The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-03
tBy the Associated Press


tBy the Associated Press.)
Washington, Dec. 2.-The message of
President Roosevelt was delivered to the
Congress today. The document follows in
full:
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
We still continue in a period of I'M
bounded prosperity. This prosperity is
not the creature of law, but undoubtedly
the laws under which we work have
been instrumental in creating the con-
uitions which made it possible, and by
unwise legislation it would be easy
enough TO destroy it. There will I'M
doubtedly be periods of depression. The
wave will recede; but the tide will adj
vance. This nation is seated on con-
tinent thanked by two great oceans 1t
is composed OF men the descendants of
pioneers, or, in a sense, pioneers them
selves; of men winnowed out from
among the nations of the Old World by
: the energy, boldness, and love of ad-
venture found in their own eager hearts
Such ( nation. SO placed, will surely
wrcst success from fortune.
AS a people we have played a large
part in the world, and we are bent upon
making our future even larger than the
past. In particular, he events of the
last four years have definitely decided
that, for woe or for veal our place must
be great among the nations. We may
either fail greatly or succeed greatly;
but we cannot avoid the endeavor from
which either great failure or great sue
HSess must cone. Even if we would, we
sSdGnot play a small part Ii we should
try, all that would follow would be that
we should pay a large part ignobly and
shamefuly.
6ut 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 and face the future high Of
heart and rcsolute of VIII. Ours is not
the creed of the weaklinS and the cow
ard: ours is the. gospel of hope and of
triumphant endeavor We do not shrink
from the struggle before US. There are
many problems for us to face at the out
set of the 20th~ecntWy-grave problems
abroad andFstill graver at home; but we
know that We can solve them and solve
them yell provided emily that we bring
60 The solution the qualities of head and
heart which were shown by the men
who, in the days of Washington, found
cd this government, and, in the days of
Lincoln, preserved it,
No country has ever occupied higher
plane of material wellbeing than ours
at the present moment. This we'll being
is due to no sudden Or accidental causes
but to the play of the economic forces
in this country for over century, to
our laws, our sustained and continuous
policies; above all, to the high individ-
ual average of our citizenship. Great
fortunes have been won by those who
have taken the lead in this phenomenal
Industrial development, and most Of
these fortunes have been won not by
8airg evil, but as an incident to action
which has benefited the community as
a whole. Never before has material
we'll being been so widely diffused among
our people. Great fortunes have been
accumulated, and yet in the aggregate
these fortunes are small indeed when
compared to the wealth Of the people
as a whole. The plain people are better
off than they have ever been before. The
insurance companies. which are practi-
calIy mutual benefit societies-especially
helpful to mon of moderate means-rep-
resent Accommodations of capital which
are among the largest in this country.
There arc more deposits in the savings
banks, more owners of farms. more we'll
paid wage workers in this country now
than ever before in our history. OF
course. when tho conditions have favored
the growth of so much that was good,
thcy have also favored somewhat the
growth OF what was evil. 1t is emil
nently necessary that we should en-
deavor To cut out this evil, but let us
no. in fixing our gaze upon the lesser
evil forget the greater good. Tho evils
are real and some Of them arc mcnacing.
but they arc the outSrowth not o. mis-
cry or decadcncc but of prosperity oil
the progress of our gigantic induStrl;tl
development This industrial develop
ment must not lao checked. but side by
side with il should 20 such progressive
regulation rs will diminish thc evils We
.,hould fail IN our duty If NC did not try
10 remedy the evils. but VIC shall sue
coed onIy il NC proceed patiently. with
rrscti,sl common sense as we'll as reEo
luticn. separating the good from the bad