Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-08-21
The PRESIDENT
ON CAMPAIGN.
Roosevelt Writes Letter for Con.
greSSiOnal Fight Praises
Protective Tariff.

| by HfeSluent Roosevelt TO Congressman
James e. Watson of Rushville, Ind,
reviewing and approving of the work
Ito change the leadership and organi-
cation 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 compre-
hensive scheme for the betterment of
our social and civic conditions" was
made public.
The president also declared that
such n change would result in Il hurt
full oscillation between the extreme
radical and the extreme r~eactionary.
The president said also that he hopes
the present congress will enact laws
prohibiting political contributions by
corporations, lowering the duties on
imports from the Philippines and limit
ing the number Of hours for railway
employees.
OF the tariff Mr.. Roosevelt says:
1--WE stand unequivocally for a protec-
tive 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 gen.
eral business depression.
But whenever a given rate FOR sched-
ule becomes 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 without too
much dislocatiOn of the system, 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
disadvantages; that is, when the re-
vision will do more good than harm.
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 control of mo-
nopolies and with the supervision of
great wealth in business, especially 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 action along the line of the
laws enacted by the present congress
and it's immediate predecessors. The
cry hat the problem can be met by any
changes in the tariff represents, wheth-
err consciously or unconsciously, an eff
fort to divert the public attention from
the only method of taking effective ac-
ton"
In speaking of the Panama canal
Mr.. Roosevelt says:
I'm affairs outside of our own coun-
try our great work has been Begin
ming to dig the Panama canal. The
acquisition of the canal strip was due
to the initiative of congress-, and the
fact that the work thereon is now be-
ing done in the most thorough and
satisfactory fashion is due to the ac-
ton of the present congress at the
session just closed. Only this action
rendered the work possible, and the
heartiest acknowledgements are due
to the %farseeing patriotism of those
who thus made it possible.
"The digging of the Panama canal
is the colossal engineering feat of all
the ages. No task as great of the kind
has ever beer undertaken by any other
nation. The interests banded together
to oppose it were and are numerous
and bitter and most of them with a
peculiarly sinister basis for their Oppo-
sition.
"This sinister opposition rarely, in
deed. ventures openly to announce its
antagonism to the canal as such. Some
times it takes the form of baseless ac-
cusatlon against the management and
of a demand for an investigation under
circumstances which would mean in
definite delay. Sometimes 1t takes the
form of determined opposition TO the
adoption of plans which will enable the
work to be done, not merely in the
best but in the quickest possible way.
Had congress been either timid or cor
rupt, and had not the leaders of con-
gress shown the most farsighted reso-
luton in the matter, the work of build
ing the canal would never have been
begun, or, if begun, would not have
halted.
mo less ~praiseworthy has been the
attitude of this congress in continuing
to build and maintain on a high plane
of efficiency the United States navy.
This country is %irrevocably committed
TO the maintenance Of the Monroe doc
trine. 1t is irrevocubly committed to
the principle of defending and polio
ing the canal route. But its champion
ship of the Monroe doctrine and its
announcement of its intentions as to
the canal, route, would both be absurd
on their face, If the nation failed to
do It's duty in maintaining a thorough
ly efficient navy ut as nigh a point of
perfection as can possibly be attained"
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