Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-09-27
ROOSEVELT IN REALITY.
Character and Aims as Seen by
Personal Friend.
TO BUN HIS OWN ADMINISTRATION

illustrative incidents Recalled From
tude Toward the Isthmfan Canal,
Revenue Question and Criticism.
Typical Instance of HE Sense of
Humor.
The statement made the other day by
President Roosevelt to bis friends In
Buffalo concerning his plans for the
coming three years consisted of mere
outlines, as befitted so informal an ut
terance, writes the New York Posts
special Washington correspondent II
any value attaches to the opinion of a
personal friend of several years stand
ing. who has had exceptional opportuni-
ties to study him on a side which is not
commonly turned toward the public. IL
would be pretty safe to fill in some of
these outlines without waiting for the
event.
The first great question with which
the new president will have to deal will
be that of the isthmian canal His
brief summary of his policy on this
point Is 1.-THE building and completion
as soon as is possible of the isthmian
canal, so as to give direct water COM
munication with the coasts of Central
America, South America and Mexico
In view of his assertion of his ''aim to
continue absolutely unbroken the pol
ley Of President Mckinley for the
peace, prosperity and honor of the
country" it is assumed in many quar-
tiers that NV. Roosevelt will make every
effort to further the construction of
neutral canal.
With one modification. this Is proba-
bly, correct For commercial purposes
he has always favored and will con-
tinue to favor the neutrality of the
coming canal. but his idea is as fixed
as ever that, for war purposes. nei-
Their our country nor any other or COM
bination Of others should guarantee the
neutrality of this waterway. He
doubtless realizes as fully as any one
the improbability that any foreign ma
tion would attempt to send her war
ships through the canal on hostile
errand. and on the general principle Of
not advocating the impracticable or
providing against the inconceivable he
would withhold guarantees which he
expects never to see called into opera
ton The case presents itself to his
mind like grant in a general deed of
conveyance of a right of way which in
all human probability would never be
used. Different persons would look
at such thing differently. One would
argue that if the right We're never to
be used it would do no harm to grant
it. His neighbor would retort that it
IS foolish to cloud a title with an in
cumbrance which is TO be of no use to
any one.
However. such a discussion is now
academic. The canal treaty which
will be sent to the senate next winter
will contain the substance of all the
senate amendments TO the original
Hay Pauncefote treaty without their
offensive form. This, it is believed.
will satisfy every diplomatic demand
on both sides of the water. and the ca
nal will follow as soon as decision
can be reached upon the route and the
requisite appropriation can be obtain
ed from congress.
The next point likely to be raised con-
Germs revenue reform. Here some clew
TO President Roosevelt's future conduct
may be obtained by noting the course
his education has taken. He was grad
uated from Harvard at a time when
practically every man turned out from
that institution was an ardent free
trader. and he then held to his free
trade doctrine as stanchly as the rest.
But what we may call, for lack OF a
more satisfactory term, the logic OF
events made him afterward a protec-
zionist. though leaving his mind in
such an attitude that free trade ap-
pealS to it as the ideal condition to-
ward which logically controlled pro
tective system must tend. In general
terms, perhaps. the difference between
him and the ordinary tariff reformer is
that they are approaching the same
economic end from opposite directions.
1t viii be recalled that another New
York Republican. raised suddenly from
the second place In the government to
the first. devoted large share of two
successive annual messages to tax re-
form. reminding congress. before he
had been in the White House three
months. that 1--WE may well consider
whether 1t is not the part of wisdom to +
reduce the revenues even il we delay
= little the payment of the debt" and
that the time has arrived when the i
people may justly demand some relief
from their present onerous burdens"
President Roosevelt may be found /
agreeing with President Arthur that I
1.-THE present tariff system is in many /
respects unjust. 1t makes unequal dis /
trihution both of its burdens and its /
benefits" and echoing his recommends +
ton of IAN enlargement of the free 1
list SO as TO include within it the nu-
merous articles which yield inconsidec-
able revenue. a simplihcation of the
complex and Inconsistent schedule of
duties upon certain manufactures e
md substantial reduction of the du-
Ties upon those articles. and Others.
On the subject OF reciprocity no one is
more keenly alive to the advantages of
In Interchange of concessions with the
countries with which Wa have com