The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-08-24
PRESIDENT PRAISES
WORK OF CONGRESS
LETTER. OF ROOSEVELT TO IN.
DIANA MAN USED AS CAM
PAlGN MATERIAL.
Says Change Would Work to Detri'
.ment of Nation-Protective Tariff
Endorsed, But Necessary Changes
in Schedule Favored.

New York, Aug. 21-A letter writ,
ten by President Roosevelt to Con.
gresham James r. Watson, of Rush.
vile, Ind, reviewing and approving Of
the work of the present congress, and
declaring:
ITO change the leadership and or.
ganization of the house at this time
means to bring confusion upon those
who have successfully engaged in the
steady working out of a great and
comprehensive scheme for the better.
ment of our social and civic condi
tions," was made public Monday
through the Republican congressional
campaign committee. The president
also declared that such a change
would result in hurtful oscillation
between the extreme radical and the
extreme reaotionary. The preside
said also that he hopes the present
congress will enact laws prohibiting pc,
litical contributions by corporations,
lowering duties on imports from the
Philippines, and limiting the number
of hours for railway employees.
Favors Protective Tariff.
1--WE stand unequivocally for pro
tective tariff, and we feel that the phe.
nomenal industrial prosperity which
we are now enjoying is not lightly to
be jeopardiZed, for it would be to
the last degree foolish to secure here
and there a small benefit at the cost
of general business depression. But
whenever a given rate or schedule be-
comes evidently disadvantageous to
the nation, because of the changes
which go on from year to year in our
conditions, and where it is feasible
to change this rate or schedule with.
out too much dislocation of the sys'
tenn, it will be done, while a general
revision of the rates and schedules
will be undertaken whenever it shall
appear to the sober business sense OF
our people that on the whole the
benefits to be derived from making
such changes will outweigh the disad'
vantages; that is, when the revision
will do more good than harm.
Trust Question Is Separate.
LET me add one word of caution,
however The question of revising
the tariff stands wholly apart from
the question of dealing with the so
called 'trusts'-that is, with the con,
troll of monopolies and with the super
vision of great wealth in business, es.
pecially in corporate form. The only
way in which it is possible to deal
with those trusts and monopolies and
this great corporate wealth is by &C.
ton along the line of the laws enacted
by the present congress and it's i'm.
mediate predecessors. The cry that
the problem can be met by any
changes in the tariff represents,
whether consciously or unconsciously
an effort to divert the publics atten.
ton from the only method of taking eff,
fective action
Mr.. Roosevelt says that if only parti.
san issues were involved in this con.
test he should hesitate to say any.
thing publicly in reference to it, but
he does not feel that this is the case.
He feels that "all good citizens who
have the welfare of America at heart
should appreciate the immense
amount that has been accomplished by
the present congress, organized as it
is, and the urgent need of keeping this
organization in power" The president
declares that with Mr.. Cannon as
speaker the house has accomplished a
literally phenomenal amount of good
work. 1t has shown courage, good
sense and patriotism such that it
would be real and serious misfor.
tune for the country to fail to recog'
niZe"