Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-08-18
A Notable Address by President Roose-
Welt,

President Roosevelts address, delivered
at the Chautauqua assembly last Friday,
was one of the most notable and out
spoken of his public utterances. He
first spoke at length upon the Monroe
| doctrine, saying that while this doctrine
primarily forbids the territorial encroach-
ment of non-Amercan powers on Amer
lean soil, I'VE have not allowed it to be-
come fossilized, but have adapted our
construction of it to meet the growing,
changing needs of this hemisphere" We
cannot take the benefits Of this doctrine
without accepting its responsibilities.
We must make it evident, in the first
place, that we do not intend to treat it in
any shape or way as an excuse for aggran-
dizement on our part at the expense of
the republics to the south of us; second,
that we do not intend to permit it to be
used by any of these republics as a
shield to protect that republic from the
consequences of its own misdeeds against
foreign nations third, that inasmuch as
by this doctrine we prevent other nations
from interfering on this side of the
water, we shall ourselves in good faith
try to help those of our sister republics
which need such help upward toward
peace and order
Following his discussion of the Monroe
doctrine and the responsibilities of this
country in maintaining 1t, the President
referred to the case of Santo Domingo,
whose affairs the administration has
undertaken to put upon permanent
basis by helping its people to maintain
to the pursuits Of industry, and to pay
their debts to foreign countries. This
part of his address was in effect direct
plea for ratification Of the treaty with
Santo Domingo when the President said
The present method prevents there
being any need Of our establishing any
kind of protectorate over the island, and
gives the people of Santo Domingo the
same chance to move onward and up
ward which we have already given to the
people OF Cuba. 1t will be doubly to our
discredit as a nation if we fail to take
advantage of this chance; for it will be
Of damage to ourselves, and. above all,
it will be of incalcuable damage to Santo
Domingo. Every consideration OF wise
policy, and, above all, every consider
alton OF large generosity, bids us meet
the request of Santo Domingo as we are
now trying to meet it,"
In the third and closing portion of his
address Mr. Roosevelt reiterated in strong
and plain terms his views on the subject
of corporations and their proper super
vision by the national government. To
some of these corporations be referred
as the very wealthy ones that exhaust
every effort which can be suggested by
the highest ability or secured by the
most lavish expenditure OF money to de-
feat the purposes OF the laws on the
statute books" To such as these Mr..
Roosevelt served notice that the temper
of the people and the trend of the times
are such that either they will have to
submit to reasonable regulation and
supervision by the national authorities,
or else they will ultimately have to sub
nit to governmental action of far more
drastic type" Following out this line
OF thought the President said he had no
attack to make on wealth or on those
whose ability has achieved great results,
but lit cannot too often be repeated in
a republic like ours that the only way
by which it is possible permanently to
benefit the condition of the less able and
less fortunate is so to shape our policy
that all industrious and efficient people
who act decently may be benefited; and
this means, of course, that the benefit
will come even more to the more able
and more fortunate"