Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1901-12-12
PRESIDENTS VIEWS AS GIVEN
in HIS FIRST ANNUAL MESSAGE

reading of the first message Of presi-
dent Roosevelt. Ordinarily presiden-
tial messages ut the opening of a Con-
gress are listened to i'm p%erfunctory
fashion, but to-day throughout the
reading the keenest interest was man
Tested. Hardly a member left his seat
until the reading was concluded.
The principal features Of the mes
sage are as follows:
ITO the Senate and House Of Represeu-
tatives:
"The Congress assemblies this year
under the shadow of n great calamity.
On the 9th day Of September President
Mckinley was shot by an anarchist
while attending the Pan-American Eek
position at Buffalo and died in that
city on the 18th of that month.
"Of the last seven elected Presidents
he Is the third to have been murdered,
and the bare recital of this fact is sufi-
cient to Justify grave alarm among all
loyal American citizens. Moreover, the
circumstances Of this, the third assas-
slnation of an American President,
have a peculiarly sinister appearance.
Both President Lincoln and President
Garfield were killed by assassins of
types unfortunate and not uncommon
In histOry-President Lincoln falling a
victim to the terrible passions aroused
by four years of civil war and presi-
dent Garfield TO the revengeful vanity
of a disappointed ofice-seeker. Presi
dent Mckinley was killed by an utter
~ depraved criminal belonging to that
body of criminals who object to all
governments. AT the time of President
McKinley's death he was the most
widely loved man In the United States.
His political opponents were the first
to the bear the heartiest and most gen
erOus tribute to the broad kindness
of nature, sweetness and gentleness of
character which endeared him to his
close associates"
After paying nm eloquent tribute to
his murdered predecessor, the Presi-
lent adds: Il eranestly recommend to
the Congress that it take into consider
alton the coming to this country Of an
archist or persons protesting princi-
pies hostile to all government and jus
tifying the murder of those placed in
authority. They should be kept out of
the country, and if found here should
be depOrted to the country from which
they came. No matter calls more ur-
gently for the wise thought of the Con-
gress.'
Referring to the prosperity Of the
country, the message says that during
the last five years business confidence
has been restored and the nation is to
be congratulated upon its present
Astounding prosperity. Mischievous
laws, however, can easily destroy this.
There may have been abuses in the ac-
emulation of wealth, but the captains
of industry, railways, manufactures
and commerce have, on the whole, lone
great good to people.
"The mechanism of modern business
is so delicate that extreme care must
be taken not to interfere with it in a
spirit of rashness or ignorance.
'The men who demand the impOssi-
BILE or the undesirable serve as the al
lies Of the forces with which they are
nOminally at war, for they hamper
those who would endeavOr to find out
in rational fashion what the wrongs
really are and to what extent and in
what manner it is practicable to apply
remedies.
"All this is true; and yet It is also
true that there are real and grave evils,
one of the chief being over-capitaliza-
ton because of its many baleful conse-
quences; and n resolute and practical
effort must be made to correct these
evils. The first essential is determine
ing how TO deal with the great indus
trial combinations is publicity"
He lays great stress upon the fact
that n full knowledge of the operations
of large corporations will do away
with most of their dangers, and says
the government should have the right
to inspect and examine the workings
of the great corporations engaged in
interstate business.
There should be created a cabinet of
ficer to be known as secretary of COM
merce and Industries. 1t should be his
province TO deal with in lbs
broadcast sense and whatever concerns
labor, business and merchant marine.
Labor must be protected by tariff and
i'm other ways, and for that reason the
President regards 1t necessary to re-
enact Immediately the law excluding
Chinese labOrers. Our present immi-
grafton laws are unsatisfactory. We
need every honest and efficient imml-
grant who brings here n strong body,
n stout heart, n good head. and will be
a G%od-fearlng member of the commune
ty to come and remain with us. But
all others should be excluded.
Passing to the tariff system the mes
sage says the first requisite to our
prosperity is the continuity Of the sta
bllity of this economic policy.
Our experience In the past has
shown that sweeping revisions Of the
turif are apt to produce conditions
closely approaching panic In the bust
ness world. Yet il is not only posi-
bic, but eminently desirable, to com
bine with the stability of u economic
system a supplementary system of re-
ciprocal benefit and obligation with
other nations. Such reciprocity is an
incident and result of the firm estab-
llshment and preservation Of our pres
ent economic policy. 1t was specially
provided for in the present tariff law.
81 ask the attention Of the Senate to
the reciprocity treaties laid before It
by my predecessor"
The message then calls attention to
the condition Of the American mer-
chant marine. and says action is de-
manded by Congress. 1t is discredita-
Bile to us as a nation If our merchant
marine should be utterly Insignificant
in comparison to that of other nations
where we OvertOp IN other forms OF