The Van Buren press., 1902-12-06
His Annual Communication Upon Questions
of Importance to the Nation.
VIEWS ON THE TRUSTS AND TARIFF
A Lowering of Import Duties Would Not Remedy the
Evils of Monopoly-Beeves in a Tariff Com
mssion-Much That Is Good in Labor
Unions and Corporatons-Many
Needs of the Nation.

To the Senate and House OF Representa-
t!ves: We still continue In a period Of
unbounded prosperity. This pros perity. is
not the creature OF law, but Undoubtedly
the laws under which we work have been
instrumental in creating the conditions
which maGe II possible and by uBwise leg
tslation 1t would be easy enough TO destroy
tt There will undoubtedly be periods OF
depression. The wave will recede; but the
tide will advance This nation is seated on
. continent fianked by two great oceans.
1t is composed Of men the descendants OF
pioneers, or In sense, pioneers them
the nations of the ole world by the energy,
boldness, and love Of adventure found in
their own eager hearts. Such nation, SO
placed, Will surely wrest success from for
tune
As a people We have played a large part
fn the world, and We are bent upon making
Cur futdie even larger than the past. In
particular, the 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 en6eavor from which either great fall
ure or great success must come. Even II
We would, we cannot play a small part
II We should try al! that would follow
would be that we should play a large part
tgnobly and shamefuly.
Causes of Prosperity.
No country has ever occupied a higher
plane Of material well-being than ours
81 the present moment This well-being
Is due to no sudden or accidental causes,
but to the play of the economic forces
IN this country for over century; 10
our laws, our sustained and continuous
policies; above all, to the high indivd-
nal 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 doing
evil, but as an incident to action which
has benefited the community as a whole.
Never before has material well-being
been so widely dlffused among our peo-
pie Great fortunes have been accum-
uiated and yet In the aggregate these
fortunes are small indeed when COM
pared to the wealth OF the people as
whole, The plain people are better off of
Insurance companies, which are prac-
tically mutual benefit soc!eties-especial-
ly helpful to men of moderate means
represent accumulations of capital which
are among the largest In this country.
There are 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 rhistory or course,
when the conditions have favored the
growth OF so much that was good they
have also favored somewhat the growth
Of what was evil II is eminently neces-
sary 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 decadence,
but OF prosperlty-of the progress OF our
gigantic Industrial development. This
Industrial development must not be
checked. but side by side with II should
go such progressive regulation as will
diminish the evils. We should fail in
our duty II we did not try TO remedy the
evils, but we shall succeed only II we
proceed patiently, with practical common
sense as well as resolution. separating
the good from the bad and holding on to
the former while endeavoring to get rid
of the latter