The Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, GA.) 1906-1907, December 04, 1906, Image 4

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f THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN, TL* Brill AY, lltCKMUKU K II- PRES. ROOSEVELT WANTS STRINGENT DIVORCE LAWS; OPPOSES DIVISION OF SCHOOL FUNDS FOR RACES He Wishes Corpprations Prohib ited From Contributing to Campaign Expenses of any. Party. DESIRES THA T THE NA VY BE KEPT IN GOODSHAPE » Proposes an Inheritance and Income Tax Law-vThinks That Corporations Should Be Under Some Sort of Control. Washington, Doc. 4.—President Roosevelt’s annual message was read in both-houses of congress today. He used the simpli fied spelling throughout. After calling attention to the fact that the nation continues to enjoy unprecedented prosperity and stat ing that “it is probable that only reckless speculation and disre gard of legitimate business methods on the part of the business world can materially mar this prosperity,” the president declares that no congress in our time has done more good work fit impor tance than the present congress. He calls the members’ attention to the fact, however, that there ure several matters of importance which congress left unfinished, and he asks that they be com pleted before final adjournment. HERE ARE THE'IMPORT AN! FEATURES OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELTS MESSAGE Recommends a luw prohibiting all corporation* from contributing to the campaign expenses of any party. - Right of government to appeal in criminal cases on questions of law. A law touching the matter cf court injunctions. Opposes division of school funds as between the races. WunUs eight-hour law put Into effect wherever possible. • Km pi oyer shouhl.be held liable for Injury received by employee while at work in discharge of his duty. Investigation should be made Into disputes between labor and capital for the public gooo. ' * < government should be given power to better control corporations to prevent Injustice to public. I’rgcs passage of Inheritance and Income tax law. - Thinks that more attention should he given to technical and Industrial training in schools. Htrexacs the fact that better and more stringent marriage end divorce laws arc needed. Suggests the passage of a ship subsidy bill. * Urges some sort of currency reform to prevent speculation. Free trade in Philippines o r a lower tariff for the Islands Is urged. Wants Poilo means admitted to citizenship. Thinks government should help Hawaii. Praises thrift and Industry shown in Alaska. .... , Demands that the Japanese *>n the Pacific coast be not discriminated against oy the local school autuor- UkS Tell* of action taken as n result of the revolution in Puba and nay* United tSate*-will continue to oxerdre plan of protectorate over the island until Cubans demonstrate the fact that they are capable of self-^overn- ,nCm * Calls attention to the good work done by Mr. Root at the Rio conference in convincing the South American republics that the United States has no Idea, of acquitlng foreign territory. Will tell of Ills Panama trip later. Urges the ratification of tig; Moroccan treaty. Pails attention to the slaughter of seals on Prlbllof Islands and suggests that the seals be exterminated to save them from torture by poachers unless United States can have full control over the seal fisheries. * Doesn't wont r. larger navy, but does want the present one kept up to a proper and efficient standard. Wants target practice given attention In the schools that all citizens may become marksmen and fit for duty should occasion nrl3e for a call for volunteers. * * In part he says: I again recommend aJaw prohibit ing all corporations from contributing to the campaign expenses of any par ty. Such a bill has already passed ono house of congress. Let Individuals con tribute as they desire; but let us pro hibit in effective fashion all corpora tions from making contributions for any political purpose, directly or in directly. Appeal in Criminal Cases. Another bill which has Just passed one house of the congress, and which It Is urgently necessary should be en acted lntc> law. is that conferring upon the government the right of appeal lit criminal cases on questions of law. This light exists In many of the states; It exists in the District of Columbia by act of the congress. I cannot too strongly urge the pass , age of the bill In question. A failure to pass it will result In seriously ham pering the government In Us effort-to obtain Justice, especially against weVthy' Individuals or corporations who do wrong; and may also prevent the government from obtaining Justice for wage workers who are not themselves able to effectively contest a case where the Judgment of an Inferior court has been against them. The Importance of enacting Into law the particular bill In question Is fur ther Increased by tin* fact that the gov ernment has now definitely begun a policy of reporting tif the criminal law in those trust and Interstate commerce rates where such a course offers a rea sonable chance of success. Granting ef New Trials, i Of course, where the Judge can see Ms way to Inflict the penalty of Im prisonment tile deterrent effect of the purislmtcnt on other offenders Is in creased: but sufficiently heavy fines ac- rbmpllsh much. Judge Holt, of the Plow York district court. In a-recent decision, admirably slated the need for treating with Just severity offenders of this kind. • In connection with tills matter. I would like to call attention to the very unsatisfactory state o( out- criminal law, resulting In large part from the habit of setting aside the judgments of Inferior court* *»n technicalities abso lutely unconnected with the merits of the case, and where there is not at tempt to show that there has been any faiima of substantial Justice. It would be well to enact a law providing some thing to the bfMdt that! So Judgment shall be set aside or new trial granted In any cause, civil or criminal, on the ground of mis direction of the Jury or the improper admission or rejection of evidence, or for error as to any matter of pleading or procedure, unless. In the opinion of the court to which the application is made, ufter an examination of the en tire cause, it shall affirmatively appear that the error complained of has re sulted In a miscarriage of Justice. Regarding Injunctions. In .my last message I suggested the enactment of a luw in connection with the issuance of injunctions, attention having bean sharply drawn to the mat ter by the demand that the right of applving injunctions In labor cases should be wholly abolished. It is ut least doubtful whether a law abolish ing altogether the use of Injunctions In such cases would stand the test of the Courts; in w hich case, of course, the logintallon would be Ineffective. More, over. I believe it would Ik* wrong al together to prohibit the use of Injunc tion#? In this matter of Injunctions there la lodged In the hands of the Judiciary a necessary pow-er which Is nevertht- careful in their decisions and anxiously solicitous to do exact Justice than the connci6u*neu8 that every act of theirs is to be subjected to tlm intelligent scrutiny and candid criticism of their fellow-men. Such criticism Is bencil clal in proportion as it is fair, dispas sionate, discriminating and based on a knowledge of sound legal principles.” Continuing, the president says: There is one consideration which should be taken into account by the good people who carry a sound propo sition to nn excess in objecting to any criticism of a judge's decision. The in stinct of tlie American people as whole is sound in this matter. They will not subscribe to the doctrine that any public servant Is to be above all criticism. (At this point President Roosevelt comments on the subject of lynching. His remurks in full on the question will be found on the first page of this Issue of The Georgian.) Nsgross Should Learn Trade. Just and temperate criticism wfien necessary Is a safeguard against the acceptance by the people as a whole of that intemperate antagonism toward the judiciary which must be combatted by every right-thinking man. and which, If It became widespread among (lie people at large, would constitute a dire menace to the republic. The free public school, the chance for each boy and girl to get a good elementary education, lies at the foun dation of our whole (Kdlttca! situation. In every, community the poorest citi zens. those who need the schools most, would be deprivod of them if they only received school facilities proportioned to the taxes they paid. This Is ns true of one portion of our country as the oilier. It Is ns true for the negro ns for the W'hlte man. Tbt white man. if lie is wise, will decline to allow the ne groes in a mass to,grow to manhood and womanhood without education. Of course the best type of education for the colored man, taken as a whole, Is such education ns is conferred tn schools like Hampton and Tuskegee; where the boys mid girls, the young men mid young women, arc trained In dustrially as well as in the ordinary public school branches. The graduates of these schools turn out well In the great majority of cases, and hardly any of them become criminals, while wlmt little criminality there is never takes the form of that brutal violence which invites lynch law. Great though the benefit of these schools has been to the colored pupils and to the colored i>eople. it may the good that the honest reformer, the true upholder of popular rights, has painfully and laboriously achieved. The man who debauches others In order to obtain a high office stands on an evil equality of corruption with the man who debauches others for financial profit. There arc at this moment wealthy reactionaries of such obtuse morality that they regard the public servant who prosecutes them when they violate the law. or who seeks to make them bear their proper share of the public bur dens, as being even more objectionable tlmn the violent agitator who hounds on the mob to plunder tho rich. Ths Eight-Hour Law. I call your attention to the need of passing the bill limiting the number of hours of employment of railroad em ployees. Indeed, so far ns It Is in my power. It should be our aim, steadily to reduce the number of hours of labor, with as a goal, th • general Introduction of nn eight-hour law. There nre In dustries In which it is not possible that the hours of labor should be reduced; Just as there are communities not far <-noug!i advanced for such a movement to be for their good. On the Isthmus of Panama, for instance, the condi tions arc In every way so different from Y/hnt they are here that an eight- hour day would bo absurd; just as It Is absurd so feran the Isthmus is con cerned, where white labor cannot l>c employed, to bother as to wliether the necessary work Is done by alien black men, or by alien yellow men. Hut the wageworkers of the United States are of so high a grade that alike from iho merely industrial siundpolnt and from the civic standpoint It should be our object to do what we con In tho direction of securing the general ob servance of an eight-hour day. Until recently the eight-hour law on our federul statute books has been very scantily observed. Now, however, large ly through the Instrumentality of tho bureau of labor. It is being rigidly en forced. and I sbull speedily be able to say Whether, or not there is need of further legislation tn reference thereto: for our purpose Is to sec It obeyed In spirit no less than in letter. Half holi days during summer should bo estab lished for government employees; It is as desirable for wageworkers who toll with their bands as for salaried otll- clnls whose labor is mental that there should be a reasonable amount of holi day. The congress at Its last session wise ly provided for a truant court for tho District o£ Columbia; n marked stop in advance on the path of properly caring for children. Let me again urge that the congress provide for a thorough In vestigation of th«* conditions of child labor nnd of the labor .of women In the United States. * The horrors Incident to the employ ment or young children in factories or at work anywhere arc a blot on our civilisation. There Is, howaver, we law on th* subject which should be enacted immediately because there is no need for nn investigation in reference there- nnd the failure to enact It Is dis creditable t«> tho national government. A drastic anil thorough-going child la bor law should be enacted for the Dis trict of Columbia and territories* Employers’ Liability. Among the excellent laws which the be questioned whether the benefit has I congress passed at the last session was not been ut least us groat to the white I , ln employers* liability law. tt was a people among whom these colored pu* I , na rked step in advance to get the reo- Plls live after they graduate. lognltlon of employers* liability on the Raps ths Agitators. statute books; but the law did not Be-It remembered, furthermore, tliut I go far enough. It is a great soclul la the individuals, who. whether from fol-! Justice Jo compel the fmptoyM , # . . * .. or the family of the killed or disabled ly. from II! temper, from greed for oi* J V | c u n , to bear the entire burden of lice, or in it spirit of mere Uise damn- , _ inevitable sacrifice gogy. indulge In the inflammatory anti 'Vomnensation for accidenth or deaths Incendiary speeches nhd writings which 7n any In tftSEmtry to the to »'«“*• '"■/""“‘"I to bring .bout ,‘XaI .Itb. n» unLr which* In- J> nehlngs, not o»nl> thus' ******^I dustry is carried on, should be paid by but -also tend by whftt criminologists. iiortiun ni the community for the :r“K!° n „V SrrlS the likelihood of a repetition of the | —ibat |s, by those who profit by the ci line against which they arc Invelgn- ,n Uu , t ry. 'if the entire trade risk is When the .nob I. composed of th. ^..“Cl nX^WtoVl"' people of one race and the man lynched | ,. OH t of production and* assess Is of another race, the men who In,” propoitlonately upon the consumers their speeches and writings either ex- *, , * f . oin modltv It Is, therefore), ouo o. ju.t'fy .he nct.on tend, of course., "fjj 1 ,,, my .Xdtttat the law should to excite a bit to. IRC. fooling nnd to [ . 1.1. AH io. ..,.i-t, nf -I i rn it." nnon state the reasons for their contentions. In this ago of great corporate and labor combination*, neither employers nor employees should be left'complete- ly at the mercy of the stronger party to a dispute, regardless of the right eousness of their respective claims. The proposed measure would be In the line of securing recognition of the fact that In many strikes, the public has It self an Interest which cannot wisely be disregarded. Withdrawal of Lands. I have temporarily withdrawn from settlement nil the lnnde which tho genloglcul survey has Indicated as con taining. or In all probability containing, coal. The iiucstlon, however, can bo properly settled only by legislation, which In my Judgment should provide for the withdrawal of these lands from sale or from entry, save In certain special circumstances. The ownership would then remain In the United States, which should not, however, at tempt to work them, but permit them to bo worked by private individuals under a royalty system, the govern ment keeping such control as to per mit It to see that no excessive price was charged consumers. It would, of course, be as necessary to supervise the rates charged by the common car riers to transport the product as the rates charged by those w ho mine It. As to Corporation,. The passage of the railway rale bill, and only to a less degree the passage of the pure food bill, and the provision for Increasing and rendering more ef fective nntlonal control over the beef packing Industry, mark nn Important udvunoe In the proper direction. In my judgment It will In the end bo ad visable In connection with the [lacking house Inspection law to provide for putting' a date on the label and for charging the cost of Inspection to the packer,. All these laws have already justified their enactment. tin ring the Inst live months the railroad* have Shown Increased earnings mid some of them unusual dividends; while during the same period the mere taking effect of tho law has produced an unprece dented, a hitherto unheard of, .number of voluntary reductions In freight nnd fares by the railroads. It must not bo supposed, however, thnt with the passage of these laws It will be possible to stop progress along the line of increasing the power of the national government over the use of capital In Interstate commerce. For example, there will ultimately be need of enlarging the power* of the Inter state commerce commission along sev eral different lines, so as to give It a larger and more efficient control over the railroads. Some Law Needed. In some method, whether by a na tional license fnw or In other fashion, we must exercise, and that at an early date, a far more complete control than at presont over these great corporations —a control that will among other things prevent the evils of excesalvc over-capitalization. and that will com pel the disclosure by each big corpora tion of Its stockholders und of Its prop erties and business, w hether owned di rectly or through subsidiary or affiliat ed corporations. This will tend to put a stop to the securing of Inordinate profits by favored Individuals at the expense w hether of the general public, the stockholders or the wage workers. Our effort will be not so much to pre sumed to be adverse to the public In terest. It Is unfortunate that our pres- ent laws should forbid all combinations. Instead of sharply discriminating be tween those combinations which do good and those combinations which do evil. Rebates, for Instance, are as often due to the pressure of big shippers (as was shown In the Investigation of the Standard Oil Company and has been shown since by the Investigation of the tobacco and sugar .trusts) ns to ths Initiative of big ralfVoad*. Often rail roads would like to combine for the purpose of preventing a big shipper from maintaining Improper advantages at the expense of small shippers and nt the general public. Such a combina tion, instead of being forbidden by law, should be favored. In other words, It should be permitted to railroads to make agreements, provided these agreements were sanctioned by the In terstate commerce commission and were published. No Harm to Public. With those two conditions complied with. It Is Impossible to see what harm sucli a combination could do to the public gt large. It Is a public, evil to have on the statute books a law Inca pable of full enforcement because both judges and juries realize that Its full enforcement would destroy the business of tho country: for the result Is to make decent railroad men violators of the law against their will, and to put a premium on the behavior of the wilful wrong-doers. Such a result In turn tends to throw the decent man and the wilful wrong-doer Into does associa tion, and In the end to drag down the former .to the latter's level; for the man who becomes a law-breaker. In one way unhappily tends to lose al) respect for law and <0 be willing to bleak It In many ways. No more scathing con demnation could be visited upon a' law than Is contained In the words of the Interstate commerce commission, when. In commenting upon tho fact that tho numerous Joint traffic associations do technically violate the law. they say: "The decision of the United States su preme court In the Trans-Missouri case and the Joint Traffic Association case has produced no practical effect upon the railway operations of the country. Such associations, In fart, exist now as they did before these decisions, and with the same general effect. In jus tice to all parties, we ought probably to add that It Is difficult to see lion- our Interstate railways could he operated with due regard to the Interest of the shipper and the railway without con certed action of the kind afforded through these associations.” This means that as the law as con strueil by the supreme court It Is such that the business of the country cannot be conducted without breaking it. Insists That Japanese Not be Discriminated Against by School Authorities of Any City. URGES TECHNICAL TRAINING IN SCHOOLS Tells Congress That United States Must Look After Cuba Until Islanders Are Able to Govern Themselves.. I feel that In the near future our na tlonal - legislators should enpet a luw providing for a'gradualed Inheritance tax by which a steadily Increasing rato of duty should be put upon all moneys or other valuables coming by gift, be quest, or devise to any Individual or corporation. It may be well to make the tax heavy in proportion il* the In dividual benefited Is remote of kin. In any event, In my Judgment the pro rata of the tax should Increase very heavily with the Increase of the amount left by any one Individual after a cer. tain point has been reached. It Is most desirable to encourage thrift nhd am bition, anil u potent source of thrift and ambition Is the desire on the part of the bread-winner to leave his chil dren well off. This object can be at tained by making the law very small on moderate amounts of property left; because the prime object should be to put a constantly Increasing burden on tho Inheritance of those swollen for tunes which It Is certainly of no benefit to this country to perpetuate. Industrial Education. It Is not possible for the national government to lake the lead In techni cal industrial education, to see that the public school system of this country develops on all Its technical, Industrial, scientific nnd commercial sides. This must be left primarily to the several states. Nevertheless, the national gov ernment has control of the schools o the District of Columbia, und It should see thnt these schools promote and en. courage the fullest development of the scholars In both commercial and Indus trial training. Tho commercial train ing should In one of Its branches deal with foreign trade. The industrial training Is even more Important. If boy* and girls arc trained merely In literary accomplishments, to tho total exclusion of Industrial, manual, nnd technical training, the tendency Is to unfit them for Industrial work and to make them reluctant to go Into It, or unfitted to do well if they do go Into This Is a tendency which should be strenuously combatted. 8ubjoct of Agriculture, There are no other persons whose recommend that you give careful and early consideration to this subject, and If you find the opinion of the Inter state commerce commission Justified, that you amend the Inw so as to ob late the evil disclosed. Inheritance Income Tax, The question of taxation Is difficult In any country, but It Is especially dif ficult in oura with Its Federal system of government. Home taxes should on every ground be levied In a small dis trict for use In that district. Thus, the taxation of real estate Is peculiarly one for the Immediate locality in which the vent consolidation as such, but so to real estate Is found. Again, there is no supervise nnd control It as to see tlmt I more legitimate tax for any state than It results In no harm to the people. *" *— *■—-w-— —— 1 *••• less suWect to the I )f, s*iV»ilIt>- of grave |,y 11 U , prominence they give to the abut*. It s * power that should be hideous deed they undoubtedly tend to exercised with extreme core and should ^ be suble t to tho Jealous scrutiny of all men: ami condemnation should bo meted out as much to the Judge who fulls to use li boldly when necessary s# to the Judge who uses It wantonly or oppressively. ! the employer. investigation of Disputes. Criticism ef Judges. But there mast likewise be uo such abuse of the Injunctive power os Is Im plied In forbidding laboring men to Kttlvfe for tlislr - - *- to lose sight of the abominable am the criminal himself, and In addition, j necm^ Vhow that during the twen- ty years from January I, IS8I. to Do- s.xu.. kmisv UHUPUUICU,: t..,u I*' comber .11. 1»0«. there were struct* ur- excite n other brutal and depraved im-1 f ?, „'- M g establishments, and IttPAsi lliAiivltla nr ciiiiinilltliiv It Sivtfi _ .. *7 . ... .1 - .... . t peaceful a mi lawful ways; nor must the Injunction be used merely to aid some *ti£ corporation in carrying out schemes for its own agfianUIxeracnt. The best judges have ever been foremost to dis claim any Immunity from criticism. The president quotes Judge W. II. Taft, when a United States circuit judge, eleven years ago, in Ut5, on the subject as saying: **Tho opportunity freely and publicly to criticize judicial action is of vastly i.»c*:e iuiitortame to tho body politic tTm'u f • Immunity of courts and judge'' rcrtu ttnjt)*t aspersion* and attack, oihltig lends iuo*e w render Judge' hires thoughts of committing It. Swift relentless and orderly punishment un der the law Is tt\c only way by which criminality of this type can perma nently be suppressed. Capital and Labor. In dealing with both labor and lal. with the questions effecting corporations und trades unions, betterment ia i?“* »»»““ Important to I03.«»< employer* were thrown'out employment. During the same period there were l.aor, lockouts, involving nearly 10,000 establishments, throwing over one million people out of employ ment. These strikes ami lockouts In ind r.,pl- • yolved an estimated loss to employees ' ln .?. lK, '.y«r l*"7,0«.,u..o and to employers of | fmnbtnntl n^good The best way to avert the very un desirable move of the governmental ownership of railways Is to secure by the government on behalf of the people as a whole such adequate control nnd regulation of tho great Interstate com mon carriers as will do away with tho evils which give rise to agitation against them. Ho the proper antidote to the dangerous ami wicked ngltatlon against the men of wealth as such I* to secure by proper legislation und execu tive action tltc abolition of the grave abuses which actually do obtain In con nection with the business use of wealth under our present system—or rather no system—of failure to exercise any ade quate control at nil. Home persons sisaik as If the exercise of such gov ernmental control would do away with the freedom of Individual Initiative and dwarf Individual effort. This Is not a fact. We hold that the government should not conduct the business of the nation, but that It should exercise such super- vision ns will Insure Its being conduct ed In the interest of the nation. Our ulm Is. so far as may be, to secure, for all decent. Iiord-wovktng men. equality of opportunity and equality of burden. Regarding Rebates. Tbe nclual working of our laws has shown that the effort to prohibit all or bad. Is noxious effective. (’omblnatlon ber than aught else, and that flnito harm done by preachers discontent. These arc the n„ ,„u*, ..... ............ .... ,,, seek to excite a violent clnss hatred \ suffering endured by the wive* and I Iswsime. against all men of wealth. : children of employees whose |>ay stop- wmilil ‘‘‘* ";“V‘m*n,Vt vainlvTo nrevent Moreover, while such preuchln- ami |H? d when their work .lopped, or the I''but we need Is no* t ainly^to pt*sant such agitation may give a livelihood disastrous rfTcc. »f the strike nr lock- «N combination, but to »*eure such nnd certain notqftety to some of those out ui>on the business of employers, or rigorous und Cb*Ur®* ®nd su- wiio take part In It. and may result In the Increase In the coat of products' pervbdon of 1 .T TA,(V* the temporary imlltlcal success of oth- and til* Inconvenience and loss to the; prevent their Injuring the Public. 01 era. In the long run. every such move- public. - existing In such torin n> InsvRnbly to mont will HUkt IhII or ©ls<» will »»r>- Many of flics© strikes un«l lockout* fbreaten injur>the lucre fact that vokc « violent tear Hon. which will it* would not bn vo «*«•»• urml Imd tho ]>urt- I «i combination ha* secured practically self result not merely In undoing tin- ties to the dispute been required to ap- {complete control or a necessary or tire inlscblef wrought by the demagogne P*»r before an unprejudiced body rep- uoqM under any circumstance* show und Alu agitator, but a!«v iu undoing; rocn'.lns H*** "Mbm, and, face to fate a tax on the franchises conferred by thnt state upon street railroads anti similar corporations which operate wholly within the state boundaries, sometimes in one nnd sometimes in several municipalities or other minor divisions of the ktate. But there nre many kinds of taxes which can only be levied by the general government so »»s to produce the. best results, because among other reasons, the attempt io Impose them in one particular state too often results marely in driving the cor poration or Individual affected to some other locality or other state. The na tional government has long derived Its chief revenue from a tariff on Imports end from an internal or excise tax. In addition to these there is every rea son why, when next our system of tax ation Is revised, the national govern ment should impose a graduated In come tax. The man 6f greet wealth owes a peculiar oblfgatton to the state, because he derives special advantages from the, mere existence of govern- Not only should ho recognize welfare is ns vital as tho welfare of the tillers of the soil, the farmers. Several factors must co-operate in the Improvement of the farmer’s con dition. Ho must have the chance to bo educated In the widest possible sense—in tho sense which keeps ever In view the Intlmute relationship be tween the theory of education and the facts of life. Great progress has already been made among farmers by the creation of fann ers’ Institutes, of dairy associations, of breeders’ associations, horticultural as sociations am! the like. A striking ex ample of how the government and the farmers cun co-operate Is shown In connection with the menace offered to the cotton growers of the Southern states by tho advance of the boll weevil. The department Is doing all Tt can to organize the farmers In the threatened districts, just ns It has been doing alt it can to organize them in uld of Its work to eradicate the cattle fever tlcflc In the South. Forsst Preservation. Much Is now being done for the states of the Rocky mountains and great plains through the development of the nution- al policy of irrigation nnd forest pres- creation; no government policy for the betterment of our internal conditions has been more fruitful of good than this. The forests of the White moun tains and southern Appalachian' re gions should also be preserved: and they cannot be unless the people of the states In which they lie, through their representstIves in the congress, secure vigorous action by the national gov ernment. Memorial Amphitheater. I invite the attention of the congress to the estimate bf the secretary of wur for nn appropriation to'enable him to begin the preliminary work for the construction of a memorial amphithea ter at Arlington. ' Marriage and Divorce. I am well aware of how difficult it Is to pass a constitutional amendment. Nevertheless, In my Judgment the whole question of marriage und divorce should be relegate^ to the authority of the national congresb. At present the wide differences in the laws of the different states on tills subject result in scan dals and abuses; and surely there is nothing so vitally essential to the wel fare of the nation, nothing around •! his obi igation'i n the way‘he ‘leaffshial hmle dally life and In the way he earn* aitd i {,T ,h , 0 A„'t. 1 ' *“ f 1’ aM t lP 11 m spends hi* inotie;.-, but It should also !* ti! .Ll from evert- reeegntzed by th* way in which he tmys ,,T!l5 t fj!2 , , 1KC i^ 0 SiJ.,Vp,iHr c {2. for the protection the sl.te gives Mm.' .^^" u.e tt^uld eonfer on t^ On the one hand It I* desirable that lie fo^es. the un er ot to deal should assume hi* full and proper share j rad , n „ d emdcntly wlth nolsqfamy h.n!r e |j >U l l iroliihfi t n«*nn , tiss l s l ?s >l | < lisf l> h > i I an<1 •h 1 " * houl ‘ 1 •** done whether or not hand ft Is quite ns necessary that In mnt-i’iuxc and divorce arc dealt with this kind of taxation, where the men. ^"f, jSfthersafe nor proper m leave who P a >\ butAjUi® I tbe question op polygamy to be dealt there should be vfear recognition of the j W |th by the several state*, fewer to dagger of inaugurating- any such sj's- j de(l | with it should ho t-onferred on tile tem save in a spirit of entire- Justice national government, and moderation. 'Vhenevcr we. as a When home tics are loosened: when l>cop!e, undertake to remodel our luxu- ! m en and women cease lo regard family tlon system along the lines suggested. ||f e , with ah Its duties fully performed. we must make It c!eu>- beyond per- n,!venture that our aim Is to distribute the burden of supporting the govern, ment more equitably titan at present: that wr Intend to treat rich man and poor men on a basis of Absolute equali ty. nnd that we recant It as equally fatal to true demo*’raw to do or permit Injustice to the one as to do or permit the standpoint of tile human race, th* ono sin for which the penalty is nntlonal death, rare death: a sin for which there in no atonement; a sin which Is the more dreadful exactly In proportion as the men nnd women guilty thereof are Iu other respects, tn character and bod. Ily und mental powers, those whom for tho sake of the slate it would be well to see the father* and mothers of many healthy children, well brought up in homes made happy by- their presence. No man. no woman, can shirk the pri mary duties of life, whether for love of ease and pleasure, or for any other cause,, nnd retain Ills or her self-re spect. , American Shipping. Let mo once again call the attention of the congress to two subjects con cerning which I have frequently before communicated with them. One Is the question of developing American ship ping. I trust that n law embodying in imbalance iho views, or a major part of tlie views, expressed in the report on this subject laid before the lieu:,, nt its last session will ho passed. It will, of course, benefit primarily our sea board states, sucli as Maine, Louisiana and Washington: hut what benefits part of our people in tlie end benefits all: Just ns government aid to irriga tion nnd forestry in the West Is really of benefit, not only to the Rocky mountain stntes, but to all our country. If It provo Impracticable to enact a law for the encouragement of shipping gen erally, then at least provision should be made fgr better communication with South America, notable for fast mall lines to the chief South American ports. It Is discreditable to us that our business peoples: for lack of direct communication in the shape of dines of steamers with South America, ahould In that groat sister continent be nt a disadvantage compared to the business people of Europe, Currency Reform. I especially rail your attention to th* second subject, the condition of our currency laws. Tho national bank act has ably served a great purpose in aiding the enormous business develop ment of the country; and within ten years there lias been an increase in cir culation per capita from $31.41 to $33.08. For several years evidence has been accumulating that addltlannl leg islation is needed. Tlie recurrence of each crop season emphasises the de fects of the present laws. There must soon he a revision of them, because to leave them ns they are means to incur liability of business disaster. Since your body adjourned there has been a fluctuation In the Interest on call money from 3 per cent to $0 per cent: and the fluctuation was even greater during tho preceding six months. The seoreary of the treasury had to step In and by wise action put a stop to tlie most violent period of oscillation. Even worse than such fluctuation Is the advance in commer cial rates nnd tho uncertainty felt in the sufficiency of credit even nt high rates. All commercial Interests suffer during eacli crop period. Excessive rates for call money In New York at tract money from the interior bank* Into the speculative field: this depletes the fund that would otherwise be avail, able for commercial uses: and commer cial bniTowei-M nro forced to pay abnor mal rates, so that each fall a tax, (n the shape of Increased Interest charges, is placed on tlie whole commerce of ilia country. System Is Defsctiv*. The mere statement of these fact* shows that our present system Is se riously defective. There Is need or a change. Unfortunately, however, many of tlie proposed changes must be ruled Iron! consideration liecuusc they are complicated, are not easy of compre hension, nnd tend to disturb -existing rights nnd Interests. We must also' rule out any plan which would mate- lally Impair.the value of. the United Htntes 3 per cent bonds now pledged to secure circulation, the issue of which was made under conditions itcculiarly creditable to tlie treasury. I do not press any especial n’an. Various plana have been proposed by expert commit tees of iKinkers. Among the plans which are possibly feasible and which certainly should re ceive your consideration Is tliet re peatedly brought to your attention by tlie present secretary of the treasury, the essential features of which Imve been approved by many prominent bankers and business men. According to Ibis plan national hanks should be permitted to Issue a specified propor tion of thclt capital In notes of a given kind, the Ionic to lie tsxed at so high a rate ns to drive the notea bark when no! wnnred in legitimate trade. This plan would not permit the issue, of cur rency to give additional profits, but to moor the emergency presented by times of stringency. 1 do not nuy that this Is the right syatem. I only advance It to empha sise my belief that there Is need for the adoption of some system which shall is* automatic tun! open to all that such combination was to be pre- iniostle* to the other, hlllty of discrimination nrid favotli Such a plan would tend to prevent the and all Ita’responalbmtles'llvctl up to, j sposm- of high moniy and speculation as tlie life best worth living, then evil which now obtain In Ute New York days for the commonwealth nre utimniket: for at present there Is loo hand. There are regions in our land, i much currency nt certain seasons of ami classes of out' population, where i the year, and Its accumulation at New the birtli rate tuts sunk below the death j Yogk t-mpls hrftikera to lend It at low' rate. j rates lor speculative purposes, whereas, Hurely If should need rr>t demonstra- : ■ tlon to show that wflful sterility is, 1 lulu the standpoint of the nation, ffoiu Continued on Pag* Five,