Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-04
THE MESSAGE.
President Roosevelt Says the Tide
of Prosperity Will
Advance.
NOT AFRAID OF STRUGGLE
Urges Action in Regulating Trusts
Asks Appropriation to Enforce the
sherman LAW Ill Submit Reel
procity Treaty with Cuba Soon
Must Build up thu Navy.

Must Build up thu Navy.
Washington, Dec. 2--The annual mes
sago to Congress by the President was
read I'm both the House and Senate to-day.
It's reading occupied one hour and 10
,. iautcs and was closely followed by the
.mbers. 1t reads as follows
70 The Senate and House OF Representa-.
tives:
We still continue In a period OF UNI
bounded prosperity. This prosperity ID
rot the crea ture of law, but undoubtedly
the laws under which we work have been
instrumental in creating the conditions
which made it possible and by unwiso leg
islatlon 1t would be easy enough to destroy
it. There will undoubtedly be periods of
depression. The wave will recede but tho
tide Will advance. This nation is seated
Oh continent fanked by two great
oceans. 1t Ia composed of men the de-
scendants of pioneers or, in a sense pic.
neers themselves-ot men winnowed out
from among the nations of the old world
by the energy, bo,dness and love OF ad.
venture found in their own eager hearts
Such nation so placed will surely wrcst
cue ess from fortune.
AS people we have played large part
tn the world, and we are bent upon maxi
iS our future even larger than the past
In particular the events of the last four
! ars have definitely decided that for woe
o.. Tor veal our place must be great among
tar nations. We may either fail greatly
rr succeed greatly. but We cannot avoid
thc endeavor from which either great
i.dre or great success must come Even
= Ne would we cannot play a small part.
we should try, all that would follow
would be that we should play large part
l.!nobly and shamefully.
3ut our people, the sons of the men OF
tlo civil war. the sons of the men who
l.d iron in their blood rejoice IN the
present and face the future high OF heart
uhu resoute OF will. ours is not tho
creed OF the wealiling and the coward;
ours is the gospel OF hope and OF tri-
unlphant end 'avor. We DO not shrlnk
many problems for us to face at the out
ut Of the twentieth century-sraVe prob
lcms abroad and still graver at homc-but
w know that we can solve them. and
solve them well. provided only that we
ling to the solution the qualities of head
and heart which were shown by the men
yyl.o in the days of Washington founded
th!s government and in the days Of Lin
coin preserved IT.
plane of material well being than ours at
nc present moment. This we'll being is
due 10 no sudden or accidental causes. but
TO The play OF the economic forces in this
country for over a century; to our laws,
oHr sustained and continuous policies;
above all, to the high individual average
been won by those who have taken the
load in this, phenomenal industrial devel-
oiIH'It, aha HlOst VI tncSs fortunes nave
been won not by doing eyil. but as an in
cident to action which has benefited the
commun'ty as whole Never before has has
fused among our people. Great fortunes
have been accumulated, and yet in the
deed When compared 10 the wealth Of the
people as whole. The plain people are
better of than they have ever been be-
arc practically mutual benefit societies
especially helpful to men of moderate
4neans-represent accommodations OF capi-
tal which are among the largest in this
country. There are more deposits in the
savings banks more owners Of farms
try now than ever before in our history.
OF course when the conditions have ia
vored the growth of so much that was
the growth of what evil. 1t is emf
nently necessary that We should endeavor
sense of proportion; let us not in fixing
our gaze upon the lesser evil forget the
some OF Them are mena cling, but they are
She outgrowth not OF misery or decadsnce,
but OF prosperity, of the progress Of our
gigantic industrial development This in
d5strial development must not be checked,
but side by side with it should go such
progressive regulation as will diminish
the evils. We should fail in our duty If
" did not try to remedy the evils, but we
shall succeed only If We proceed patient;
The bad and holding On to- to the fe01 form S
Whlle enueaNOring to get rid OF the latter.
In my message to the present congress
at its first session | discussed at length
the question Of the regulation of those
big corporations commonly doing in
terstate business often with some tenden-
ry to monopoly, which are popularity
known as trusts The experience OF the
past year has empha sized, in my opinion.
the desirability of the steps / then pro-
posed. fundamental requisite Of social
efficiency is a high standard of individual
energy and excellence but this is in no.
wise inconsistent with power to act in
combination for aims which cannot so
well be achieved by the individual acting
ulone. fundamental base of civilization
IS the inviolability of property; but this is
IN nowise Inconsistent with the right Of
Euciety TO regulate the exercise of the
artificial powers which it confers upon the
owners Of property under the name OF cor
pprate franchises in such a way as to
prevent the misuse Of these powers. Cor
purations, and especially combina tons of
corporations, should he managed under
public regulation, Experience has shown
HAT under our system Of government the
necessary supervision cannot be obtained
by state action. 1t must therefore be
achieved by national action. Our aim is
not to do away with corporations On the {
contrary these big aEgregations are an
Inevitable development OF modern indus !
iiiH!lsrn, and the effort to destroy them |
would De futile unless accomplished in |
ways that would work the utmost mis-
Ch!ef to the entire body polite. We can
DO nothing Of good In the way Of regulat- !
ing and supervising these corporations
until we nix clearly in our minds that we
are not attacking the corporations, but |
'Ndc1VoTing TO do away with any evil in !
Item. We are not hostile to them. We
ar merely determined that they shall be
so handled as to subserVe the public good
We draw the line against misconduct not
against wealth, The capitalist who alone
or in conjunction with his fellows, per-
forms some great industrial feat by which
40 wins money is "A welldoer, not q wrong
doer, provided only he works in proper !
and legitimate lines, We wish to favor |
such man when he does we'll We wish
To supervise and control his actions only |
To prevent him from doing i'll, Publicity |
can do no harm to the honest corporation.
ana we need not be overtender about !
suaring the dishonest corporation.
I'm curbng and regulating the combina-
tiols Of capital which are or may become
Injurious 10 the public We must he care
f,l not to stop the great enterprises which
laro lcgitlmately reduced the cost Of pro-
G1eton. not to abandon the place which
orr country has won in the leadership of
H. international industrial world. not to
strike down wealth with the result of
closing factories and mines, Of turning
the WaEeWorker idle in the streets and
J wing the farmer without market for
what he grows Insstence upon the i'm
possible means delay in achieving the pos
flbic exactly as. on the other hand the |
and what is bad in the existing system. |
the resolute effort to obstruct any at |
I mpt at betterment, betrays blindness to |
the historic truth that wise evolution Is |
the sure safeguard against revolution.
No more important subject can come |