The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-12-06
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1901.
AN ABLE DOCUMENT.

To those who still think of him only
as the rough rider storming up San
Juan hill, the advocate of the stern
uous in all phazes of life and the man
who is the very embodiment of every
thing that enters into the aggressive,
forceful being, the message of Presi-
dent Roosevelt comes probably as a
disappointment. They expected a
document filled with radicalism and
recommendations against about all
existing and accepted Institutions. In
stead they are given a calm, conserva-
tive and ~statesmanlike, yet plain and
forcible exposition of his views, punct-
uated with suggestions and advice
: showing the mind of the student and
the desires and wishes of the patriot
and lover of his fellows. While adj
herring to his Buffalo promise to fol-
low out the lines of conduct as laid
out by his predecessor, yet he injects
his own personality into every line of
the message and the recommendations
he makes are both wise and patriotic.
Temperate in everything, he yet re-
tains the force of the man whom the
trust.
Very properly he devotes the open
ing part of the message to the assas.
sination of Mckinley and the recon-
mendations he makes in regard to the
enactment of laws calculated to re-
press the anarchist and suppress all
archy are such as must commend
themselves to all who believe in the
maintenance of law and the uphold
ing Of the nations institutions. Right
fully de%nominating anarchy as a crime
not against the individual, but against
the whole mass of the people, he rec
ommends that to the national govern
ment be delegated the authority to
deal with anarchists who make as
sault or the life of the president or
any man in the line of succession to
that office.
In holding that the combinations of
capital which have grown up in re-
cent years are not traceable to the
tariff laws or other actions of the ma
tional government he but voices a
truth known Of all thinking, honest
men. While recognizing their posses
sion of certain rights and acknowledge
ing the great benefits that have ac-
crued to the people in certain in
stances because of the great industrial
aggregations now existing, he is not
unmindful of the harm they may be
capable of working and for that rea-
son makes the recommendations
which if followed, he believes, will re-
suit in their control. For those who
are interstate in the nature of their
operations he advises federal control
and regulation, the same as are ap-
piled in the case of national banks,
and it this fails he recommends adop-
ton of an amendment to the national
constitution. Absolute publicity of
operations is the immediate remedy he
suggests. To ecure this he thinks an
official clothed with the power to
make frequent examinations of and
reports en- the affairs of these great
combinations would prove of much
benefit, while delegation of greater
supervisory power to the interstate
commerce commission in the same re.
spect would also be helpful.
Although not marked by any rabid
or extreme recommendations, the ut
terances of the president in reference
OF the trusts are indicative of a sim
cere desire on his part for the accom-
plishment of something that will curb
them and keep them from becoming
instruments of danger to the welfare
OF the nation and the Individual.
The plain and emphatic n in
which he recommends the r%e-enact-
ment OF the Chinese exclusion law and
It's amendment SO as to make it more
eHectiye must set at rest all doubt
that may have been entertained in
the west concerning the position of
the president IN this very important
subject. His recommendations con.
corning the necessity for s~tricter and
more effective immigration laws as
applying to all foreigners who seek ad.
mission to these shores are timely and
well made.
The stand taken by the president
on the tariff matter is sensible and
patriotic. While recognizing that the
time has probably come for a modi.
f1cation of some Of the existing laws
regulating our commerce with other
nations. he does not advise, as some
90, that we surrender the principle