The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1902-12-04

President ROoSeyelts annual mess
age to congress was read Tuesday to
the senate and house of representa-
tives. The Independent will not at
tempt to give the full text OF the mess
age, but will quote the points OF most
Importance to it's readers.
I'VE still continue in a period OF
unbounded prosperity" says the pres
ident in his opening sentence, but no
attempt is made to define what he
means by "we." If trusts, yes. II
railroads, yes. If eastern farmers, no.
If western farmers, yes, if he will cut
out the "unbounded." If small busi-
ness men, no.
"This prosperity is not the creature
of law" he continues, but adds, by way
Of notification, ''but undoubtedly the
laws under which we work have been
instrumental in creating the conditions
which made it possible, and by unwise
legislation it would be easy enough to
destroy it." Certainly the laws un-
der which we work have been instru-
mental in creating the conditions
which made it possible for the Stand
ard Oil trust to slaughter its competi-
tors and to declare fabulous dividends
to it's stockholders; 'unwise" legisla-
tion might destroy some of that pros
perity-and yet not injure the nation.
These same laws have made it possible
for the several hundred other trusts
to be built up and thousands of small
business establishments to be de-
stroyed. 4 hey have made it possible
for the railroads to rob the public of
millions upon millions Of dollars in ex-
cess of VIII would have been fair
return for the services rendered.; and
"unwise" legislation might destroy
some of this trust and railroad pros
perity without the slightest injury to
the public generally, but on the con-
trary to their great benefit.
The president thinks there "will un-
doubtedly be periods of depression"
but attempts no explanation other than
that "the wave will recede." He does
not even say that the depression will
not be the creature of law.
'NO country has ever occupied a
higher plane of material well-being
than ours at the present moment. This
well-being is due to no sudden or ac-
cidental causes, but to the play of
the economic fccces in this country
for over century; to olr laws, our
sustained and continuous policies;
above all, to the high individual aver
age of our citizenship. Great fortunes
have been won by those who have
taken the lead in this phenomenal in
dustrial development, and most of
these fortunes have been won not by
doing evil, but as an incident to action
which has benefited the community as
a whole. Never before has material
wAll-being been so widely diffused
among our people. Great fortunes have
been accumulated. and yet in the ag-
gregate these fortunes are small in
Ceed when compared to the wealth of
The people as whole. The plain peo-
pie are better off than they have ever
been before. The insurance compa-
MES, which are practically mutual
benefit societies-especially helpful to
men of moderate means-represent ac-
cumulations Of capital which are
among the largest in this country.
There are more deposits in the saw
ings banks, more owners of farms,
more well-paid wage-workers in this
country now than ever before in our
history. Of course. when the condi-
tions have favored the growth of so
much that was good. they have also
favored somewhat the growth of what
was evil. 1t is eminently necessary
that we should endeavor to cut out this
evil but let us keep a-due sense Of
proportion; let us not in fixing our
gaze upon the lesser evil forget the
greater good. The evils are real and
some Of them are menacing, but they
are the outgrowth, not of misery or