West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-12-15
OUR Washington LETTER.
The Presidents Message TO Congress
Breaks All Previous Records.
The Postal service Would be Self Sus-
taining Now Were it Not for the
Rural Free DeliyerS.
From our regular correspondent,

trrom our regular correspondent
WAsHINcToN ID. G. Dec. 10 1904
There have hardly ever been on
the first day of the session as many
members of the Senate and House
present In their seats as assembled
under the white dome on Monday,
IN spite of slippery streets aud driv-
ing sleet. The air was filed with
cordial salutations, taking the gen
eral form of regrets and congratu-
lations. The minority party protest
ed that though il was certainly
swamped & was not absolutely
wrecked. Ii would be too much to
expect that a party which had just
received an overwhelming endorse
ment would bear itself with modest
humility on such an occasion and
so there was rapid exchange OF
irony and retort, banter and persif-
lage. In neither house did, the
members seem to care whether the
chaplain delivered an audible In.
vocation or a pantomine. The
Democrats bore their defeat
with becoming dignity and satisfied
themselves and prodded the boast
ful majority with the great truth
that tomorrow takes care of tomor-
row and it is very long road that
has no turn.
The President has certainly sue
ceeded in making another sensa-
tion. He has achieved the most
extraordinary message that ever
emanted from the White House-a
performance entirely unique. II
treats OF matters which no President
ever before recommended to the
attention of Congress and in the
writing Of half of il he seems 10
have been memorized by Parson
Wagner aud Jacob Riis, perhaps all
OF his theories are humane and
some OF them are practicable, but
he suggests action concerning many
matters which can be taken in hand
only by State Legislatures. Think
Of Presidents message on life in
surance, the price of beefsteak,
child labor, alley slums, race sui
eide, school truancy, wife beating
and the whipping posts. He earn.
estly calls upon Congress to guard
against extravaganza and recon-
mends an increase Of appro-
priations. He is for peace, arbitu-
alton, and great navy. He de.
clares that it is contemplate for a
nation to use high sounding Lam
guage to proclaim its purpose" un-
less it is able to back mp the Ian
guage. But why should any nation
"use high sounding language7"
He says (having Columbia in mindl
alt IS not true that the United
States feels any land hunger or en-
tertains any projects toward other
nations Of the western hemisphere
save suct as are for their welfare.
"But he carefully avoids telling US
who is to be the judge of this. II
recalls the lion in La Fontaine's
fable who admitted having eaten
sheep for their good and declared
that in thus noticing them he had
"done them too much honor"
The message a copgeries and con.
catenation Of unrelated ideas. Was
it not Goethe who constructed the
last volume Of Wilhelm Meister out
Of the sweepings Of hrs study table?
OF the tariff the President says not
a word but its absence IS more con
spicouous then its presence could
have been like the OMISSION OF the
bust Cato from the triumphal pag
cant of Rome. Woman suffrage,
Battle Creek food and dress reform
also get the 60 by, to the readers
surprise especially when it is re.
msmbeted that the German En-
peror busies himself IN the intervals
Of a strenuous life by designing the
costumes Of the ladies' of his court.
ttt
| OF the questions concerning pub
lie policy which are treated it is
admitted even by Democrats that
the President has dealt frankly and
without reserve. They do not by
any means agree with sll his recon-
mendattons but their criticism is
not by any means vigorous An
important paragraph of the mes
sage relating TO the control of IN
terstatc commerce was followed
yesterday by the Introduction in
both Senate and House Of bills
complying with the recommends
ton. IL provides for authority to
to tx freight rates but arranges for
an appeal to courts in case Of dit
ference. The recommendation for
punishment for bribery and corrup.