The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-08
ROOSEVELT SENDS HIS
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Many Matters of National Import Are
Touched Upon by the Messase-The Course
of the United States in the Matter of
Panama Is Explained and Upheld-No
other Course Than That Pursued
Was Open to This Country,
the President Says.

ence TO law, of individual freedom and
of justice and fair dealing towards
all. Whenever either corporation, Ia
Dor union, or individual dtsregards
the law or acts in a spirit of arbitrary
| and tyrannous interference with the
| rights of others, whether corporations
! or individuals, then where the Federal
J government has jurisdiction, 1t VIII
see to it that the misconduct is stop
! ped, paying not the slightest heed to
the position or power of the corpora
! ton, the union or the individual, but
only to one vital fact-that is, the
question whether or not the conduct
| of the individual or aggregate of in
! dividuals is in accordance with the
law OF the land. Every man must be
/ guaranteed his liberty and his right
( to do as he likes with his property or
! his labor. so long as he does not in
| fringe the rights of others. No man
! is above the law and no man is below
! it; nor do We ask any mans permis-
sion when we require him to obey it.
| Obedience to the law is demanded as
| a right; not asked as a favor.
| Cause to be Thankful.
We have cause as a nation to be
! thankful for the steps that have been
| so successfully taken to put these prin-
! cipales into effect. The progress has
/ been by evolution, not by revolution.
Nothing radical has been done: the
action has been both moderate and
resolute. Therefore the work will
j stand. There shall be no backward
step. If in the working of the laws
| 1t proves desirable that they shall at
any point be expanded or amplified. the
amendment can be made as it's de-
SRA bility is shown. Meanwhile they
are being administered with judgment
but with insistence upon obedience to
nd no
phasized in signal fashion by the events
of the past year.
From all sources, exclusive of the
postal service, the receipts of the gov
eminent for the last fiscal year ag-
gregated $3.50, 1885, GA. The expenditures
for the same period were $3.50, 099. 007
the surplus for the fiscal year being
the surplus for the present fiscal year
will be very small if indeed there be
any surplus. From July to November
the receipts from customs were, APP
proximately, 100000 less than the
receipts from the same source for a
corresponding portion of last year.
Should this decrease continue at the
same ratio throughout the fiscal year,
the surplus would be reduced by, APP
proximatelY, $50, 900, 900. Should the
revenue from customs suffer much fur
Their decrease during the fiscal year.
the surplus would vanish. A large sur
plus is certainly undesirable Two
years ago the war taxes were taken
off with the express intention of equal
izing the governmental receipts and ex-
penditures, and though the first year
thereafter still showed a surplus, it
now seems likely that a substantial
equality of revenue and expenditure
VIII be attained such being the case
| 1t is of great moment both to exercise
IL. --4..Ns
and to scan sharply any change in
our fiscal revenue system which may
reduce our income. The need of strict
economy in our expenditures is en-
phaszed by the fact that we can not
afford to he parsimonious in providing
for what is essential to our national
well being. Careful economy wherever
possible will alone prevent our income
from falling below the point required
in order to meet our genuine needs.
Integrity of Currency.
The integrity of our currency is be-
yond question, and under present condi-
tions 1t would be unwise and unneces-
sary to attempt a reconstruction of
our entire monetary system. The same
liberty should be granted the Secretary
OF the Treasury to deposit customs re-
ceipts as is granted him in the deposit
of receipts from other sources. In
my message of Dec. g 1902, 1 called
| attention to certain needs of the a.
nancial situation. and l again ask the
consideration of the Congress for these
| questions.
During the last session of the Con-
gress, at the suggestion of a joint note
from the Republic of Mexico and the
! imperial government of China, and in
harmony with an act of the Congress
appropriating $4,000 to pay the ex-
penses thereof, a commission was ap-
pointed to confer with the principal Eu-
ropean countries in the hope that some
plan might be devised whereby a fixed
rate of exchange could be assured be-
| tween the gold-standard countries and
the silVer-standard countries. This
commission has filed it's preliminary
report, which has been made public !
| deem it important that the commits
sion be continued and that a sum of
money be appropriated sufficient to
pay the expenses of it's further labors
A majority of our people desire that
steps be taken in the interests OF
American shipping,so that we may once
| more resume our former position in
the ocean carrying trade, But hither-
1 to the differences of opinion as to the
proper method Of reaching this end
have been so wide that it has proved
| impossible to secure the adoption OF
any particular scheme. Having ii
/ view these facts, l recommend that
/ the Congress direct the Secretary OF
the Navy, the Postmaster General, anC
the Secretary of Commerce and Labor
associated with such a representation
from the Senate and House of Repre-.
sentatives as the Congress in it's wis.
dom may designate, to serve as com.
mission for the purpose of inVestigat
ing and reporting to the Congress a
its next session what legislation /.
desirable or necessary for the develop
ment of the American merchant ma
rine and American commerce. and in
cidentally of national ocean mail serv
ice of adequate auxiliary naval cruis
ers and naval reserves. While sucf
a measure is desirable in any event
it is especially desirable at this time
in view of the fact that our presen
governmental contract for ocean mai
with the American Line will expire il
1905. Our ocean mail act was passed
in 1891. In 1895 our 20-knot transat
lantic mail line was equal to any
foreign line. Since then the German.
have put on 23Aknot steamers, and tn,
British have contracted for 24-knot
steamers. Our service should equal tht
best. If it does not, the commercial
public will abandon it, If we are L
stay in the business il ought to b,
with a full understanding of the ad.
vantages to the country on one hand
and on the other with exact knowledge
of the cost and proper methods Of
carrying it on. Moreover, lines of car.
go ships are of even more importance
than fast mail lines: save so far as
furnish swift auxiliary cruisers in time
| of war The blichpnapt NJ ,a,x