The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-20
Writes Letter on Questions in
Congressional Campaign.
No Reason for Change in Exist
ing Order Of Things.
STANDS PAT ON TARIFF
With Cannon as Speaker, Great
Work Has Been Done.
COmmendation Expressed for
Upbuilding of Navy.

New York, Aug. 20.-A letter writ
ten by President Roosevelt to Con-
gresham James E. Watson. Ind, re-
viewing and approving OF the work
of the present congress, was made
public today, through the Republican
congressional campaign committee
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 great and
comprehensive scheme for the better
ment of our social and civic condi-
TONS says the president The presi-
dent also declared that such a change
would result in a hurtful oscillation
between the extreme radical and the
extreme reactionary forces. The
president also said 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 en-
ployes.
Of the tariff Mr.. Roosevelt says:
I'VE stand unequivocally for a. protec-
tive tariff and we feel that the phenom-
email Industrial prosperity which we are
now enjoying is not likely to be jeop-
ardized, for it would be to the last de-
gree foolish to secure here and there
small benefit at the cost of general bus
mess depression. But whenever a given
rate or schedule becomes evidently dis
advantageous 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
without too much dislocation of the sys-
TEN, it will be done; while general re-
vision 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 de-
rived from making such changes will
outweigh the Disadvantages; that Is,
when the revision will do more good
than harm Let me add one word Of
caution, however. The question of re-
| vising the tariff stands wholly apart
from the question of dealing with the
so-calIed ttrusts'-that is with the con-
troll of naonopofes and with the super
vision of great wealth in business,
[ especially in corporate form. The only
way III which it is possible to deal with
those trusts and monopolies and this
great corporate wealth is by action
along the line of the laws enacted by
the present congress and its immediate
predecessors. The cry that the prob
lem can be met by any changes in the
tariff reports, whether consciously or
unconsciousIy. is an effort to divert the
public attention from the only method
OF ak1nS Sf16cIlV6 acllO0-
Mr.. Roosevelt says that II only
partisan issues were involved in this
contest he should hesitate to say any
thing publicly IN reference to 1t, but
he does not feel that this is the case.
The president declares that with Mr.
Cannon as speaker the house has ac-
complished a literally phenomenal
amount of good work. It has shown
a courage, good sense and patriotism
such that it would be a real and Sc
rious misfortune for the country to
fail to recognize
Mr.. Roosevelt then enters on a re-
view of the work of the congress and
the important m easures passed by
it. measures, which he says are more
than important in a partisan sense be-
cause they subserve the welfare OF
the whole people He gives credit to
congress in the matter of the Panama
canal. saying:
'sThe interests banded together to
oppose the canal are numerous and
bitter and most of them with a pc
culiarly sinister basis for their op-
position Had congress been either
timid or corrupt and had not the
| leaders of congress shown the most
farsighted resolution in the matter
the work of building the canal would
never have been begun, or if begun,
would now have halted"
Strong approval is expressed of the
attitude of congress toward the upbuild-
takes up the measures, dealing with
| government regulation Of business
1.-The tremendous social and Industrial
/ congress in our nation" he says, have
rendered evident the need of larger
exercise by the national government Of
its power to deal with the business use
of wealth and especially Of corporate
wealth, in interstate but7iness- 1t Is not
| too much to say that the course of con-
gress within the last few years and the
f1ioft
tive and legislative departments of the de-
partment in taking the needed action
each with its sphere, have resulted
in the nation for the first time definitely
entering upon the career of proper per-
Torrance of duty in these matters.
''It is a very easy thing to play the
demagogue in this matter, to conf1ne
| ones self merely to denouncing the
evils of wealth and to advocate. often
IN vague language, measures so sweep
ing that while they would entirely fail
to correct the evils aimed at they un-
doubtedly succeed in bringing down
the prosperity of the nation with
crash. But it is not easy to do as the
present congress and the immediate
predecessors have done; that is stern
" to disregard alike the self interest of
those who have profited by the present
evils and the wild clanor of those who
care less to do away with them than
to make a reputation with the un-
thinking of standing in extreme op-
position to them.
but this is precisely what the
present congress has done. The pre-
vious congress- by the enactment of
the Elkins law and by the creation of
the department of commerce and Ia
bor including the bureau Of corpora
tions, had enabled us to make great
strides in advance along the path Of
thus bringing the use of wealth in
business under the supervision and
regulation of the national govern
mentor IN actual practice 1t has