New-York tribune., 1902-12-03
TEXT OF THE MESSAGE.

TO the Senate and House OF Representatives:
We still continue in a period Of unbounded
prosperity. This prosperity is not the creature
OF law but undoubtedly the laws under which
Ne work have been instrumental in creating the
conditions which made it possible, and by un-
wise legislation it would be easy enough to de-
xtroy it. There viii undoubtedly be periods OF
depression. The will recede; but the tide
will advance This nation is seated on con-
tinent nanked by two great oceans 1t is com
posed of men the descendants of pioneers, or IN
s. sense pioneers themselves; of men winnowed
out from among the nations OF the Old World
by the energy, boldness and love OF adventure
found in their own eager hearts. Such ma
1ion. so placed. will surely wrest success from
fortune :.
AS people We have played a large part in
the world. and are bent upon making our
future even larger than the past. In particu-
lar the events of the last four years have def
5ately decided that, for woe or for veal, our
place must be great among the nations We
,nay either fail greatly or succeed greatly nut
We cannot avoid the endeavor from which
either great failure or great success must come
Even if We would. cannot play small part
If we should try. all that would follow Wouid
be that should play a large part lgnoply
and shamefully-
But our people the sons OF the men of the
civil War the sons of the men who had IRON
in their blood. rejoice in the present ana 1aee
the future high of heart and resolute or Will
Ours is not the creed Of the weakling and the
coward: ours is the gospel of hope ana or ul-
umphant endeaEor. We do not SHRINK from
the struggle before us. There are many PROB
lens for to face at the outset OF the tWen,
,ieth centurv-sraVe problems abroad ana sun
EIaVer at home: but We know that we can soiNe
them and solve them well. provided only that
we bring to the solution the qualities OF head
end heart which shown by the men Who'
in the DAYS Of Washington, founded TINS gov
eminent and. in the days of Lincoln, pre-
served Il.
No country has ever occupied higher plane
Of material wellbeing than ours at the preseht
Jnouent This wellbeing is due to no sudden or
accidental causes but TO the play OF the econo-
mic forces in this country for over century;
10 our laws our sustained and continuous poll
,.ies. a boxe all. to the high individual average
of our citizenship Great fortunes nave psen
Won Nv those who have taken the leao IN this
phenomenal industrial development, ana most
or these fortunes have been won not by uoins
evil hut as an incident TO action which mas
benefited the community as q whole. Never
before has material wellbeing been SO widely
Amused among our people. Great fortunes
have been accumulated and yet in the aggre-
gate these fortunes are small indeed Wnen COM
pared 10 the wealth Of the peeDle as a whole
The plain people are better off than they nave
which are practically mutual beneht societies
especially helpful men of moderate means
renreeenr accumulationS OF capital which are
among the largest in this country There are
more deposits in the savings banks. more own
ers of farms more we'll paid wage workers IN
his country now than ever before in our
tory OF course when the conditions have Ia
1orei the growth of much that was gooo
they have also favored somewhat the CROWN
of what WAS evil. 1t is eminently neces-
sarv that we should endeavor to cut out
this evil but let keep a due sense OF
proportion: let us not in fixing our gaze
t,non the lesser evil forget the greater good
The evils are real and some of them are
,,lisery or decadence, but of prosperity-of the
p-oeress of our gigantic industrial development
~rbis industrial development must not be
checked, but side by side with II should go