Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-12-06
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
A Lengthy Document Touching On
Many Vital Subjects.
NO sTRENUosITY EXHIBITED

The message sent to Congress
by President Roosevelt contained
ahout twenty.three thousand
words. 1t is a conservative paper
and except for its reference to the
Monroe Doctrine might be regard.
ed as colorless.
Following his reference to the
death OF Mckinley by the hand of
an Anarchist, he says, this crime
was the result of the teachings of
professed Anarchists, and proba-
bly, also caused by the reckless ut.
terances Of those who, on the
stump and in the public press, ap.
peal to the dark aud evil spirits of
malice and greed, envy and sullen
hatred. The blow aimed at every
symbol ofgovernment. On on con.
ceivable theory could this murder
be accepted as due to protest a.
gainst inequalities in the social
ORDER" save as the murder of all
the freemen engaged in a town
meeting could be accepted as
protest against that social Unequal.
ity which puts malefacror In Jail.
Anarchy is no more an expression
of "social discomfort" than picking
pockets or wife beating. The An.
archist is a criminal whose per-
verted instincts lead him to prefer
confusion and chaos to the most
beneficent form of social order.
His protest of concern for work.
ingmen is outrageous in it's impu-
dent falsity; for if the political in.
situations Of this country do not
afford opportunity to every hon.
est and intelligent son of toll,
then the door of hope is forever
closed against him.
| Concerning legislation on cor
porations he speaks of the aboun.
dingprosperity and says such pros.
perity can never be created by law
alone, although it is easy enough
to destroy it by mischievous laws.
If tho hand of the Lord is heavy
upon any country,if food or drouth
comes, human wisdom is power.
less to avert the calamity. More
over, no law can guard us against
the consequences of our own folly.
Those who seek gain not by gen.
uine work with head or hand, but
by gambling in any form, are al
ways a source of menace not only
to themselves but to others. If
the business world loses its head,
it loses wha, Legislation cannot
supply. Fundamentally The well
fare of each citizen, and therefore
the welfare of the aggregate Of cit
liens which makes the nation,
must rest upon individual thrift
and energy, resolution and intelli.
gence. Nothing can take the place
of this individual capacity, but
wise legislation and honest and in
telligent administration can give
ii the fullest scope, the largest
opportunity to work to good effect
The tremendous industrial devel.
opment which went on during the
latter half OF the nineteenth centu.
ry brings us face to face, at the
beginning of the twentieth, with
very serious social problems. The
old laws, and the old customs
which had almost the binding
force oflaw, were once quite suf.
ficient to regulate the accumula.
ton and distribution of wealth.
, Since the industrial changes which
! have so enormously increased the
productive power of mankind, they
, are no longer sufficient. We should
recognize the immense Importance
to this material development Of
leaving as unhampered as is com
patible with the public good the
strong and forcefui men upon
whom the success Of business op
erations inevitably rests. Anoth
er reason for caution in dealing
with corporations is to be fount
in the international commercial
conditions of today.
In reference to trusts among
other things he says, corporations
engaged in interstate commerce.
should be regulated If they art
found to exercise a license work
ing TO the pnblic injury. 1t should
be rs much the aim of those whit
seek for social betterment 10 rio
the business world of crimes o
cunning as to rid the entire bod.
polite of crimes of violence
Great corporations exist only be
cause they are created and safe
guarded by our institutions; and |
is therefore our duty to see tina
they work in harmony with thes'
institutions. He furthermore says
l believe that law can be franco
which will enable tho national gov
eminent TO exercise control alon!
these lines, profiting by the expe
rience gained through the passag'
and administration Of the inter
atafa C0mmprcC act Tf hoWeypv