The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-03


presidents message is
straightforward communica
ton, clear in meaning, earnest in tom
and mentally sincere.
The president believes with all hi
( tirmness of conviction that the immens
powers inherent in large combination
of capital and enterprise need to b.
better safeguarded by legislation thai
they now are, and he says so. plainly
He does not say it in 81 manner to i'm
ply that his interest in the subject i:
]anguid or dictated by personal vote
getting motive: the earnestness of tn,
man is in his words. He wants action
Yet his message exhibits the teaching
of experience and responsibility. il
shows that he appreciates the large
difference between an ideal of legisla.
tion and what is possible and practic.
able in view of the limitations of human
nature. He no longer jumps to the con.
: clusion Of Il constitutional amendment;
he has been brought down to the more
immediate problems of securing an en-
actment whereby on specific informa-
, tion and proof a misbehavng trust may
. he disciplined through direct court pro-
, vess without involving all the activities
. of corporate business in the application
: of theoretical remedy. In other words
: the theorist is being superseded by the
3! statesman.
Il is somewhat singular that the mes
sage contains no direct allusion to what
, many persons consider the most sig
nificant and mOmentous step taken by
/ Mr.. Roosevelt since his accession to the
. presidency-namely, his course OF inter-
position in the coal strike, eliminating
in the appointment by him unofficially
: of tribunal to adjust relations in that
: industry on Il basis of permanence.
: Possibly the fact that this action was,
: nominally at least, without official as
pect explains the omissions; yet certain
, ly lack in the authorized processes
. of government so glaring as to have
! called for venturesome and unprec-
! edented unofficial experiment warrants
. serious and constructive discussion be-
! fore the law-making power. The duties
! of president of the United States
! should be defined and limited by the
constitution and laws: and if, in the
development of our institutions new
duties arise not thus authorized. on
portunity should be afforded the law
making branch of supplying the defic-
aency. Opinion may divide ever SO
sharply as to whether or not the presi-
' dents view of his duty in this matter
was the wise one. but there is no room
+. for division of opinion as to the advis-
ability of having his duties defined.
+! In the paragraphs in his message
! treating generally of the relations which
; should exist between capital and labor,
the president is eloquent and impressive
though the tone is that of any ESSAY
rather than state paper intended to
: guide legislators toward specific en-
actments The ethics which he there
asserts are NOT in dispute, but the prac-
tical problem is to enforce them by laws
and regulations, effectively asserted,
which shall assure TO men the liberty
and fair dealing from their fellow men
which he emphasizes as desirable. In
our own community for many months
the violation of these fundamental
principles has been continuous and gen
eral, reaching at last a condition which
has been truthfully described as in
lolerable. 1t is possible and it is honed
that the eNpedient of moral suasion ms
personihed by the Anthracite Coal
. Strike commission may suffice TO allav
tnis unrest and smooth the way 10 y
Ie1assertion of law. order and fundu-
mental Americanism. Such doubts MS
exist in this direction rest more ON the
manifest reluctance of holders of polt-
zeal office to do their sworn duty in
such premises than upon any real dis
trust of the underlying conscience of
The people, once it comprehends the Sit
uation. permanent compromise with
anarchistic tendencies is impossible.
~" The other portions of the message are
more satisfactory because more spe-
cine, From literary standpoint the
message is notably readable, its felicity
of wording being quite unusual in state
papers Its comparative brevity. too,
is commendable, One can read it with
out fatigue, which is perhaps the high
est compliment that can be paid
=