The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-12
A Significant Speech.

President Roosevelt, in his speech last
night at the annual banquet Of the New
York chamber Of commerce, in his ad-
mraby perspicuous way, set forth the
rational method in which the government
proposes to deal with the great problems
which press for solution.
He did not direct his attention to
specific problems, but laid down the guild
Ing principles Of action. He declared,
against the reiterated charges in Europe
and on this hemisphere, that the United
States, a great world power, has moth
ing of widespread conquest and of rough
shod riding over the rights Of weaker
nations in its program Of action, but was
willing even to withdraw from it's meas
ure Of control over Cuban, affairs even,
provided the Cubans show themselves
willing to deal fairly with the rest of
the world. Consequently, there would be
no mailed hand Of compulsion to force
Cuba to carry out the terms of the Plat
amendment whose validity the Cubans
have called in question.
The core and potency of the presidents
speech was the pronouncement of a sturdy
peace policy with no shrinking from war
on justifiable grounds for the defense of
assailed national honor and to repel for
eign encroachment:
The president was very forceful in the
portion Of his speech relating to domestic
problems. He stood for industrial peace
through patriotic regard, by each element
interested, for the rights of the public
when a capital-labor conflict Is on, and,
on their part, cool Judgment and for
bearance and a conciliatory spirit.
A third point made by the president was
his depreciation of the tendency to de-
mand the intrusion upon and control by
the government Of activities which should
ever remain in private hands, individual
or in combination, with fair field and
no favor.
The utterances of the president apply
to the tariff and trust questions imme-
diately. AS to the tariff, he does not re-
gard it as Interchangeable. He has himself
proposed a tariff commission of experts
as advisory to congress in tariff read
justments Certainly, in his speech. he
practically counsels the don't-touch- the
tariff element to respect the public needs
growing out of changed Industrial and
business conditions.
The trust problem he would solve in
the same way-a willingness to see and
appreciate the rights Of others. Both as
to the tariff and the trusts, it has been
the habit to say that existing conditions
are sufficiently satisfactory as they are
and no Iegislationa Is needed and the
resolute enforcement of existing laws
against trusts Is all that is necessary
The president has discovered that thi:
evasory policy is condemned by the
strongly growing public sentiment favor
ing an attack upon the root OF the trouble
He has not hesitated, in the face of pro
tests by members Of his own party, t,
apply existing laws to the rapacity O
combines, but Is calling for adequat
regulative and restraining trust legisla
ton by congress, and rejects. the erro
that the tariff schedules must not b
touched.
The president Is not playing the petit
game Of trying to make it appear tina
something is being done to remove trus
evils when nothing serious Is doing. Hi
utterances during the recent campaig
were not spurts Of meaningless rhetoric
He has been under public observatio
long enough to prove that he is POLITICAL
honest as he is periodically honest an
has no sympathy with the disgustin
political trickery which introduces reforr