The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-07
WILL HoE HIS ROW.
That OF the President Is "IIong AMI
lard and Fun OF T1aistles.-

Despite his obvious. almost boz ISL
delight in p~ageantry. we are convino-
led that President Roosevelt keeriy
land solemnly realizes the extent of
ibis responsibility. the magnitude of hls
task. He has begun Investigations o.
causes. and will seek and propose rem
Iedies with directneSs and yigor. Can
The make them effective: is the ques-
ltion. Thus far, there has been n pai,,-
lful paucity of actual accomplishment.
subservient. congress has
Ibeen singularly unresponsive. In MS
message of December q. the President
urged ID that the Interstate commerce
commission be given power To regu-
Pate railroad rates: 90 that corpora.
luons engaged in interstate commerce
Ibe put under federal control; 90 that
life insurance corporations be brought
under federal supervision; "a a Coz
Irupt-practices act: (5) Il new canal
commissions: 90 revision of naturalI-
Ization laws: a. reduction of Philip
lpine tariff duties; Isl arbitration trea-
ties. Each OF these measures he con-
tsidered and pronounced 10 be OF vital
necessity. Not one was enacted INTO
Flaw. Why: Is it because the mem-
Ibers of his own party in Congress re-
Isent legislation by executive sugces
ltion or decree: Has he scattered
so widely and asked SO much that
lnothing could be obtained FROM n
lpasSiyely obdurate body: And how
Idoes il happen that there has appear
led no sign of public resentment, ut
the unfiattering ignoring by
iof these presumably popular meas
lures proposed by an undoubtedly pop
lular President? Why did the press,
PROTECTING public opinion, with virtual
Iunanimity applaud the action OF the
Idisliked senate in placing the stamp
tOf disapproval upon somewhat sur
Ireptitious trcaty-making by the adnin-
l%istrative branch of the government?
lCan it be possible that keen An,eri-
lean common sense was disposed to
relish and chuckie over a rebuke of
apparent cocksureness? Was there in
this curious episode a sign of willing
mess on the part Of the people that
the wings of an impatient executive
be clipped at the very climax of his
personal triumph? And why has
There been no outburst of popular in
ldignation since? Is the pocketinS of
the treaties, because of the change OF
la single word, regarded as petula;,t
and unreasonable? These questions
are interesting in themselves, out
ldoubly so as bearing upon the pros
lpect Of success or failure of efforts
ito regulate the western hemisphere.
Nobody who knows him can doubt
for a moment that the President Will
hoe the row stretching before him as
well as he cam. and possibly better
than anybody else at this particular
time. But it is a long and hard one,
land full of thistles. Special interests
specifically attacked invariably unite
in defense, and three years constitute
ia brief period in which to achieve
many such great deeds as the Presi-
|dent has in mind. We doubt if he
will get very far. Certainly, unless q
marvellous change comes owe the
spirit of the stronger men in the cap
|itOl with whom we have talked, the
liberalization Of our nation affairs,
which he has made the keystone Of al
proposals, will not be accomplished.
What then? If the project fail ar'-
|parently from lack of time. and if the
insistence continues to be strong
three years hence, what will be the
logical. inevitable consequence? What,
Except a demand from the people,
necessarily acceded to by Mr.. Roove-
welt, that again they be permitted to
support him for President, in order
that he may fulfill his mission, till
then thwarted and therefore only De
gun? We would not prophesy with
out knowing, but we hazard a guess
now that that is what will happen.--
|Harper's Weekly.