Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-02
A CANDID PRESIDENT
Mr.. Roosevelt Frankly Ex-
presses His Opinions.
ASKS PEOPLES VIEWS
NOW DISCUSSING PROPOSED REvI-
SION OF THE TARIFF.
Many Friends Believe That He Will
Become President Of Harvard When
He Retires From Office.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

| Ahefe never was a President who talke
SO freely about public affairs or took til
country so frankly into his confidence a
PRESIDENT Roosevelt. He has dissolved a
the mysteries OF the executive office; he ha
no secrets from anybody, and when a sena
tor or representative crawls up to his ca
and begins to whisper, he replies in tone
loud enough to be heard all over the room
Just now it is an extra session of Con
gress and revision of the tariff that he
talking about. He wants to know wha
the people think. and nobody escapes tn
question. He makes it perfectly clear tina
ne Is determined that the pledges of the re
| publican party made In its platform and b,
its advocates upon the stump will be full
filled If he has his way; and hence, the tariff
will be revised and certain schedules will b,
modified. Upon that assumption all of hi.
| inquiries are based.
| Promises Of Revision.
| In the platform of the national conven
| ton, In his letter of acceptance, and in ever,
other possible way the people were assured
| that the tariff would be promptly readjust
ed If they would allow it to be done by it.
| 1rlends. That much is settled. When
| stand-patter' comes along and suggest.
| that Congress had better let well enough
alone, the President sweeps him right off OF
his feet. Such proposition cannot be con.
| sldered. The republican party has prom.
ised to revise the tariff, and the tariff is
going to be revised and readjusted to the
changes that have taken place in CONNER
cial conditions since it was adopted seven
years ago. The only questions the Presi-
dent VIII discuss are how and when,it shall
De done and what notifications are neces-
sary to satisfy the demands of the con-
sumers without injuring the interests of the
producers or disturbing the prosperity of
the country.
The candor with which he takes every
body into his confidence, and shows his re-
lance upon everybody's good faith, is the
PRESIDENTS strongest characteristic and the
chief reason of the powerful influence he
exerts. In the early part of his admins
tration he was frequently criticised for act
ing on his impulses without reflection, and
for neglecting to ask advice from people
who are wise and learned concerning mat
tiers brought before him for action. He Of
fers no occasion for such criticism now. No
President ever consulted SO many people
about SO many things, or expressed his own
opinions SO freely.
Treatment Of the Tariff.
It is too early to make predictions con-
corning the treatment of the tariff in the
message. He may not allude to the SUBJ
ject, but pass 1t over until the next Con-
gress, so that his recommendations may
fall with full force directly upon the Con-
gress which will act upon them. He under
stands that nothing can be done in the APP
preaching short session. On the other hand,
1t may be that he will consider it wise to
give his own views to the public year in
advance and allow the members of the
Fifty-ninth Congress an opportunity to dis
cuss them with their constituents before
they come to Washington. He has suggest
ed the advantages of such course to sew
eral Of his callers. But he has not made
up his mind. He is still gathering informa-
tiOn and ideas and feeling of nllhli, Seuti-
ment.
The President expects a fight on the tar
if. He anticipates stubborn opposition
from the "Stand-patters" in the eastern
states, and an equally determined demand
for revision from the west. He does not
conceal the fact that his sympathies are
with the latter, and, as I have said, he
considers the republican majority in Con-
gress pledged and instructed. Yet he is
anxious to place himself in such a posi-
ton that he can harmonic the conflicting
interests and assist in reaching compro-
mise which shall protect the interests of
capital and labor and at the same time sat
iSfy the consumers
There will be no politics in the message,
ture political honors will give his recon-
mendations force.
May Become Harvard's President.
When he leaves the White House it is the
universal opinion among his intimate
ITl6uuS tIidI uS VIII LiONc Ills idISS anu
penates to the residence of the president Of
Harvard College. No official action has
been taken and the matter has not been
formally discussed, but all of his friends
assume that he will be the successor Of
President Eliot. The latter is seventy
years old. He has been president of Har-
ward for thirty-five years, and by the end
of Roosevelts term he will doubtless be
ready to retire. Indeed, 1t is asserted that
he intends to stick to his task until Roose-
welt is in position to succeed him. The
presidency Of great university is digni-
fed and appropriate occupation for an ex-
President of the United States.
President Roosevelt, however is eager to
travel. During his college vacations and
after graduation he made sew
eral journeys abroad and has visited nearly
all of the capitals of Europe But that was
twenty years ago. He wants to see all of
the world as it is now, and before he set
ties down to any steady employment or as
sumes any new responsibilities, after his
term as President, he proposes to devote
at least a year to sightseeing. Wherever
he goes 1t will be triumphal tour like that
of General Grant.
As to the Philippines.
It is easy to anticipate what the Pres
ident will say in his message concerning
the Philippines, where he intends to con-
tinue the work Of regeneration and devel-
opment that has been SO successfully be-
gun. NO FfeS1Qeut was more fortunate IN
having opportunities to demonstrate his
ability and his patriotism He not only
has an empire in the Pacific filed with in |
calculable riches to develop. but he has the |
isthmian canal, the greatest commercial |
of his generation, and if you |
could only hear him talk upon either of |
those subjects you would realize his deep !
interest and determination tc |
carry them through with success and credit |
to the nation. One of the canal commits |
esofH he nfl xar do hot he
ident was as much interested in that |
project and paid as much attention to their /
work as though he owned the concession /
and was building it with his own |
money.
He shows the same personal interest In |
the Philippines and inspires everybody who
has to do with the insular government with |
enthusiasm and zeal TO redeem the island |
and uplift the people and bring them as I
near to the standard of our own population
as possible. He is determined before the
close of his administration to give the Phil
ppine Islands. abundant transportation