Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1904-12-09
Presidents Message.

Message, is taken from the Baltimore Sun :
The President announces that the Burea
OF Corporations has completed careful pre-
liminary Investigations of many importan
corporations and will make special repor
on the beef industry. The price OF meat
still largely controlled by few Westerl
packers. While consumers are protesting
against the operations OF the so-called mea
trust, the cattle raisers of the West complain
that they cannot get fair price for thei
beeves from the combination of packers
The special report of the Bureau of Cor
porations ought, therefore, to make inter
esting and instructive reading. In tint
there should be also report on the anthra
cite coal industry. The advance In the cos
of food and fuel has been heavy tax or
the resources of wageworkers.
The President Is bold advocate of the
further extension of Federal power over cor
porations. 1t Is doubtful whether the rail
road magnates of the country will derive sat
isfaction from the recommendations which
he makes respecting the regulation of thell
affairs. The railroads have always been
opposed to any enlargement of the powers
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission
The Supreme Court has decided that the
commission has no power to fix rates as the
enactment OF legislation comforting on the
commission the power to revise rates, the
revised rate to go into effect at once and
continue in effect unless the court Of review
reverses 1t. This seems TO be practical
way Of remedying certain abuses Of which
complaint is often made. Under the exist.
ing law the commission is scarcely able to
do more than denounce an Objectionable
rate. While every proposed extension OF
the Federal power ought to be considered
long and seriously by Congress before 1t Is
authorized by statute, 1t nevertheless APP
pears that there must be stricter supervision
of the railroads by the Government II public
interests are TO be protected adequately. In
the Presidents view the Federal Govern
ment ought 10 protect the people not only
from rebates, Determinations and excessive
rates generally, but should also have juris.
diction over interstate railroads In the mat.
ter OF accidents. Perhaps some good might
be done In this way. Certainly the fire..
quency with which accidents occur on
American railroads has become u grave
scandal. Mr.. Roosevelt also urges legisla-
ton limiting the hours OF labor Tor employees
on railroads engaged in interstate commerce
and providing that only trained and expert
enced persons be employed In positions Of
responsibility connected with the operations
OF trains. With the Interstate Commerce
Commission revising rates and the Federal
Government exercising such other super
vision as the President urges, the railroads
could undoubtedly be held to more rigid
accountability.
The tone OF the Presidents utterances on
the United States as "word power" on
naval expansion, and on our relations with
nnt nj ri 10 uiUnFnno n tho
extreme. But that was to be expected. Mr..
Roosevelt accepts the verdict OF the people
at the November election as an Endorsement
of him personally and officially and OF all
the acts OF his administration. THE peo
pie" he says, shave emphaLlcally expressed
their approval Of the principles underlying"
our long-continued governmental policies,
"and their desire that these principles BIO
kept substantially unchanged" II seems
that the foreign policy of this nation cannot
be carried out successfully unless We have
an army and a navy large enough to compel
the respect of other powers 80 we must be
prepared always Tor war, although we are
lovers of peace and desire 10 maintain friend
ly relations with other nations. Uncle sam
doesn't want any "peace Of tyrannous terror,
any peace of craven weakness" or any other
of the various kinds of ignoble peace which
the President enumerates with Characters
tic scorn. We must keep up our armaments,
for the time has not yet come when the
world can disarm without ian immediate
"reminiscences OF barbarism In one form or
another" We are entering into treaties oil
arbitration with European powers, but we
must have more neutrality-suspicious. as a
guarantee OF good faith and evidence OF our
pacific intentions. Uncle Sam has great re-
spect for The Hague Court of Arbitration.
President Roosevelt has, indeed, recently
invited the nations TO take part in a second
conference But let there be no mistake on
this point The United States, while deslr-
ing peace, will keep In fighting trim. There
will be mo halt In the work OF upbullding
the navy" More battleships Is the Presl-
dents motto.
Our Latin merican neighbors to the
South will find In the Presidents message
threat which may not increase their liking
for Us or their confidence In US. The Presi-
dent first gave them an intimation OF what
our policy would be In the letter written by
him and read at the Cuban anniversary BAN
quet In New York last May. He told the
south American republics then that Ill q
nation shows It knows how TO act with rea-
sonable efficiency and decency In social and
political matters, If II keeps order and pays
its obligations, II need fear no interference
from the United States" This declaration
was sharply criticised by Mr.. Roosevelts
political opponents. They said 1t was wholly
unwarranted that IL is none of our busl-
mesa whether the Latin-Americans pay their
obligations or repudiate them-whether they
do or do not act with efficiency and decency
In their social and political matters. Such
criticism does not disturb the President. -
He Incorporates In his message that part OF
his letter OF last May which 10 most often
sive TO the South Americans. They must
behave themselves and be honest, otherwise
Uncle Sam will be after them. Will this
threat make the Latin Americans more In
clined TO trade with usf
In discussing the Philippine problem the
President recognizes the justice as well as
the necessity Of reducing the tariff rates on
articles imported into the United States
from the Philippines. Will the stern and
uncompromislng" stand patters" In his party
consent to this coDcessiOnf Or will they
insist that we hold the Philippines only for
purposes OF exploitation, and are under no
moral or legal obligation To treat the people
of the Islands with either justice OF wisdom
II ID a pleasure 10 observe that the Presi-
dent does not evade the Issue which was
didate for President, that money contributed
by corporations for selfish purposes Is the
main factor In determining the result Of
Presidential elections. Scarcely month
has passed since Mr.. Roosevelt, in terms al
most vehement, denied that his campaign
manager had given pledges OF any charac-
ter W contributors 10 the Republican cam
paign fund. Nevertheless he frankly avows
that one Of the greatest dangers TO our in
stitutions Is the corruption oil the electorate
the tendency TO decide elections, not on
the merits Of candidates and policies, but
BY the purchase Of votes President R0ose-
welt therefore urges Congress to enact law
directed against bribery and corruption Ia
Federal elections He would also provide
10 this law for the publication Of all contri-
buttons received and expenditures made by
political committees. Both parties should
unite In the passage Of such a measure as
the President recommends. Mr.. Roosevelt
Is TO be commended for the stand which be
has taken. Is there any member Of Con.
gress Of either party who Is willing 10 go on
record as favoring the continuation Of brib
cry and corruption 10 Federal electionsr