The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-03
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The presidents message has the merit Of
comparative brevty. for which the reader
viii he thankful.
And barring the grandiose introduction, +
it is a strong republican document. The .
president makes the most OF prevailing pros
perity for which he adroiny gives full credit .
to republican laws and administration
In respect to the trusts. the point OF chief
interest at the present moment by reason Of
his former expressions he goes perhaps a
little farther than some of his party advisers
have suggested. yet not so far as to pro
woke hostility of the money bags What
he says is really but repetition, in choicer
language of his recent speeches OF course,
a president is not expected to recommend
the details of law making. That function
belongs to the congress. But he should lay
down the general lines of policy he may en-
terrain, and this Mr. Roosevelt fails to do
He contents himself with the vaguest sug
gestions, beyond a fresh enunciation of his
publicity" doctrine, and one can not under
stand precisely what he would have the con
/ gross TO do. The effect Of this part of the
/ message is shown in yesterdays stock quo
( tations which advanced in recognition OF the
: harmlessness Of his attitude.
/ He is positive in the opinion that the
! constitutional powers of the congress have
not been exhausted by the present antitrust
law. and he advises further legislation along
the same line with the recommendation that
II such acts are held to he unconstitutional
an amendment be submitted He also ad
yises an appropriation for enabling the at
torney general TO better enforce the Sher-
man act 1t would have been more to the
point II he had explained the weakness of
the act and Indicated clearly Just what legis-
lation is needed to make it effective. 1t
would seem that his attorney general ought
to have fashioned something specific by this
time and that if the president is in earnest
he would have put the responsibility OF
, further evasion directly upon the law max.
ing body. He is not lacking in particularly
about other matters that are closer to his
S heart or that involves no dangers to political
r fortune
4, Much that he says in this connection Is
mere platitude Nobody intends to do any
thing so radical as TO paralyze industry, and
he knows it perfectly we'll The thing TO dc
2, is to prevent industry from paralyzing every
e other interest
= lie opposes any other change in the tnri1
except by reciprocity or an occasional specia
act curing q particular excess. and is thus il
IS accord with the leading spirits of the party
c The much talked OF tarin commission Il
recommended indifferently as an expedien
il reciprocity treaties and special acts prove
to be unsatisfactory. Really no Statesman
can take the suggestion seriously and thos
u who pretended to do so are merely seeking
&c means OF postponing genuine tariff reform
10 AS was to be expected he renews his recon
u mendation of reciprocity with Cuba an
'e promises a special message on the subject.
II lie discusses army and navy needs wit
Intelligence and force looking to the improv,
IN ment of both branches of the fighting serN
err ice, but without sufficient detail except tn
On recommendation for a general staff for tn
n army, which is a doubtful proposition,
ne He seems to contemplate the early begiI
's ming OF the Panama canal and gives no hir
OF Of considering an alternative route.
M Altogether the message Is a delverance
pleasing style, more after the Roosoyeltia
nd fashion Of rhetorical lecture, with sci
on soning of applause-provoking sentiment tina
m practical State paper
III