The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-11-25
PRESIDENT UNDERTAKES TASK
OF SOLVING NATIONS IN
DUsTRlAL QUESTIONS.
Will Make Effort to Head OF the APP
parent Rush Toward Principles
of Socialism.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-President
Roosevelt has set himself to the solu-
ton of the great industrial problems
which confront the country. He is
bringing to bear upon them all his
wisdom, learning, craftsmanship and
patriotism, and with characteristic
optimism, he is confident that he will
succeed; or, at least, that he will nave
the work so we'll in hand at the close
of his second administration that it
can be taken up and carried forward
to completion by his successor Should
be blessed with even smaller meas
ure of success than he is figuring -On,
he will be remembered as one of the
very greatest of American presidents.
Parts of the General Plan.
In this correspondence recently at
tention was called to his probable in
tention to work for revision Of the
Dingley tariff schedules, it being his
opinion that this would be one way of
striking the criminal trusts. But this
is only one feature of very compre
hensive program.
Recent Associated Press dispatches
concerning the federal investigation of
the beef trust, the presidents purpose,
if the way be open, to begin prosecu-
lions, indicate what will be another
part of the program.
A third significant announcement is
to the effect that the president is pre-
pairing, through the postofice depart
ment, to investigate the railway mail
service, with a view to correcting the
abuses which have crept into the SER
vice. The railway corporations it is
said, have for years made charges for
carrying the mails which practically
amount to robbery of the people,
What has been done by the president
during his present term? The anthra-
cite coal strike arbitration, antitrust
legislation, trust Investigations and
prosecutions and the correction of
postoffice department abuses all bear
on the general plan and, although per-
haps unknown at the time, are parts
of one comprehensive program.
The knowledge that the president
has in mind such policies as here al
luded to, policies detached featurees of
which have been seen by the public
from time to time since he came into
office, is intensely interesting in view
of the talk of democratic realignment
on the trust issue, and of the socialist
advance. The air is filled with talk
OF radical and socialist revolt in 1908,
with such men as Bryan, Hearst, Wat,
son and Debs as the leaders, The So
cialist party has just polled the larg-
est vote ever pOlled by a third party
in this country, excepting the million
vote for Weaver for president in 1892.
This vote to many thinking men is ON
nous, threatening evil Of many kinds.
Will Affect Socialism.
The president will be able, if his
program can be put under way, to
draw the dragons teeth of socialism.
The issue is one of administration as
much as of law, and with excuses
curbed or punished there would be no
excuse for socialism to exist 1t might
continue to flaunt it's abstract ideas in
the faces of the people, but these have
never found much favor in free Ameri-
ca.
Occasionally the country has permit
ted radical majority in order to cor
rect abuses. An illustration of this
was the granger" legislation of the