New-York tribune., 1906-11-13
pOOSEVELT'S METHODS.
prrLpING Il MESSAGE.
,cv Light on the Presidents Rfgdra
for AdUice of Experts.
rr0n tt. Tribune Bureau-l

T~-e
.,.,+on. Nov. ia--The extent 70 wnlcn .l 80
Boosevelt avails hisseh % -. 3. he
dent :, his constitutional ADVISERS as, M
counsel o. =, "a. ,,enbers OF the Senate, is niue
loves 10 - 80 ~ the circle familiar WIN ms
snoEn sn5 the Senators themselves ahu 90 -
MEMS, regard his oonsultstion IA a :. =. :
fsners4s ',,lsor, OF never refer TO It, 1t IS
matter uey -, roosevelt perhaps TO greater
fset "41, s,,, OF his predecessors, aValls MINI
degree 70 - ,bs best brains in the Senate ana
seh -. - not he follows the ADVICE given nm
80, enjoys the opportunity OF 4e~' rs
s,p the Impressions mace Ga o5,o,a,.s
ned minds by the Nai40'S
,-,oses 10 advocate. l., 49,. -,-a-
or pui-ossan- IS always forehanoeS In the prep
The - Nc annual message 10 Cons-rss' Ihls
=. coov was sent 10 the PuOl'0 80 -,
se ,bs Executive returned from
a. raIey proofs having been -. ,oso,a
l'' ,..r was arranged in cages ana JIs' OeiO''
the ne', n ro,s-ns The President approved them
saEI.s document IS now undergoing IT'S hhal cor
a.. -, ,n Ire Government printing oHi0e' A'iS
-. not only OF the oistrlpuNon OF con-
VII .orses TO the newspapers OF thls coun-
tdenus4 -. ,ra sanding Of similar copies ten
uy y -ow 10 the American embassies in
o. o@s IS well. so nat the foreign press VIII
80 ,o prnt copous extracts without The heeeS
- ~ paying cable tolls.
sly O -. Tsasons which actuate the President
V N, ely preparation Of his most important
70 pHS esto1 ,-teranss IS that it is his custom TO
,-,, sections of the galley proofs. which nc
- according 10 topics. 70 those ihehoeIs
os s.-e+e whom he regards as best posted on
q Ne,.lya - subjects. For instance, TO Senators
s1ooner and Foraker, ana possibly to Senator
bfls1 :, .,s,,Il, sends those portions Of the mes
- .o,,bi,g the foreign affairs ana relations or
sss .,,,. 70 Senator's Aldrich, Spooner, Haze ana
- poes The section dealing with the hila-lcl@l
80 ~ the country; 10 senator aa-e i heHI
--.o-a-h referring 10 TIE navy 10 senators
ue - Proctor the reference 10 the army; 10
f0@. ... foraker the section affecting Porto hco'
'.. Senator Lodge that relating 10 the fhlnp-
tho ST. - senators Knox and spooner those sec
- dealing with legal and CONSTITUTIONS Sues-
,o-s and so on ss-..sos . oo,a
20 e. -a-so,,l note begging the recipient TO
osh-a- .s-. ,rA Enclosure freely and to make any
'.-+,o-s which seem to him pertinent anu II
ne - the admirable characteristics OF tFest-
poosevelt that no matter how oecloeu.y ms
dsnt ko0see ,-,+b him re never takes offence,
=. on the contrary, usually reQues's '-''
:. asron IN aud talk It over.
,,o FORAIALITY OBSERVED
.,a notes which tho President sehos
VI 0O- a5-ise-s are informal. as IS the ehlIe
.s,5 srd for that reason he can oisIee1.a
-.-ns and sometimes cumbersome euQUo'.7 -
y, c.,s-e lie does not confne nus reeueS'
80 - The cha,rnen OF the committees W.
a., .,,b he respective topics, and occasloila11y
-
~ & &-sr,, results from the fact that he Is pretty
.,rIe- with such views the chairman may
.-,.-.sn. and. moreover, he has come 10 respect
-. views % particular men on given supJecOS'
ro- instance. Senator Spooner, though ne Na'
-,r.r baan q rDelnber OF the Committee on inter-
oo.auio Canals has always been regarded, ooth DF
.ls President and the Senate. as an authority on
N. Panama Canal he having. in fact, twice saved
4 enterprise from legislative disaster by drafting
arc securing the enactment of essential legislation
vbsn the committees of the two chambers were
y deadlock.
ma, the public has never heard Of this method
srployed doubtless 10 some extent by all Presi-
6tnts but 10 the greatest degree by President
Roosevelt !s due 20 the reluctance Of Senators 10
discuss the subject TO reveal the fact that they
hsve been consulted by the President Often Sena-
tors come 20 Washington. call at the White House
ard have or several conferences with the Presi
dsnt, almost the sole topic discussed being some
feature OF tho forthcoming message. but Incl
denally the political situation IN the Senator's
Fats WiI be referred TO- and when the statesman
leaves tie Presidents Office he almost invariably
replies 10 the anxious inquiries OF newspaper men
rsEa-ding the purposes Of his visit that he dis
cussed with the President the political situation
In Pennsylvania whichever his state may be
For Instance. Senator Knox has twice come 10
Washington this fall specially TO discuss with the
President feature Of the message. but the state
h'ni ssnt out by newspaper correspondents was
'-a- tle JUNIOR Senator rom Pennsylvania dis
elssed with the President the political situation in
us state And, il is almost needless TO say, no
one would ever have been any wiser had Mr.. Knox
'seh me sole source Of Information regarding the
''lee' q his visit 10 the White House
FRANKNEss OK BOTH SIDES
40 senators always speak their minds freely
tno aoeS the President always take their advice?"
lss been asked of person in 2 position to know
us iacts- An afirmative 10 the FIRST question and
negative 10 the latter the reply. II is a
's' iat the sincerity Of the President when he
''A' -.r aoNlre IS 50 apparent. even when the re-
e-e'' comes in t-e form or few words scrubbed
VI me margin - the proof, that Senators rarely
y never hesitate 10 respond frankly to his appeal
U course The President does not always take the
'1'I'e offered Sometimes this would he quite inn
'0Fa''le' as the opinions OF different even well
l'sea senators, viii be oianetrically opposes
VI NE other hand tie instances where the Pres!
''- ass modified. amended or even materially al
S'ea tie views and text of his message as a re-
tli a the advice p-oFered are legion OF course
re must Re shown the wisdom Of the advice before
% VIII DO any of these things but he is stanch
HAeHer IN the honely adage that two heads are