,
and especially among business men and in the
great profession of the law, and In the growth
of a spirit which condemns all dishonesty,
whether In rich man or In poor man, whether
tt takes the shape of bribery or of blackmail.
Hut much can be done by legislation which ts
not only drastic but practical. There. Is need
of a far stricter and more uniform regulation
of the vast Insurance Interests of this country.
Th Vnlted States nhould In this respect follow
the policy of other ntlon by providing ade
quate national supervision of commercial In
terests which are clearly National In char
acter. My predecessors have repeatedly recog
nised that th foreign business of these com
panic la an Important part of our foreign com
mercial relations, During the administrations
of Preattdents Cleveland, Harrison nnd Mo
system of education, a nrnurr aystem ot
Klnlay tha fit ate Department exardeed Its In
fluanc, through diplomatic channels, to pre
v.tfii unjust discrimination by foreign c"un
tries against American Insurance companies.
These negotiation Illustrated th propriety
of the Congress recognising tha National char
federal legislation th Hist l pa rime nt could
only glv expiaesflon to the wishes of the au
thorities of the Sttveral states, whose policy
was Ineffective through want of uniformity.
I repeat my urevpus recommendation that
th Congress should also consllr whether the
Federal Government has any power or owae
any duty with reelect to domestic transactional
In In.uianc of an Interstate character. That
atat supervision has proved Inadequate la
generally conceded. The burden upon Insur
ant companies, and therefore their policy
holders, of conflicting r-guiatlona of many
states, la unquestioned, whll but little ef
fective check fca Imposed upon any able and
unscrupulou man who desire to exploit the
C'mipsny In his own Interest at Iba expense of
th policy holder and of th public. Th
Inability of a stata to regulate affectively In
surance corporations created under tha lawa
or other states and transacting the larger part
of their business clawwhere Is also clear. An
a remedy ' this evil of conflicting. Ineffective
and t burdensora regulations there haa been
for many y rs a widespread demand, for
r raerai vupervi.ion. i ne ongre na i
rwady recognised that tnterstat Irsauranc
may be a proper subject for federal legisla
tion, for in creating the Bureau of Corpora
tions! It authorised It to publish and suooly
useful Information concerning Interstate cor
pora Done, "including corporations engaged In
Insurance.' It Is obvious that If the com
pilation of statistics be the limit of tb Fed
eral power It Is wholly Ineffective to regu
late this form of commercial intercourse iw.
t ween th state, and as the Insurance bust,
ne has outgrown In magnitude the possibil
ity of adequate state supervision, the Con
gress should carefully consider whether fur
ther leslanatlon can be had. What Is said
above applies with equal force to fraternal and
benevolent organisations which contract for
lus Insurance.
The Renews.
There la mora need of stsbillty than of th
attempts to attain an ideal perfection in
the methods of raising revenue; and the
shoes ana strain to ths business world cer
tain to attend any serious chang in these
methods render such Changs Inadvisable un
less for grav reason. It Is not possible to
lay down any general rule by which to
determine the moment when th reasons for
will outweigh th reasons against such a
change. Much must depend, not merely on
the needs, but on the desire of th popie
us a whole; for needs and destree are not
necessarily Identical. Of course no change
can be made on lines beneficial to, or desired
by, one section or one state only. There
must be something like a general agreement
among the citizens of the several states, as
represented In tha Congress, that tha change
Is needed and desired in the Interest of the
people as a whole; and there should then be
a sincere. Intelligent, and disinterested effort
to make It In such shape as will combine, so
far as possible, the msximum of good to the
pcr-ple at Isrge with the mlnmum of neces
sary dlsregsrd for the special interests of
localities or classes. But In time of peace
the revenue must on the average, , taking
a series of years together, equal the expendi
tures or else the revenues must be Increased.
Last year there was a deficit. Unless our
expenditures can be kept within the rev
enue then our revenue laws must be read
justed. It Is aa yet too early to attempt to
outline w hat shape such a readjustment
should take, for It ts as yet too early to say
whether there, will be need for It.
It should be considered whether It Is
not deslrbsle that the tariff laws
should provide for applying as against
or tn favor of any other nation maximum
and minimum tariff rates established by the
Congress, so as to secure a certain reci
procity of treatment between other nations
and ourselves. Having In -view even larger
considerations of pollc than those of
purely economic nature. It would. In my
judgment, be well to endeavor to bring
about closer commercial connections with
the other peoples of this continent. I am
happy to be able to announce to you that
Husila now treats us on the most-favored-nation
basis.
onoiny in Expewdltorea,
I earneatly recommend to th Congress
the need of economy and to thla end of n
rigid scrutiny of appropriations. As exsm
pies merely, I cal your attention to one or
two specific matters. All unnecessary offices
should be abolished. Tha Commissioner of
the General Land Office recommends the
abolishment of the office of receiver of pub
lic moneys for United States land offices.
This will effect a saving of about a quar
ter of a million dollars a year. As the busi
ness of the Nation grows It Is Inevitable
that there should be from time to time t
legitimate Increase tn the number of offi
cials, and this fact renders It all the more
Important that when offices become unneces
sary they should be abolished. In the pub
lic printing also a large saving of public
money can be made. There ts a constantly
growing tendency to publish masses of un
important Information. It is probsbly not
unfttir to say that many ten of thousands
of volumes are published at w hich no human
being ever looks and for which there is no
real demand whatever.
Yet, in speaking of economy, X must In
no wise be understood as advocating the
falne economy which la In the end the
worst extravagance. To cut down on ths
Navy, for Instance, would be a crime against
the Nation. To fall to push forward all
work on the Manama Canal would be as
great a folly.
Currency.
In my message of December 2, 1902, to the.
Congress I said:
"Interest rates are a potent factor In busl.
ness activity, and in order that these rates
may be equalised to meet the varying needs
of the seasons and of widely separated com
munities, and to prevent the recurrence of
financial stringencies which Injuriously
affect legitimate business. It Is necessary
that there should be an element of elas
ticity in our monetary system. Banks ar
the natural aervants of commerce, and upoc
them should be placed, as far as practica
ble, the burden of furnishing and maintain
ing a circulation adequate to supply the
needs of our diversified Industries and of our
domestic and foreign commerce; and the
Isrue of this should be so regulated that
sufficient supply should be always available
for the business Interests of the country."
Kvery consldergtlon of prudence demands
the addition of the element ot elasticity to
our currency system. The evil does not con
sist In an Inadequate volume of money, but
in the rigidity of this volume, which does
not respond as It should to the varying
needs of communities and of sessons. infla
tion must be avoided; but some provision
should be made that w 111 Insure a larger
volume of money during the Kali and Win
ter months han In the !ss active seasons
of th year; so that the currency will con
tract against speculation, and will expand
for the needs of legitimate business. At
present the Treasury Department Is nt
Irregularly recurring intervals obliged. In th
interest of the bujdness world that ts, in
the interests of the American public to try
to avert financial crises by providing a rem
edy which should be provided by Congres
sional action.
Bualneaa Methods tn leepaxtmenta.
At various times I have Instituted Investi
gations into the organisation and conduct of
the huslllees of the Kxecutlve Departments.
While none of thewe inquiries have yet pro
gressed far enough to warrant final con
clusions, they have already confirmed and
emphanlied the gruM-l impression that the
organisation of the departments Is often
faulty In principle and wasteful in results.
while many of thetr business methods are
antiquated and Inefficient. There ts every
reason why our executive governmental ma
chinery should be at least as well planned,
economical and efficient as th best ma
chinery of the great business organisations,
which at present la not the case. To make
It no is a task of complex detail and essen
tially executive in Its nature; probably no
legislative body, no matter how wise and
able, could undertake it with reasonable
prospect of success. 1 recommend that the
Congress consider this subject with a view
to provide by legislation for the transfer,
distribution, consolidation, and assignment
of duttcs and executive organisations or
parts of organisations, and for the changes
in business methods, within or between the
several departments, that will best promote
the economy, efficiency, and high character
of the Government work.
In my last annual message I said:
Federal tClectlons.
"The power of the Government to protect
the Integrity of the elections of Its own offi
cials is inherent and has been recognised
and affirmed by repeated declarations of the
Supreme Court. There la no enemy of free
government more dangerous and none so
insidious as the corruption of the electorate.
No one defends or excuses corruption, and
It would seem to follow that none would
oppose vigorous measures to eradicate tt. 1
recommend the enactment ot a law directed
against bribery and corruption In Federal
elections. The details ot such a law may
be safely left to the wise discretion of C.
Congress, but It should go aa far as under
tha Constitution H la possible to go, and
should Include save- pensltles against hint
who gives or receives a bribe Intended t
Influence his act or opinion as an elector;
and provisions for the publication not only
of the sxpendltures for nominations ana
elections of ail candidates, but also of all
contributions rcivd and expenditures made
by political committees,"
I dealra to r'p"t this recommendation. In
political campaigns In n country aa largo
and populous as ours It Is Inevitable thai
th-rj should be much cxpenas of aa entirely
leg'. .mat kind. This, of course, means that
many contributions, and soma of them ot
larg slxe, must be made, and, as matter
ot fact. In any big political contest such
contributions are always made to both sides.
It ts entirely proper both to glv and re
ceive them, unless there Is an Improper mo
tive connected with either gift or reception
If they ar extorted by any kind of pressor
or promise, express or implied, direct or in
direct, in th way of favor or Immunity,
then the giving or receiving becomes not
only Improper but criminal. It will un
doubtedly be dlfflcjH ss a matter of prac
tical detail to shape an act which shall
guard with reasons ble certainty against such
misconduct; but If It 1 posslbls to secure
by law tin full and verified publication In
detail of all th sums contributed to nnd
extended by the candidates or committees of
any political partlea the result cannot but
be wholesome. All contributions by corpor
ations to any political committee or for any
political purpose should bm forbidden by
law. directors should not b permitted to
u stockholders' money for such purposes;
and, moreover, i prohibition of this kind
would be, as far as It went, an effecttv
method of stopping the avl is aimed at in
corrupt practices acts. No only should both
th National and the several Btat Legis
latures forbid any officer of a corporation
from using th money of the corporation la
or about any election, tut they ahould also
forbid such use of money In connection with
any legislation save by th employment of
counsel in public manner for distinctly legal
services.
The Hagjun Coafemsrw.
The first conference of nations held at Th
Hague in 1U, being unabi to dispose of all
the business before It, recommended th
consideration and settlement of a number of
Important questions by another conferenc
to be called subsequently and at an early
date. These questions were the following:
1 The rights and duties of neutrals; lit) th
limitation of the armed forcea on land and
sea, and of military budgets; (3) th us
of new types and calibers of military and
naval guns; (4 th inviolability of prl vat
property at sea In times of war; (5 th
bombardment of ports, cities nnd villages by
naval forces. In October, 1P04, at th in
stance of th Interparliamentary Union
which, at a conference held In tb United
States and nttended by the lawmakers of 19
d 1ft i rent nations, haa reiterated th demand
for a second conferenc of nations, I Issued
Invltsticns to all ths powers signatory to -The
Hague convention to send delegates to
such a conference and suggested that It b
again held at Tb Hague, In Ua not of
Decern bei 10, tWM, th United States Gov
ernment communicated to th representa
tives of foreign governments its belief that
th conference could be bast arranged ua
d?r the provisions of tb present Hsgu
treaty.
From all the powers accentanc wag re
ceived, coupled In soott-caairs with th con
dition that we ahould watt until th end of
the war then waging between Russia and
Japan. The Emperor of Russia, immediately
after the treaty of peace which so hsoplly
terminated this war. In not presented to
the Pre. dent on September 13, through Am
bassador Kosen. took the initiative In recom
mending that the conference be now called.
The United State Government, In response,
expressed ius cordial acquiescence and staled
that It would, aa a matter ot course, tak
part In the new conference and endeavor to
further lie alma. We assume that all civilised
governments will support the movement, and
that the conference Is now an assured fact.
This Government will do everything In Its)
rower to secure the success of the confer
ence to the end that substantial progress may
be made In the cause ot international peace.
Justice and good will.
During the last century there has been a
distinct diminution tn the number of wars
between the moss, civilised nations. Interna
tional relation hav. become closer, and tb
development of The Hague tribunal la not only
a symptom of this growing closeness of re
lationship, but Is a means by which the grow its
can be furthered. Our aim should be from
time to time to take such steps as may box
possible toward cresting something like aa
organisation of the civilised nationa. because
as the world becomes more highly ores n tied
the need for navies and armies will diminish.
It Is not possible to secure anything like an
Immediate disarmament, because it would
first be necessary to aettl what peoples am
on the whole a menace to the rest of tna
kind, and to provide against ths disarmament
of the rest being turned Into a movement
which would really chiefly benefit these ob
noxious peoples; but It may be possible to
exercise some check upon th tendency to
swell Indefinitely the budgets for military ex
penditure. Of course such an effort could suc
ceed only if tt did not attempt to do too much;
and if it were undertaken in a spirit of sanity
as far removed as possible from a merely
hysterical pseudo-philanthropy. It is) worth
while pointing out that since the end of tha
Insurrection tn the Philippines this Nation has
ahown ita practical felth in the policy of dt
armament by reducing ita little Army oo
third. But disarmament con never be of prim
Importance; there Is more need to get rid of
the cause of war than of tb Implement of
war.
The Monro) Doctrine.
One of the moat effective Instruments foe
peace ts the Monroe Doctrine, as it ha been
and la being gradually developed by thla No
tion and accepted by other nation. No other
policy could have been a efficient In pro
moting peace in the Western Hemisphere anil
In giving to each nation thereon the chanc
to develop along Its own lines. If we had
re'used to apply the doctrine to changing con
ditions It would now be completely outworn,
would not meet any of the needs of the pres
ent day, and Indeed would probably by this
time have sunk Into complete oblivion. It In
useful at home, and Is meeting with recogni
tion abroad because we hav adapted our
application of it to meet the growing and
changing needs of the hemisphere. When wa
announce a policy, such as the Monroe Doc
trine, we thereby commit ourselves to th con-
aequencea of the policy, and those consequence
from time to time alter. it in out oi to
question to claim a right and yet shirk th
responsibility for Its exercise. Not only wa,
but all American republic who are benefited
by the existence of the doctrine, must recog
nise the obligation) each nation la under as
regards foreign peoples no less than Its duty
to insiat upon Its own rights.
That our rights and interests are deeply
concerned In the maintenance of th doc-
rine Is no clear as hardly to need argument.
This Is especially true In view of the con
struction of the Panama Canal. As a
mere matter of self-defense we must exer
cise a close watch over the approaches to
hts canal; and this meana that we muat ba
thoroughly alive to our Interests In th
Caribbean Sea.
Santo Domingo.
Santo Domingo, In her turn, has now made
an appeal to us to help her, and not only
every principle of wisdom but every generou
instinct within us cms us respond to tne ap
peal. It is not of the slightest consequence
whether we grant the aid needed by Santo
IKtmtngo as an incident to the wise develop
ment tf the Monroe Doctrine, or because wa
regard the case of Santo Domingo aa stand
ing wholly by itself, nnd to be treated aa
such, and not on general principles or with iSSE
Important point Is to give the needed aid, ?M
and the case Is cert.Mnly sufficiently peculiar
to deserve to be judged purely on Its nwoJf
merits. The conditions In Santo Doming
have for a number of years grown trom bajf
to worse until a year ago all society was o(
the verge of dissolution. Fortunately, Ju;.t
at this time a ruler sprang up In Sant 1
Domingo, who, with hts colleagues, saw th
danger threatening their country and ap
pealed to the friendship of the only great
and powerful neighbor who possessed th
power, and as they hoped also the will to
help them. There was imminent danger of
foreign intervention. The previous rulers of
Santo Domingo had recklessly Incurred
debts, and owing to her internal disorder
she had ceaed to be able to provide mean
of paying the debts. The patience of her
foreign creditors had become exhausted, and
at least two foreign nations were on th
point of Intervention, and were only pre
vented from intervening by the unofficial as
surance of this Government that It would
itself, strive to help Santo Domingo In her
hour of need. In the case of one of thes
nations, only the actual opening ot negotia
tions to this end by our Government pre
vented the selture ot territory In Santo Do
mingo by a European power. Of the debt
incurred some were just, while some wer
not nf a charactei which really renders It
obligatory1 bn,.e proper for, Santo Doming
to pay them In ' fall. But she could not
pay any of them uniss some stability wag
assured her government', and people.
Accordingly the Execuhva Department of
our Government negotiated treaty under
wnicn w or to try to help ,th Dominica
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