Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-08-25
ASKS CONGRESS
BE SUPPORTED
President S;y' Change in House
Would ring Confusion.
GIVES HIS VIEW ON TARIFF


New York. Aug 81. \ letter written
oy President Roosevelt to Congressman
James l.. Watson. of Nashville. Ind,
vas made public through the Republi-
IAN cOngrcss ional campaign committee.
In II the president reviews and ap.
proves the wurk of the present con.
grrss and declares:
TO change the leadership and or.
ganization OF the house at this time
means 10 bring confusion upon those
who have SUCCESSFULLY engaged in the
steady WORKING ont OF a great and com
prchens,ve scheme for the bctterment
OF our social and civic conditions"
The president also declared that such
a change would result in hurtful os-
cillation between the extreme radical
and the extreme rcactiOnary. The
president said also he hopes the pres.
ent congress will enact laws prohibit.
ing political contributions by corpora
tions lowering the duties on imports
from the Philippines and limiting the
number Of hours for railway employees
OF the tariff Mr. Roosevelt SAYS: we
stand uneuuivocally for protective
tariff. and va feel that the phenomenal
industrial prosperity which We are now
enjoying Is not lightly 10 be ieopar
died: for II would be 10 the last degree
foolish TO secure her" and there small
benefit at the cost of General business
depression. liut whenever "A given rate
or schedule becomes evidently disad-
vantageous 10 the nation. because OF
the changes which 70 on from year &c
year In our conditions. and where IL Is
feasible 10 change this rate or schedule
without too much dislocation Of the
system. II will be done. while gen
eral revision Of the rates and sched-
ules will b" undertaken whenever II
shall appear To the sober business sense
Of orr people that on the whole the
benefits 10 he derived from making
such changes will outweigh the dis.
advantages: that is when the revision
will do more good than harm Let me
add one word OF caution. however. The
question ot revising the tarif stands
wholly apart from the question OF
dealing with the so-called trusts
that Is with the control OF monopolies
and with the supervision of great
wealth in business. especially in cor
porate form The only way IN which
II is possible 20 deal with those trusts
and munopol!cs and this great corpor'
ate wealth il by action along the line
OF the laws enacted by the present
congress and its immediate predeccs.
sors Tho cry that the problem can b,
met by any changes In the tariff repre-.
sents an effort 10 divert the public at.
tention from the only method Of TAX.
ing effective action"
Mr.. Roosevelt then enters on a re.
view of the work of the congress and
the important measures passed by IL
measures which he declares are impor-
tant not in a partisan sense. but are
important because they subserve the
welfare of the people as a whole.
The interests banded together TO OPP.
pose the Panama canal says the let.
ter. are numerous and. bitter, and most
OF them with a peculiarly sinister bas-
Is for their opposition Had congress;
been either timid or corrupt and had
not the leaders of congress shown IN.
most far-sighted resolution in the mat.
ter. the work of building the cana
would never have been begun or ii he.
gun would not have halted
President Roosevelt reviews and ap.
proves the measures taken to secure
certain rights to wage workers. includ.
inc the employers liability law and the
eight-homr law. He announces that II
additional legislation is needed To make
the eight-hour law effective he will ask
for IL and also that next year he will
ask congress TO put in permanent form
his regulations for securing Saturday
half holidays for wage earners under
the government during the summer
months We will do everything" he
says. tina, can be- done to further the
interests of the farmer and the wage
worker and this declaration Is subject
10 only one reserS alton which is that
for no man and no body of men win
we do anything that is wrong"