The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1901-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

In TINS issue VIII LS round syn
opsis OF President RooSevelt's FIRST
message to congress Stripped OF
its superabuudauce of words, the
message is boiled down to the space
occupied i'll these columns without
emitting any OF its essential points.
1t reads smoothly, but Is a disap-
poiutment 10 people who expected
something original state paper
out OF the we'll beaten path that has
been followed by presidents for the
past twenty-five years. Taking
the well known views of the presi-
dent on the trust question as 4
guide, many people expected some
thing pronounced on the subject in
his message. Instead they have a
sea OF words without 4 definite de
claration on the subject. Publicity
is the remedy suggested tor the
evil. but Just how It will be remed-
led in that way the president does
not state. The evils OF anarchy
are treated in RooSevelt'S vigorous
sty,e and his utterlnces show more
earues.neSs and force than IS dis
PLAYED in MS treatment o. the trust
question He SAYS that corpora
tons must be dealt wiki cautiously
that no injury 70 commerce and the
business OF the country Shall re-
suit. lie would hate 10 see the
captains Of industry trust mag
nates-tlisturbed while they are
fatteniug OF the people The mes
sage says that our labor must be
protested BY the tariff as well as
from Chinese labor. The people
OF the Pacific coast will agree with
the president Oh the last proposition
and il he had qualified the first by
saying that it should not apply to
trust made goods, but that they
should compete with the world at
home as Well as abroad many peo-
pie would have agreed with him on
both statements. The people Of
the west will agree with him that
national aid in some form should
be given for the reclamation Of arid
lands. With war still going on in
the Philippines, soldiers dying BY
the hundred in that enervating
climate, and expenses Of maintain
ing our alleged rights there far ex-
ceeding the receipts or any possible
return commercially. the president
finds the question a hard nut to
crack. He thinks il will come
out right in the end but the end IS
not in sight. He IS very weak on
this subject, but that can hardly be
called his fault, for it IS very hard
to defend our position i'll the isl
ands. We are a people living I'M
der republican form Of govern
ment and it IS difficult 10 make this
fact tit our actions in the islands.
The vigorous language OF the mes
sage on the isyhmean canal ques-
ton has the ring OF Roosevelt ; true
character, in contrast to his utter
anCes on subjects that he attempts
10 smooth over for the sake OF his
party or its leaders. He has been
known for years as a sincere civil
service relormer and here again
his strenuous nature asserts itself
in unmistakeab,e language. The
message Is generally tavorably com
mented on in England and other
foreign countries, although those
people irown upon It's reiterasion
of this couutry's intention TO main
tain the Monroe doctrine. England
IS the one exception and her lead
ing papers intimate that She would
be compelled To assist the United
States in maintaining il should the
emergency arise. As a whole. the
message will meet the approval O.;
republican,, generally, while dem
ocrats viii see much in il tha. can
be very properly criticised.