Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-03
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

in the treatment Oh puDllC qutSIloho'
but it discusses fewer of them and
more concisely. 1t is marked, how
ever. by the same spirit that charac-
terized his first communication to con
gress and is therefore earnest, hope
full. confident and encouraging. The
president regards existing conditions
with the satisfaction which every
American citizen should feel and looks
TO the future with the eye Of faith and
a profound conviction that this people
will meet intelligently and biavely
whatever demands shall be made upon
them. Having played a great part In
the world, we cannot 10Y play a small
part. even il we would, and to try to
do so would result ignobly and shame.
fully. But the president is confident
that the American people Will continue
to do their part in the worlds work,
will be found still capable of solving
the problems that confront them at
home and abroad. "Ours is not the
creed of the weakling and the coward;
ours is the gospel of hope. Ii of
triumphant ~endeavor," is the charac-
teristic way in which Mr.. Roosevelt
treasures his countrymen and inspires
them to greater achievements.
Our gigantic industrial development
must not be checked, declares the presl-
dent. While in the course of this re-
velopment vast fortunes have been
made, yet in the aggregate these
fortunes are small when compared to
the wealth of the people as a whole,
willie the plain people are better of
than they have ever been before. Yet
there are evils and these must be RENE
died, which we shall succeed in doing
only by proceeding patiently, with
practical common sense, as well as
resolution, separating the good from
the bad and holding on to the former
while ~endeavoring to get rid of the lat
ter" The president reiterates the
views expressed in his first message
and later in public addresses respecting
national regulation of the inuustridl
combinations engaged in interstate and
foreign commerce. speaking now with
greater confidence than before as to the
power of congress to provide for this.
1t having been demonstrated that the
necessary supervision cannot be OBJ
tanned by state action, 1t must there
fore be achieved by national action.
The aim is not to destroy the corpora
tions, which would work mischief to
the entire body. polite, but to do away
with any evil therein. Publicity can do
no harm to the honest corporation
says the president, and we need not
be overtender about sparing the dis
honest corporation" The president has
no doubt as to the authority of con-
gress to restrain monopoly and to pro
vide for the correction of the abuses
and evils incident thereto. and he evil
IDENTIFY desires that this authority be
exercised as soon Is possible. II con
gress gives heed to the plainly implied
wish Of the president there will be
legislation at the present session deal
ing with the combinations.
President Roosevelt speaks strongly
for the maintenance of the protective
principle. The country has always eX-
perienced prosperity under a protective
tariff, the people have acquiesced in the
wisdom of the principle, and lit is ex-
ceedingly undesirable that this system
should be destroyed or that there should
be violent or radical changes therein"
He urges stability of economic policy,
says that the country cannot prosper
under htful tariff changes at short in
tervals and suggests that the tariff
should be treated solely from the stand
point of our business needs. The pro-
tective principle, however, should al
ways be kept in view, in the interest
alike of the great body of our indus
tries and of the labor employed in
them. The advocates of tariff revision
will find little encouragement in
the presidents reference to this
subject, while the supporters Of reel
procity will be gratihed with the state
ment that one way in which tariff
reimbursement can be reached is by reci-
procity treaties, which 1t is declared
can be used to widen our markets, give
a greater field for the activities of our
producers and secure in practical shape
the lowering of duties when they are
no longer needed for protection among
our own people, or when the minimum
of damage lone may be ~disregarded for
the sake of the maximum Of good
accomplished" The message suggests
a tariff commission, though this is not
very vigorously urged, and there will be
very general endorsement of the rec
ommendation that anthracite coal be
placed on the free list. where 1t was
supposed to be until the importation of
anthracite disclosed the fact that there
is a duty on 1t.
The presidents discussion of the re
lations Of capital and labor, their obi.
cations, duties and rights, merits care
full attention and we think viii com
mand very general appreciation. 1t /: