The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-06
An Accomplished Document.

Mr.. ROOSEVELT wrote from a full
mind and heart. Naturally his message
is long, and there is the usual hyper
critical complaint Of its length. But
the Presidents message is only nomi-
nally addressed TO the Congress. 1t is
a talk to the people. In planning and
writing it the President goes far beyond
the dry prescription Of the Constitution:
" He shall. from time to time. give to the Congress
Information of the state OF the Union. and recon-
mend TO their consideration such measures as he
shall Judge necessary and expedient."
So much is his constitutional duty.
There remains his duty or his pleasure
TO inform, exhort or dehort, warn, adj
wise and instruct even as to matters that
may not be strictly subject to legislation.
Mr.. RoosEvELT's discovery and procla-
nation of the objectionable sin, for in
stance, are interesting. They have an
intimate relation to social and political
economy. II is unlikely that the
Congress will consider the problem Of
population, but with what admirable
lucidity and earnestness Mr.. ROOSEVELT
repeats his opinions.
As a specimen Of popular writing Mr..
RoosEvELT's message is excellent in its
art and its variety. Here we have utter
ances Of gnomic wisdom such as these:
Let Justice be both sure and swift.
They 1.-THE American peoplel will not subscribe
to the doctrine that any public servant is to be
above criticism.
The farmer . . . must have the same
chance to rise and develop as other American clh-
zens have"
The echo Of the New York campaign
is heard Enthusiastically in this passage:
The plain people who think, the mechanics.
farmers. merchants, workers with head or hand,
the men to whom American traditions are dear.
who love their country and try TO act decently by
their nelghbors, owe Il to themselves to remember
that the most damaging blow that can be given
popular government is to elect an unworthy and
sinister ~agitator on a platform OF violence and
hypocrisy"
Every robust temperament is stirred
by this fine enlargement of the text,
. It's better to have fought and lost than
TO have fought at all:
Though II Is criminal for a nation not TO pre-.
pare for war, so that IL may escape the dreadful
consequences OF being defeated in war, yet It must
always be remembered that even to be defeated
in war may be far better than not to have fought
at all"
These and other sentences of high SEN
timent or ethical importance or rhetori-
cal beauty may be regarded as the orna-
ments of the main structure of the mes
sage. That in itself is so massive that
it shelters legislation for the remote
future and counsels of perfection. II
may be that the Congress, not possessing
Mr.. RoosEvELT's faculty of rapid and
comprehensive thought, will be bewil-
dered by the number Of topics discussed;
but the message provides amply the
necessaries and the luxuries of recon-
mendation and treatment. Long as il
is, it has the primary merit; it is read
able. Those indolent citizens who con
ten themselves with summaries in the
belief that they know already the general
tenor OF Mr.. RoosEvELr's beliefs, de-
fraud themselves Of instruction mingled
with entertainment. The message has
a keen interest and charm, political,
economic, ethical and psychological.