The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-12-10
PRESIDENTS VIEWS AS GIVEN
in HIS FIRST ANNUAL MESSAGE

reading of the first message of PTesi
dent Roosevelt. Ordinarily presiaen-
tial messages at the opening of Con
gress are listened to in perfunctory
fashion, but to-day throughout the
reading the keenest interest was man.
ifested. 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 Represen-
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 Ex-
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 sufii-
cient to Justify grave alarm among all
loyal American citizens. Moreover, the
circumstances of this, the third assas-
sination of an American President,
have a peculiarly sinister appearance.
Both President Lincoln and President
Garfield We're 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 10 the revengeful vanity
of disappointed office-seeker. Presi-
dent Mckinley was killed by an utter
ly 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 We're the first
to the bear the heartiest and most gen
erous tribute to the broad kindliness
of nature, sweetness and gentleness of
character which cndcared him to his
close associates"
After paying an eloquent tribute to
his murdered predecessor. the Presi-
dent adds: II eranestly recommend to
the Congress that it take into consider
alton the coming to this country of an
archist or persons processing princi-
pies hostile to all government and jus
tifying the murder of those placed in
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
prosperity. Mischievous
laws, however, can easily destroy this.
There may have been abuses in the ac-
of wealth. but the captains
of industry, railways, manufactures
and commerce have, on the whole, done
great good to our people.
THE mechanism of modern business
Is so delicate that eXtrenfe care must
be taken not to interfere with it In n
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
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 1t is practicable to apply
"All this is true; and yet 1t is also
rue that there are real and grave evils,
one of the chief being over-capitaliZa-
lion because of its many baleful conse-
luences; and a resolute and practical
effort must be made to correct these
Evils. nv III ~ 'N5tllAlsil 10 btA'A
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 n cabinet of
ficer to be known as secretary of com
merce and industries. 1t should be his
province to deal with commerce in its
broadest. sense and whatever concerns
labor, business and merchant marine.
Labor must be protected by tariff and
in other ways, and for that reason the
President regards it necessary to re-
enact Immediately the law excluding
Chinese lahorers. Our present immi-
grafton laws are unsatisfactory. We
need every honest and efficient immi-
grant who brings here a strong body
n stout heart, good head, and will be
n God-fearing member of the communi-
ty to come and remain with us. But
all others should he excluded.
Passing to the tariff system the mes
sage says the first requisite to our
is the continuity of the sta
bility of this economic policy.
Our experience in the past has
shown that sweeping revisions of the
tariff are apt to produce conditions
closely approaching panic in the bust
ness world. Yet it is not only possi-
BILE, but eminently desirable, to com
bine with the stability of our economic
system n supplementary system of re
ciprocal benefit and obligation with
other nations. Such reciprocity is an
incident and result of the firm estab-
lishment 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