The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-12-07

also an able magazine essay It con.
tains no striking phrases character
istic OF the literary style Of The chief
executive and IN It's dealing with rail.
way rate legislation. the control Of in
surance funds and the curbIng Of the
trusts It goes straight to the point
These are not partisan issues. In
rejecting public sentiment, which is
not matter OF party politics, the
President shows the fearless disregard
Of senatorial and moneyed opposition
which has given him so high a place
in general public regard as cham.
pion Of the people.
Were these points alone to be con.
sidered the message might be set
down as the work OF an entirely free
and fearless man. determined to act
for the general good regardless OF con.
sequences.
But It can not be considered from
this point Of view alone.
There is one issue which must be
considered as a partisan question. This
issue is the one OF tariff reform. Re
publican sentiment is divided, true,
and possibly the majority of the rank
and file of the party favor, more OF
less openly, tariff revision that will
take from trust products the favorit
ism they now enjoy AS a matter OF
official status, though. the Democrats
are in favor Of tariff reform and the
Republicans a party If not as in.
dividuals-stand for the protective
system as It Is now written into the
tariff LAYS.
The declaration OF President Roose
welt upon this most important prob
lem Is clear, but not frank.
1t is a matter of common belief
tht his personal choice is for tariff re
form. If this view is correct, his be
lief is not reflected in his message He
hints at reform. He suggests reform
by implication, but HIS words declare
against a REVISION at this time. Nc
reading of this portion of the message
can give any other impression thar
that President Roosevelt has evadet
this issue-and that he has done Il
deliberately and with careful choic,
of language.
He admits the evils of the present
tariff system, but considers the shocl
to business of ans change and con
cludes by adding his inability to la!
down general rule to determine wher
the necessity of reform will outweigh
possible disadvantages.
In word he leaves the question
open and dismisses the subject with
cut committing himself or his part!
to any definite position or policy.
In a man so able and so fearless al
President Roosevelt this word jug
gling--however admirable 1t may b,
as literature-is disappointing.
The message so far as it deals witt
the world problem Of peace and wal
and the domestic and at the game tim
universal conflict of labor and capita
is largely language 1t deals will
these matters from the standpoint o
able authorship rather than that o
practical administration 1t substi
tutes the patter Of phrase making 70
defliniteness of position.
It seems probable that when ther,
has been time for digestion and re
Election. the latest message Of 'Presi
dent Roosevelt viii be considered al
clever rather than as consistent.
In dealing with the trusts, the in
surance bandits and the tariff aide,
trusts he Is the bare-fisted, rougl
riding TEDDY" Of popular conception
These dismissed, the message-in it,
nationally important essentials--il
academic.
It reads in this respect more like I
magazine essay than the working
yearly letter of advice of an executive
70 law-making bodies
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