Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-08
The Presidents Message.

roosevelt, winch Is puDllSned IN full
elsewhere in this issue. In no other
way can SO clear an idea be obtained
great questions that Immediately and
vitality concern the American people.
1t has always been characteristic Of
President Roosevelt to take his fellow
citizens into his fullest confidence and
the message We publish this morning is
no exception to the rule. 1t is an able,
direct fearless and forceful, utterance,
which can but command the respect,
and inspire the confidence of the
American people.
The President nowhere deals in in
ferences. His language is direct, posi-
tive, and to the point. All who read
his message will have no difficulty III
knowing just where he stands, and
precisely what he means.
The direct recommendations of the
follows: Authority for the Secretary
of the Treasury to exercise the same
discretion regarding the deposit of
custom receipts that he is empowered
to exercise in the deposit of receipts
from other sources The advantage of
such discretion will be obvious in the
added power it would give the
secretary for the relief of monetary
stringercy incident tc crop moving and
other exceptional demands upon the
currency; the extension of the purposes
of the special fund appropriated by
Congress for the enforcement of anti
trust and interstate commerce laws,
so that it may be available, under
the direction of the Encouragement
for the due enforcement Of the laws Of
the United States in general. and
especially of the civil and criminal laws
relating to public lands, and the laws
relating to postal crimes and offences,
and the subject of naturalization:
adequate provision for the appoint
ment, compensation, and expenses Of
the members on the part of the United
States of the joint commission to per-
manently establish the Alaskan
boundary line in accordance with the
decision of the arbitration commission:
the encouragement of international
arbitration, and the exemption ~
international agreement of private pro-
perty from capture or destruction on
the high seas; the continued extension
of rural free delivery; an appropriation
for the construction and purchase Of
light houses in Hawaii; The passage of
coal land laws the establishment of
government salmon hatcheries, the
extension of the cable from Sitka west
ward and the construction of railroads
for the territory of Alaska; the
establishment of public schools il
Indian territory; the establishment Of
naval base in the Philippines
While the foregoing embody most of
the Presidents direct recommendations,
he indicates number of places
where appropriate legislation by Con-
gress would materially promote the
public welfare.
The President makes it very clear
that above and beyond the personal
affairs of men, either industrialiy or
otherwise. stands the law of the land to
which all must be amenable. He says:
whenever either corporation. labor
union or individual disregards the law
or acts in a spirit Of arbitrary and
tyrannous interference with the rights
of others, whether corporations or indl-
viduals. then where the federal gov
eminent has jurisdiction it will see to
it that the misconduct is stopped, pay
ing not the slightest heed to the posi-
tion or power of the corporation, the
union or the individual, but only to he
vital fact-that is. the question whether
or not the conduct of the individual or
aggregate of individuals is in acco--
dance 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 infringe IHe TlSiltS vi oluClS. A>o
man is above the law, and no man IS
below it, nor do we ask any mans
permission when we require him to
obey 1t. Obedience to the law is de-
manded as a right, not asked as a
favor"
All good citizens will subscribe to
this. 1t is to the glory of our country
that thus far in our national life, the
day of peril has found capital and labor
standing side by side for the protection
of the flag, and all it stands for. Upon
the firm basis of this common
patriotism rest the foundations of the
republic.
The country in general will warmly
sustain the President in his desire to
close the door to undesirable immi-
grants. AS he we'll says:
"We cannot have too much immisra-
ton of the right kind, and we should
have none at all of the wrong kind.
The need is to devise some system by
which undesirable immigrants shall be