The Tucson citizen., 1902-12-03
Democratic GItu Ticket.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

President Roosevelt's message to Con-
gress is very much like the man, bril-
liant, daehing. strenuous and an even
admixture of candor and demagogism.
1t will be readily conceded that the mes.
sage is we'll written. Mr.. Roosevelt has
cultivated the aEt of phrase-making, and
his literary style can always face criti-
cism.
But the matter is another thing. Mr..
Roosevelt has probably progressed in
his ideas of trust regulation since he
communicated with Congress a year
ago. But he is still deficient. He is
still an apologist rather than an oppon-
ent of trusts. He is a defender of the
tariff on which the trusts are based.
The President declares that Congress
has the power to regulate the trusts.
He has apparently abandoned the idea
that an amendment to the Constitution
lie necessary to deal with them. The
President is clearly trying to run with
the western hare and chase with the
eastern hound. He declares that We
must SIX clearly in our minds that we
are not attaking trusts bat endeavoring
to do away with the evil in them" Mr..
Pierpont Morgan could not have said it
better. Mr.. Roosevelt is trust hunter
for campaign purposes only. The trust
magnates will understand his game and
his party will do the rest.
Mr.. Roosevelt insists that the tariff is
not responsible for the trusts, an that
the trusts are necessary development
of our industrial system. He credits the
prosperity OF the country to the tariff
and would not touch the tariff even to
regulate the trusts. This shows that he
is as safe a man as the most ardent mon
opolist should desire.
What was necessary to the creation of
trusts? At the close of the civil war
many who had been receiving great pro.
fits from the government by furnishing
war supplies realized sudden ending
of their occupations. They had acquir-
ed speculative habit that was little
short of gambling in it's fascination,
though always certain to win. What
could they do to continue imperial pro-
fits from this governmental source?
President Lincoln observed this tend
ency and foretold the present conditions
These spectators must turn to the leg
islatiye and executive departments of
the government to aid them, or must
take chances as other people. There
were at that time many special taxes,
including an income tax, which the OPP
ulent were obliged to pay. These taxes
were speedily repealed by the Republi-
can congress, but all taxes on articles of
consumption by the people remained in
force. Thus all the burdens of govern.
ment were transferred to the people and
the rich practically exempted from tax
alton. The war tariff was perpetuated,
and increased many times since. The
tariff excludes foreign competition and
the trusts were organized to destroy
domestic competition. Without the
tariff the trusts could not exist, and he
who defends the tariff can not be des-
irous OF hampering the trusts in their
efforts to monopolize the business of the
country.
Mr.. Roosevelt's words are brave bat
his reasoning is weak. There is no con-
sistency in his contentious. He in
sists that the repeal of the tariff on
trust articles cannot hurt the trusts and
yet recommends the repeal of the duty
on anthracite coal. II the repeal of
the duty on coal is means to regulate
the coal trust, why should not the re-
peal OF the duty on steel have a like
effect on the steel trust, or the repeal of
the duty on sugar be able to bring the
great and oppressive sugar combine to
terms?
Mr. Roosevelt is not serious. He is
trying to ride two horses. He is en-
deavoring to placate the trusts that con-
troll the Republican national conven-
tions, and striving to convince the peo-
pie of the country who elect Presidents,