Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-12-13
The Presidents Message.
philadelphia Press.
crat.

The great activity of President Roose-
velt's mind and the multifariousness OF
the interests which engage his atten-
ton are reflected in this annual mes
sage. He has great deal to say, >and
compression is not his specially. His
message is, therefore, very long, with
out at all exhausting his material. He
has reserved Panama for a special mes
sage, and no doubt as the occasion arises
will lay before Congress during the ses-
sion still other matters which he shall
consider necessary and expedient fol
their consideration.
The Government has invoked the
criminal law to enforce the Legislation
of Congress, and it finds the limitation
of the Governments right of appeal a
serious handicap. The rights of the pub
lie are no less to be considered than
those of the accused, but at present
they are not equally protected. The
President argues at length on this head,
and in the course of his discussion ex~
presses views that will subject bin to
attack from those who hold that a Judge
is as sacred as a grand llama and above
all human criticism. But as the Presi-
dent only six months ago induced Con-
gress to make an important change in
the law in regard to the immunity of
witnesses, so his present earnest criti-
cisms may induce Congress to change
the law so that District Judges de-
cision shall no longer be conclusive with
the Government, while the law allows
the accused to have his exceptions re-
viewed by every Appellate Court in sue
cession.
While asking for the Government
greater liberty of appeal from lower
courts, the President jealousy defends
the proper prerogatives of the Courts.
He upholds the right of injunction with
precautions against possible abuse of
power, and he condemns lynch law with
all the vigor at his command. AS a
cure for the peculiar evil which incites
lynch law in the South the President
recommends the better education of the
negro and "the swift, relentless and or
derby punishment of criminals under the
law" In discussing these and the vex-
ed and delicate question Of capital and
labor, the President seeks to evade moth
ing, but speaks with courage, clearness
and reasonableness on all these topics.
His conclusions may not be accepted by
those who see only one side Of the
shield, but they will have convincing
power with the candid and fairminded.
While holding out for a firm Govern
ment control of railroads, the President
claims that the prohibition against rail-
road combination is futile and is wrong,
because railroad may want to combine
for good purpose, and this freedom of
action should not be denied it. He de-
velopes his scheme Of a graduated in
heritance tax and touches on the posi-
bility of an income tax which the Su-
preme Court may approve. He reiter-
ates his recommendation that Congress
pass the ship subsidy bill, and lends the
weight of his approval to the proposed
authorization Of taxed emergency bank
currency. He is as ever believer in
strong navy. He does not urge an in
crease in the strength of our present
navy beyond that already authorized.
He insists that it should be maintained
in strength by promptly replacing all
worn out and obsolete vessels with mod
ern new ones.
The President is full of his subject,
which is the country and its require
ments, and he gives Congress much to
think about and suggests for it work
which is apparently in excess of a short
sessions capacity. 1t is the Presidents
duty under the Constitution 'to give
the Congress information concerning
the state of the Union" and this re-
quirement President Roosevelt performs
in the message in an ungrudgingly liber-
al measure. His message, as whole,
is conservative in spirit and will be well
received by the country.