The news & observer., 1905-12-06

dency Mr.. Roosevelt had made repu-
tation as an author. He has a popu-
lar style as writer and his English
is virile. He has the gift of writing
as graphically as he talks. Many pub
lie men, who talk charmingly. write in
a stilted manner. and their state
papers are of the dry-as-dust kind.
They do not know how to treat pub>
lie questions in a state paper interest,
ingly This is Mr.. Roosevelt's forte.
for he writes better than he speaks,
and his style IS direct, simple and
trenchant. You rarely doubt his
meaning. Sometimes he is discursive,
but it is of a sort that is never duh.
He writes upon elemental questions as
if he were writing of new problems,
and discusses the question of public
honesty as if it were not as old as
governments, and repeats old truisms
with an air of saying something fresh.
So much does he do that that the late
Tom Reed once drawled out. 'Mr.
Roosevelt thinks he discovered the
of that being a ground of criticism: ii
is rather to be set down to his credit,
for the old fundamental, and common
principles are ever new in their appll-
cation. Ever, man who writes for
the public should, in a sense, regard
himself as q preacher of righteousness
and honestv, and the reiteration of the
old elemental truths and doctrines in
the present message strengthens rather
than weakens it. This would not be
true if It seemed that the, were lugged
it bodily. but Mr.. Roosevelt has the
literary lift to incorporate demand
for honesty and rate regulation so ad
bly, as to make one think they are
as closely related as the Siamese twins.
Every citizen who wishes to be in
formed owes it to himself to read care
fully the message of the President at
every approaching session of Congress,
for he IS sure to read the succinct
statement of the national problems
that confront the people. These an
nual reviews of matters of public con-
Germ give to business men. who lack
the time to study the reports of all
the departments, such information as
gives them the viewpoint of the Pres
idert Therefore we print the full text
of the message and commend its care.
full reading to all subscribers.
Mr.. Roosevelt. without any ifs
or "ands'' plunges at once into the dis.
cussion Of the question that is to en-
gross the attention of this session of
Congress-the granting of the power
10 regulate Interstate railroad rates.
Mr.. ROOSEVELT follows closelys thctlines
of his Raleigh speech. and makes an
argument that is unanswerable. The
principle which he insists upon-the
power to fix rate TO go into effect al
A time to be determined by the Conn
missions essential to any legislation
that will give relief. 1t is that or moth
ing. The attempt will be made to try
to get in amendments that will enable
railroads to postpone the operation OF
the new rate until delays and contin
uances IN the courts make regulation
a farce. That is the Elkins program
and the program Of the school that
seeks to Kill the proposed legislation
by hugging it to death, They are
more to be feared than the Samuel
Spencers and their little organs who
fight the whole legislation and de-
nounce i as anarchistic and socialis-
tic and denounce its advocates as dem
agogues. To be sure such epithets are
hurled at the National Democratic
Convention ard al Democrats who
stand on the Democratic national plat
form IS wei, rs al the President and
those Republicans who have got on
this sound Democratic plank. The leg
islaticn proposed by Mr.. Roosevelt in
his message does not give to the Inter
State Commission as large o. far
reaching powers with respect to inter-
state transportation as the Legislature
of North Carolina has given to the
Corporation Commission of this State.
1T IS IN fact = measure so conservative
and moderate that nobody ought to
oppose it except those railroad mag
mates whose Hlollo Was tAIiCSSSd pE
,heir chief in his famous saying, the
people be ID"
TO illustrate one need of comforting
this power: Within the last three
years. by change of classification and
other methods, the freight rate on GER
tain naoer used by al, book and job
printers has been increased one hun
dred per cent. There is no remedy.
More than that: Because of discrimi-
nation in Interstate rates. Raleigh,
Greensboro Salem, Ashevillc,
and other North Carolina towns. have
to sit quietly by and see Virginia cities
monopolizng the bulk of the wholesale
business that naturally belongs to
North Carolina towns. There is not q
wholesale merchant in North Caro-
lima who does not favor such regula-
ton and it means justice and money in
the pockets of every consumer. The
Elkins law was ~assed to stop diScrim-
nations but the admission of rebate