Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-09-08
Present Roosevelt's Letter Was
Very Significant
HAS CLARIFIED ATMOSPHERE
Reports of Deals WITH Speaker Can
non are Disc edited Praises Mem
beers of the Last Congress.

beers of the Last Congress.
The Wheeling Jntelligencer. speak
ing of President Roosevelt's letter
says:
President Roosevelt's letter TO Rep
resentativs Watson, of the republican
congressional committee, is unusually
significant. Beyond atfixing the
Roosevelt seal to the stand pat slogan
the president dispells errors and allu.
sions that have been frequently voiced
By his political opponents.
1t NAV be recalled that Washington
gossip nearly year ago was reple'e
with deal said to have been framed
up between the president and Speaker
Cannon, whereby in return for the
speakers efforts in aiding the passage
Of rate legislation the president was
TO withhold demand for tariff re-
yison at the last session, and because
the presidents message was without
tariff mention the WI eacres nodded
ssgely.
Then, when the session was over.
and rate legislation was An accom-
plished fact, there was a recurrence
of similar oracular utterances ABOUT
how the president was going to startle
the next long session OF congress with
tariff revision message. the session
preceding the presidential campaign.
To support this unauthoritative opin-
ion that the presidentSw holding
himself ii leash, there were sundry
telling of how the president had SO
revealed himself to Massachusetts,
delegation.
1t was cruel to knock the props
from under the Missionaries, bat the
PRESIDENT does it neatly and effective
ly in these words to Mr.. Watson:
We stand unequiyocally for protec-
tive tariff. and we feel that tine phe-
nomenal industrial prosperity which
we are now enjoying is not ghtly
to be jeopardized. But whenever a
given rate of schedule becomes evil
IDENTITY disadvantageous to the nation.
and where it is feasible to change this
rate or schedule without too much
dislocation of the system it will be
done.
Besides this emphatic declaration
OF standing pat the president also
takes fall out of the democrats who
have been contending that the way to
reeolate the trusts is to revise the
"trust- breeding and monopoly-foster-
Ing tariff :" The only wav to deal
with the so-called trusts, the presi-
dent poiuts out lis bv action along
the lines of the laws enacted BY the
present congress and its immediate
predecessors - and he adds the sieni.
tiGaut reflection that the cry that the
problem can be met 9y any changes
in the tariff represents. whether con-
sciously or uucoDsciously. an effort
10 divert the public attention from
the only method of taking effective
action.
The Sherman antitrust law, the
Elkins auti-rebate law, the Hepburn
bill, the meat INSPECTION hill and the
pure food bill, comprise the corporate
egislation the president has in mind.
iese provide remedies for combining
the corporation to legitimate methods
OF business. The times call for this
CO sitg of the trusts, and by apply
ing the square deal doctrine this can
b complished Thgt tariff revision
talk is welcomed by the offending
oorporetions in order to detract atten-
tion from the pressing and paramount
consideration of their regulation. is a
thought which is logical and it's sug-
Restion reveal the alterness of the
presidential vision.
President Roosevelt has clarified the
campaign aimo phere by showing
himself in full and cordial sympathy
with the existing tariff. and adding
his words of praise for the brilliant
record of the last congress session.
f,is letter is free from partisanshIp,
contaIning no mention of republicans
OF m1crats, and from such a source
&c must be of incalculable weight IN
impressi the country with the wis
dom of approving faithful servants
BIS reelection and letting well enough
alonr
His letter also means a united. har-
monious republican marty. No
Roosevelt republicans" "or anti
Roosevelt republicans. but simpIs
republicans. compact, enthusiastic
army. who come before the country
again with an account of their stew
ardship, content and confident.
New Pay Car.