The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-05
The Presidents Message.

1 The president g message, winch VIII
I be read to congress today, is the longest |!
Mr.. Roosevelt has written, yet it IS an |
interesting document thruout. The
president has not been satisfied to make !
it depository Of dry facts or per-
/ functorv recommendations. but has
breathed into it the philosophy Of life
and living which are 80 much part OF
his public side The first column OF the
president message, for example, IS
{ taken up with discussion of the condl-
tions of prosperity, which goes Tar
afeld and comes back with the conclu-
sion that the square-dealing man must
be afforded a square deal. If the cor
porations will not give it to their GUS
toners and their rivals voluntarily, then
The government by regulation must help
them.
There is little new in the president s
talk on the rate question except that
he emphasizes something which has not
been generally discussed, and that is
the great preponderance of negation In
our supervisory statutes with reference
to corporations. They are full of ''Thou
shalt nots'' which have fallen far short
of accomplishing what they are in
4 tended to bring about because when the
corporations, which did not want to be
fair, found themselves stopped from do
ing wrong one way, they simply went
another way about it. The proposal to
give the interstate commission the
power to fix a rate and put it in force
c+ IN w.t.
of the sovereignty of the state over the
giant corporations which the govern
ment has attempted to take. In this
way it differs radically from what has
been attempted in the past. The presi
dent recognizes this fact, and while he
| iustifes the step, declares that it is not
taken in heat against corporations, but
| in the interest of the fair-dealing rail-
| road, which is now the victim Of the
! crooked organization, and of the hon
1 est shipper. who is now at the mercy Of
| che fellow with the rebate in his pocket.
The president s discussion Of the San
Domingo treaty is the clearest and most
I instructive statement of the reasons
/ governing that important action, which
1 has yet appeared. It should 20 a great
way toward removing misunderstanding
and securing the confirmation Of the
treaty. Conditions in San Domingo
the president says, had gone from bad
to worse until the dissolution of society
was threatened. In this situation the
government Of the island appealed tt
this government. By arrangement
the island government appointed
Americans to preside over the
| custom houses. These Americans have
given such a good account of thei
trusteeship that the island government
has realized more revenue out Of the 4;
per cent awarded it than it formerly go
out of 100 per cent, and SIS per cent il
deposited ready to apply on the debt
as soon as the treaty is confirmed TIL
IL president plainly says that if the treat,
IL and that we may have to intervene a
no distant day in a more disagreeabl
manner than at present.
Under the course taken peace an
prosperity have returned to the island
foreign Intervention has been suspende
and the benefits Of stable government
have been enjoyed. The course Of tn
| president was about the only one ope
to an executive charged by implication
with the enforcement Of the Monro
doctrine, for it must not be forgotte
that while the Monroe doctrine is not O
q statute book, 1t rises up before tn
president Of the United States all tn
II time. Cleveland met it in Venezuela
1 Harrison in Hawaii, Roosevelt in Sa
Domingo. If any one of them ha
failed to prevent foreign territorial az
erosion, he would have been more s,
yerely condemned than if he had broke
domestic law. The president IS r,
marks on San Domingo will repay per,
sal on the part of any fellow citize
who thinks the president has been dom
anything rash or strenuous in the islam
President Roosevelt is faithful to n
big stick philosophy. The failure 1
keep the navy up to standard he Woul
look upon as unworthy the Americs
nation. A battleship a year to take Il
place Of retired unit he believes
be about right. Then there must ]
additions from time to time OF fe
scoutships, torpedo boats and subm