Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOLUME XVIIU^ CAMDKH, 8.0m FRIDAY* DECEMBER t>. 11*07. . No. 48. ? Leading Problems Coif rooting Our Government Ably Discusse) By the Executive CURRENCYJEFORM PIN Tha aegnlafctoft of f/ilic Bfico Oorporatioaa U - l*cesaary(^ut Ttoty Mut Have fa Treatit? ity of yfafaittrAtlj of jtubUc Affair^/* D"ty Th, Ap plies jto ^ I 1 to the Senate aiu rouse omepre* sentativea: \ j Ko nation bas enter sources thaui ours, and 1 nk it >au be truthfully said tb^e citizh* of no energ/and in. &o n/ion are I nation possess gr? dustrial ability the fundainentakisinei condi tions sounder tb ? very moment; au s touch is the caso, ovtf at this foflish, when *op& to hoard jnoney instead o! n#r4t in sound "banks; for it u is the iipniediat ii6n of money stringency. Mo as a rule, the business of oui is conducted with hor.esty a ity, And this applies alike tc and factories, to railroads an<! to alj^our leg itimate commer In any larg ever, there ar who are dislioi tions are such per or commi impunity, theii thing for the the^e men aro sagacity and unscrupulous the conditions ittt they act without Rupef utrol and at first without public opwiioi le many in nocent peopU ng invest ments or end nds of bus f( iness that an ihd. When -f}?o rniRdeeds successfully dishonest melred, suffer farding thai .prfsesi, f /aipn^ liarf ^o \ be some if Che condi-1 *e men pro.s isdeeds with s a very evil t.y. Where aen of great ament both and where check from ing comes n upon the inr idiom they have Qiisled nful awak ening, jwhen ; 4nd, nat urally, wbei v suftfirfare * geiftf / was < >re painful lilT / it;,rald be to punish tbj\wilty i uid proper v .to eiWleavor >le to inin iauae the d who have V, . b4en mislet Yet it is liot possib eeauso of such diatre erf to tb# them, but ;4hose who atthe lon r mate cause g, and, an ft H>eans to pumftb la'ion, ca o dertaken, e possible for tberu. Our steA by legis ^ational action. to put an e the utyi fully un. wrsevercpi iuv to asdV'of thp ibrmative ?? >io ?1D ublo that we have nf to an extreme . of teUt?uc?, initiative B?d acti conieyve this vli e for its fullest < **th ???? ins tba ?come ? liberty Unfortu nately, 5rty thai the lac igulation inevital dere of the C? ^at the Natiow d have comple '1 . state < * then ' pract'u business gave si y water, and t oriiment at on? ?** thoroi fashion. CottdiJ whblly chaw by w*>mpa With jdmoc mp aro omercc. Uy and gulaUd as shown both in the legislation of thfc CoHgVfciss And tho administration of the law by the Department o?^ Justice. The most vitfd ne+4 in in connection with the railroads. As to these, in my judgment there should now be either a national incorpora tion act or a law liccniug railway companies to engage in interstate commerce upon certain conditions. The ltfw ishould be ro framed as to give to tho Interstate Commerce Commission -power to pass upon the future issue of securities, while urn-, pie means should be provided to en* able the Commission, whenever 1h its judgment it is necessary, to m?j|e a physical valutation of any railromi. As I stated in my Message to the Congress a year ago, railroads should be given power to enter into agree ments, subject to these agreements being made public i^ minute detail and to the consent of the Interstate Commerce Commission being first obtained. Until the National Gov oVWment assumes proper control of interstate commerce, in the exercise of the authority it already possesses/ it will impossible either to give to or to \ot from the railroads full 'justice. The railroads and all other great corporations ? will do well * to recognize that this control must come the only question is 9s to what gov ernmental body can most wisely ex ercise it. The courts will determine the limits within which the Fedorai authority can eSe.rcise it, and there will still remain ample work within each State for tlie railway commis sion of that State; and the National Interstate Commerce Commission wij! work in harmony with the several I State commissions, each within itrfl own province, to achieve the desired end. - ._J. Income Tax. Reference is here made to tlje diffi culty of framing a !nw thn.t will with stand the test of the courts. Tito argument is made* by the President that such a tux is not a tax on thrift or industry. The German law is giv en as an interesting example. Sherman Antitrust Law. Moreover" in -my judgment them should bo additional legislation look ingto the proper control of the great business concerns engaged in. inter state business, this control to fie! Ex ercised for their own benefit and prosperity no less than for the pro tection of investors and of the gen eral public. As I have Repeatedly said in Messages to the Congress and elsewhere, experience has definitely shown not merely the unwisdom but the futility of endeavoring to put h stop to all business combinations. Modern industrial conditions are such that combination is. not' only necessary but. inevitable. It is so in the world of business just as it is so in tho world of labor, aud it is as idle to< desire to put an end to all corporations to all big combinations of capital* as to desire to put an end to combination of labor. Corporation and labor union alike have come to stay. Each if properly managed i* a sourco of good and not evil. When ever in either there is evil, it should be promptly held to account; but it should receive hearty encouragement' so long as it is properly managed. It {^profoundly immoral to put or taep on the statute books a law, nominally in the interest of public morality, that really puts a* premium upon fiublic immorality, by undertaking U; orbid honest men from doing what must be done under modern business bonditions, so that the law itself pro vides that its own infraction must be the condition precedent upon busi ness success. To aim at the accom plishment of too much usually means th^ accomplishment of too little, and often the doing of positive damage. The antitrust law should not be re pealed; but it should-bp made both i^ore efficient and fnoro in harmony with aettihl conditions. . It should be so amended as to forbid only the kind of combination, whieli does harm to the general public, such amend ment to be accompanied by, or to be an incident of, a graht of supervi sory power.'to the Government over these big concerns engaged in inter state business. This- should be ac companied by provision tor the com pulsory publication of.- accounts and the subjection of boob pnd papers to the inspection of the Government A beginning has already mafte for suoh supervision by theXastaMiahmefat of tho Bureau of antitrust law should i\ot pro. uut MahisMtiaM no inius* STlo tfco ifcHie, atOI leas tlwsetfae <a MMp wtM milia tvM. li to us JB*< m ? out portions by law&uits irmcuo to mi post upon I'oth tho Department of Jofettit; and the courts an impossible butdei. f it is not feasible to carry on more ilian a limited number of .such suits. Such u law to bo really ef fective must of course be admiuister i'd by an executive body, and not merely by means of lawsuit*. The ilesjjfn should be to ^prevent the abuse* incident to tlm creation ol un healthy und improper combinations, instead of Waiting until they are inj existence and then attempting to do-, slroy llicui by civil or criminal pro ceedings. .. ? ! | \ Pure-Food Law. j (Incidentally, in the passage of (ho pyre-food law the faction of tho var u*is State food ttiiuSAgiry commis wjouers showed in striking. fasliion hftw inueh Rood for tho wflole pod dy e i t'suUsi from the he)frt&i' eoopora j Won of tin/ Federal and SUio oIfi^ Viuls in Wiring a given infonfif* It fis primarily to the action of these Sfccto commissioners that we owe the enactment of this - law; for they aroused the people, first to demand tho enactment and enforcement *of State laws on ,the subject, and then tho enactment of the Federal law, without which the State laws wcro largely ineffective. There must he the closet cooperation between tlio national and State governments in administering these laws. Currency. ? * In my n?esK;1ge to Congress u year ago I spoke as follows of the cur rency: "1 espewfilTy rail your attention to the condition of^our currency law*. J he natioual-bank^ac t lias ably serv ed a great purpose in aiding the enormous business development of the country, and within ten years there has been an increase in circu lation per capita from $21.41 to p'-Oft *or several years evidence lias been accumulating that addition al legislation is needed. Thejeeur rence of oaeli crop season emphasizes the delects of the present laws. There must .soon be. a revision of them, be cause to leave them as Li^y are means ? incut liability t?f business disaster. ; iucc your body adjourned there has K^n a fluctuation in the interest on nioney 4,'iom 2 per cent to 3ft per cent,, and the Anoint ion was evo.i Stealer dunng the preceding six months. The Secretary of the Trea> <iry had to step in and by jvise action put a stop to the most violent period j of oscillation. Even worse, than such fluetuation is tho advance in commer fiai-rutcs and the uncertainty felt in the sufficiency of credit even at high rates. All Commercial interests sui ter during each crop period. Exces sive rates for call money in New York attract money from the interior banks into tho speculative field. This depletes the fund that would other wise bo available for commercial uses and commercial borrowers to pay abnormal rates, so that each, fa. ? lax> in tho simpo of lucreayou interest charges, is placed op the whole commerce of the country. ' Tho mere statement of tlieso facts show that our present system is ser iously defective. There is need of a change. Unfortunately, however, many of . the propose*! changes must' be ruled from consfderatiou becauso they are complicated/ arc not eusv of comprehension, and tend to disturb existing rights and* interests. Wo i ?"t any P,,m would materially tmpair the value of now i intea 2 P?r oent now pledged to secure circulation, the issue of which was* made under conditions peculiarly creditable to the Treasiiry. I do not press any efcpec U1 plan. Various plans have recent ly been proposed by expert committees of bankers. Among the plana which are possibly feasible and wliich cer tainly should receive your considera tion is that repeatedly brought to ^our attendtion by the present Se<jrc fil? / I'rea^Hry, the essential featuies of which hayo been appro ved by many prominpnt bankers and businessmen According to this plan national banks should to permitted to xssue a specified proportion of their capital in notes of a givcrt kind, the issue to be taxed at so high a rate as Jo drive the notes back Si,en not wanted in legitimate trade. This Plan would not permit tho iwue of additional profits, but to meet the emergency presented by times bf stringeucvf * I do not say that this is the riirht system. I only advance it to empha sixe my. belief that there is need fr? the adoption of some system which shall be automatics and open to all sound banks, so as to avoid all pos sibility if discrimination and favor itism. Sncb a. plan would tend to prevent the spasms of high, money witnow obtain in New Yorkma/ket; for at present there u too moefa currency at eer JwwSST'i kS5S?Hfe8!f *** H t for 2^7*** ****** at SSm \uy plan must, of course, KUAi'd 111' -ntcrests of western and southern hunkers a& cfuefiilly as it guard* tlit iiiiMiHtik of Now York ot Chicago hankers* and muni be drawn from the Maud points of the* farmer and the Merchant no loss than from the standpoints of the city hanker and the country' banker." ' - * ) again urge on I In* Congress the need of immediate attention to this matter. We need a greater elactle ity in our currency { provided, of course, that we recognise the even greater need of a safe and secure currency. There must always be the most rigid examination by the Nat ional authorities. Provision- should ho made for air eumrgency currency. The emergency issued on Id, of c'tky^e be made with an eucetivo guaraiitV^ and upon conditions carefully pre scribed by the (jovqrntnent. Such emergency issue must bo based on adequate securities approved by the. Government, ami must be issued jtn der n heavy tax. This would permit currency being issued when the de mand for it was urgent, while secur ing ils retirement as the demand fell off. It is worth investigating to de termine whether ojOjicors and direc tors of national hunks should ever ho allowed to loan to themselves Trubt companies should be Subject to the same supervision as hanks; legis j laiinn to this effect should bo enacted i for the District of Columbia and the Territories. Enforcement of the Law. A few years ago there was loud comnlnin^lliat the law pould not he invoked against wealthy offenders. There is no such complaint now..The course of the Department of Justice, .during the last few years has boon r.uch a:? to make it evident that no man stands above the law. Hint no ! corporation is so wealthy lln>* it can not he held to account. The De j pnriincut of Justice has been as prompt to proceed against the wealthiest malefactor whose crime was one oS* greed and conning as to proieod against the agitator who' in cites to ,hrut<\l violence. 'Kverything thac .*an he done U\ider the existing | law, and with t|ie existing state of | public opinion, which so profoundly 'iiiiluc;ices both .the courts and juries, I i;!i* henn done. Hut, the lu\y? liicni selvp* need strengtheueing- rn more than one important point; -they ?rhould hi- inHttO**niorc definite, so that no honest man can he led unwittingly to iiiufdc them, and so that j,ho real wiougdoer can bo readily punished. ? Injunctions. ir<!:mees of abuse In the granting of ii.junctions in labof disputes con linue to occur and the resentment in thb minds of those who feel that their lights nro being invaded and their liberty of action and of speech unwarrantably restrained continues likewise to grow. Much of the at tack on the use of the process of in junction is wholly without warrant; but T cm constrained to express the belief that for soiho of it there is warrant. This question is* becoming more ur.d more one of prime import ance, and tin less the courts will them getacs deal with it in effective man ner, it is certain ultimately ^,to de mand some form of legislative ac tion. It would be most unfortunate for our social welfare if we should permit many honest and lawabiding citizens to feci that thoy hfid just en use for regarding our courts wijh hostility. I earnestly comfoend to tije -attention of the Congress this matter, so that some way may be de vised which will limit tho .pbuse of injunctions and protect those rights which from* time to time it unwar rantably invades. Moreover, discon tent is often expressed with the ule of the process of injunction by the courts, not only in labor disputes, but where State laws are concerned. T refrain from discussion of this ques tion as I am informed that it will soon receive the consideration of tbo Supreme Court. Accidents. '/he loss of life and limb from rail road accidents in this country has become appalling. It is a subject of which the National Government should take supervision. It might be wcl) to begin by providing for a Fed eral inspection of interstate railroads somewhat along the lines of Federal inspection of steamboats, although not going so far."- ^ The National Government should b6 a model employer. It should de mand the higltest quality of service from each of its employees and it should care,for alkttf them properly in return.. Congress ^skwuld adopt legislation providing limited but defi nite compensation for accidents to all workmen within the scope of the Federal power, including employees of tbe navy yards and arsenals. Bifht-Honr Law. The Congress should consider the extension ofthe eight-liour law. The' constitutionality of the preeent law bas recently been tiled imp qocstioc and the Bnpreae Court has disideo th?t tb. I^.WM?*iiF should sol tlie example In this re* bpcct* Compulsory Investigation of Indus* trial Disputes. Striken (tiiii lockouts, with their at tendant Ion* and auflfcrinji* continue' to increase. For I ho tlve yearn end ing December 31, 100ft, the number ??f i?trikes'wntkgreater than those in any previous toYi years and was double the umnly'r in tho preceding tlvo years. Tliese figures indicate the in* cremiiiu ifeed ol' providing some ma chineryno deal with this .dass of ?lit? turbane*# in'the interest alike of the employer, the employee, aud the gon eral public. The -iiecd for some provision foi such investigation was forcibly il lustrated in the recent strike of telegiyph operators which serious ly interfered with telegraphic com munieation, causing great damage to business interests aud. serious incon venience to tbe general public. . Inland Waterways. The conservation of our natural re sources and their proper use consti tute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our National life. .We must main tain for our civilisation the adcquat< material basis without which thai civilization can not exist. Wo must show foresight, we must look ahead. As a nation we not only enjoy a won-| derful measure of present prosperity but if this prosperity used aright' it is an earnest of ti.iure suijces."*! such as no other nation will have. The reward of foresight for this Na tion is great and easily foretold. But, there must bo the look a,head, there ^riust be a realization of the fa?*f tint to waste, to destroy, our natural re sources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in under mining in (he days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right l<? hand down to them am plified and developed. Tariif on Wood Pulp. There should be no tarilf^on any forest product grown in this coun try; aijd, in especial/ there should lie no tariff on wood pulp; due no tice of the change beinv; of course g'ven to those engaged in the busi ness so as to enable them to adjn.<f themselves to'the new conditions. The repeal of the dnt.v on wood pulp should if possible be accompanied by an agreement with Canada that there shall be no export"(TKWy on Ca nadian pulp wood. r The Panama Canal. Work in now progressing at a satisfactory rate. The private bids for the:construction,'of the- canal were all unsatisfactory, and. in con sequence wei-o all rejected. Postal Affairs. ?I commend to th? favorable con sideration of the Congress a postal savings bank system, as recoWltbeira* ed ly the Postmaster General. The primary object is to encourage among *onr. people economy and thrift and by the use ok postal savings banks to give tbein au^opjportunity to husband their resouces?, particularly those who have not the facilities ut hand for depositing their money in1 savings banks. Viowed, however, from the experience of the past few. weeks, i{ ia evident that the advantages Of such an institution are still raoro far reaching.; Timid depositors :have withdrawn, their savings for the titno being from national bankit, trust companies, aud suving* bauks; indi viduals have hoarded their cash and the workingmsn their earnings; all of which money has been withdrawn and kept in hiding or in the safe de posit box to the detriment of prpf* peiity. Through the agency of {he postal savings banks such money would be restored to the channels of trade, to the mutnaj, benefit of oapi tal and labor. I further commend to tho Congress t ho ?consideration of the. parcel post, especially on the rural routes. Tliore are now 38,215 rural routes, serving nearly .15,000,000 people who do not have tho advantages of the inhabi tants of eities in obtaining their sup plies. These recommendations have 'beon drawn ujj> to benefit the farmer and tlie country storekeeper; other wise, I should not favor, them, tot I believe that it is good policy, for our Government to do everything possi ble to pid the small to*v? and tho country districts. It is desirable thai the country merchant should not be crushed out. Reporta show that during tho past year we made a clear profit on oiu* foreign postal business of,more than three and a half million dollar*. The President recommends that profit be expended in Improving the service. * Oklahoma. Oklahoma has become h State,1 standing on a full equality with hei elder sisters, and bar future is assur ed by W great natural resources. The duty of the National Govern ment to guard the wywul and property rigbta of tb* Indians witln In bet'bordsBt l tary of Hie Interior; the bureau to have power to collect statistics nnd make investigations in all matters pert anting to mining and particularly to the accidents and dangers of the industry, Vieksbnrg National Park. 1 further recommend that a naval monument be established in. the Vicksburg National Park. This nat ional pr.rk gives a uuitjue opportun ity for commemorating the deed# of those gallant men who fought oil water, no leas than of those \vho fought on land, in- the great civil war. The Thirteenth Oensuq. ^ Legislation should bo enacted att the present session of the (Songiesrfv for the' Thirteenth Census. The tahlishinent of the permanent Census Bureau affords the opportunity for u Metier census-than we have ever had, nut in order to renlizo the full advantage of the permanent organiz ation, ample lime mi'wt bo given for preparation. Presidential Campaign Expenses. ,lindbkour form of -government vot ing is ndt merely a right but a duty, and, Moreover, a fundamental ami necessary duty if a man is to bo u good citizen. It is well to provide that corporations shall not contrib ute to Presidential or National cam paigns, and furthermore to provide for tho publication of both contri butions nn<0 expenditures. The need of collecting lage cam paign funds by the parties would vanish if ('ongro<H should provide an appropriation ample enough to ?"meet the ligftimate expenses of each of tho great parties. Then tho.stipu lation should be made that no party receiving campaign funds from the Government should accept more than a fixed sum from any individual, subscriber or donor, and the neces sary publicity for receipts and dis bursements could easily be provided. The Arsjy. Never in our entire history has the nation suffered in the kyrfct particu lar because too ..much care baa been given to tho Army, too much prom inence" been.give it. loo much money spiuW upon it. r>r bcO.tiuse it has been ton large. As a nation we have'al ways been shortsighted in providing for <hr? om. w.Moy of the army in time of peace, f think it U only lack of foresight that troubles u'aj not any hostility to the Army* In the matter <^f ctfleienci It is urged that officers and enlisted mini should ? be paid sufficient .compeiWa tion to warrant thejx in mnkpig (bo army a lift. occupation. Among offi cers there should bo examinations rigid enough to weed out the ineffi cient. The practice marches and field maneuvers of tho past two or thceo years bavo been valuable, and these should be continued perhaps themost important legislation needed for the benefit of the army Is a law to equa lize and ipcreatio tfte pay of officer* anil enlisted njien in the army, navy, marine corps and revcuuo-cutter ser? vice,. The Public Health. There is a constantly growing In-! torest ih this country in the question! of the public health. At lest the public mind is awake to the fact that many dieases, notably tuberculosis, are National scourges. The work of the State and city board# of "health should he supplemented by a con* siuntly increasing interest on the part of the National Government. The Navy. It is recommended that this year provision bo made for four new bat* tleships, and that docks, coaling sta tions, colliers ftnd supply ships. be provided to meet the needs thus crea* ted. Our const line it on the Pacifio as well as the Atlantic and. ocCas-. ionally. the fleet should be dispatched t? -the waters of the Pacific. Our duty to California, Washington and Oregon is the same as to Maine, Now York, Lousiaha and Texas. I Sin cerely hope that the .fleet will he shifted frftm tho Atlantic to the Pa cific every year or two ? until our nary is of sufficient strength to ad mit of division. .* Foreign Affairs. In dealing with other nations it should honour policy, to bo neighbor ly and do oil we can jto help others without meddling; and at the samo timo to give them to understand in a proper way thai we do uot mean to be imposed upon. / The Philippines. The Secretary of War has gone to the Philippines. ' On his return X shell submit to you his report cn the isiundi. ? International Buraan of American Bewblics. One of the results of? the Pan-Am erican Conference i)t Kio Janeiro in the summer of 1900 has beeu a. great increase in the activity and usefal usss of the International Bureau of American Republic*. That intfitu tiOn, which includes all the American TEepnWisS ; in its aiettilwafcip ant,! all their isiim? CONGRESS IS NOW SfcSblQN Brilliant Scene Oharatt^lzes the Formal Opening of the Sixtieth Session?Joseph Cannon Selected as Speaker and John Sharp Wil liam* as Minority Leader. Washington, Special.-rr-A brilliant scene characterized the"* meeting of the Sixtieth Congress Monday. It\ Senate and House of Representatives I hero were notable gatherings of the "oflleial society of *the capital. Tl^e coming together for tfie first time of the men who have been. elected to' the Senate and the. House, about ono hundred W whom have jgpt before erved \\y Congress, made the oc eastorrone of particular interest. The striking sceues of the day were in fjie House of Repr^jttatatives, whoro * the formal o? Joseph Cannon to sgainoa speaker ol' that body^and the des^nation by the Democruts of Mr. John Sharp Williams as their leader, wero oocaa^ ions for ovations for those gentlemen. The vast hall of the Hou^e of. Representatives /ang with cbeefs of. Republicans and Democrats fop their leaders, and the Speaker deceived an warm a reception from members p( 4ho minority as he did frojn his own party. In accepting the speakership Mr.. Camion said in part: : ^ 4'We aro today organizing tho Sixtieth Congress, making the one hundred and eighteenth milestone into the history of government by> the , people under the constitution* Our predecessors in the years t^At are passed have left to Us an ej<f of wisdom, moderation and that has never failed to ideals and the interests of Repu can government on many Ma whether of peace or wur, adversity prosperity, '' This House is the only instltat under our constitution whe^e th? 1 of the people may be expri a agprosiasitliiB accuracy* Other department governmdnt have lofty taut functions, but to alone bolongs the pectdii cate and the all-surpassing Jtonct of interpreting and putting in nite form the will of tfc* p d\?Py we mu8t perform outr_? principles of the past help u? extent of Showing us the points of tho compass; but beyot' * must depend on put own 1 own eonstaney, our own and our ?jvn fidenlity to 4? The appearance of V Bryan on th?( floor of the woa the cheering by The Senate convened 12 noon.V After Vice P banks sounded the g*v? were opened with Edward Everet Hale, Senate, Senator La FolJettei Senator to be regognteed ed- the credentials of Be Stephenson, Wisconsin. The Vfoe President ordered the roll of genator*>e}eei to alphabetically and they were in by fours, b#ing escorted t , desk by their colleagues* All the Senators-elect were.; ent in the chamber <ixe*?t |3ankhead of Alabama, who tained at home by illnses. '. Under the form obeerved Senate neither Senator 0i nor Senator Johnson ean in until the death of and Pettus have been announced ax the Senate will adjourn la honor neither of their snceeieoir t bo Admitted until Wednesday., ? ' *?????' '? ^'Xlf Night Eiders on tj$tilfl? Nashville* Tenn., $ Gross, Div S. C. Haskjns and ganders, alleged tiight riders, I trifll at Clark^ifillc, tfenn.i el with destroying tobacee plane ^ Tlio jury in the imee < pleted. Owing to the the defendants, the much attention*' Greene and Washington^ Greene and bended State! petition writ 0* M