Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-21
PRESIDENT LAUDS
CONGRESS WORK
THINKS LEADERSHIP SHOULD
NOT BE CHANGED
In Letter to James E. Watson Nations
Chief Executive Talks Of and
Shows Great Interest In Po-
Iitlcal Affairs
BY Associated Press.

ten by President Roosevelt to Con-
gresham James E. Watson Of Rush
vile, Ind, reviewing and approving of
the work of the present congress and
declaring "to change the leadership
and organization of the house at this
time means to bring confusion upon
those who have successfully engaged
i'm the steady working out of a great
and comprehensive scheme for the bet
terment of our civil and social condi-
tions," was made public today through
the Republican congressional COM
mittee.
The president also declared that such
a change would result in hurtful os-
cillation between the extreme radical
and the extreme reactionaries.
The president also said he hopes the
present congress will enact laws pro-
hibiting political contributions by cor
porations, lowering the duties on i'm
ports 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 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 the last
degree of foolishnesS to secure here
and there a small benefit at the cost
of general business depression.
But whenever q given rate or
schedule becomes evidently disadvan-
tageous to the nation, because of the
changes which go on from year to year
in our conditions, and where it Is feast
BILE 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 1t shall appear
to the sober business sense of our peo-
pie that on the whole the benefits to
be derived from making such changes
will outweigh the disadvantages. That
is when the revision will do more good
than harm.
Adds Word of Caution
Let me add one word of caution,
however. @
1.-THE question of revising the tariff
stands wholly apart from the question
with dealing with the so-called trusts
that is, with the control of monop-
olies and with the supervision of great
wealth in business, especially in COR
porate form.
"The only way in which it is possible
to deal with those trusts and monop-
olies and this great corporate wealth
is by action along the line of the laws
enacted by the present conditions and
it's immediate predecessors.
'The cry that the problem can be
met by any changes in the tariff rep
resents whether, consciously of uncon-
sciously, an effort to divert the public
attention from the only method of TAX
ing effective action"
Mr.. Roosevelt says that if only par
tisan 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.
The president declares "that with Mr..
Cannon as speaker the house has ac-
complished a literally phenomenal
amount of good work. 1t has shown
such courage, good sense and patriot
ism that it would be a real and serious
misfortune for the country not to
recognize it,"
Mr.. Roosevelt gives credit to congress
in the matter of the Panama canal,
saying:
AS to the Panama Canal
1.-The interests banded together to OPP
pose the canal are numerous and bitter,
and most of them with peculiar sinis-
ter basis for their opposition. Had con-
gress been either timid or corrupt and
had not the leaders of congress shown
the most far-sighted resolution i'm 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 up
building of the navy, and then the
president takes up the measures deal
ing with governmental regulations of
business.
THE tremendous rocial and Industrial
49,, to- 4In.,x
rendered evident the need of a larger
exercise by the national government OF
it's power to deal with the, business use
of wealth, and especially of corporate
wealth, in Interstate business.
1T Is not too much to say that the
course of congress within the last few
years and the hearty agreement be.
tween executive and legislative depart
ments of the nation in taking the
needed action each within its sphere
have resulted in the nation for the frs
time definitely entering upon the career
of proper performance of duty in thes'
affairs.
1T Is very easy thing to play th'
demagogue. to confine oneself merely tl
denouncing the evils of wealth and tt
advocate often in vague language
measures so sweeping that while the!
would entirely fail 20 correcs the evil
aimed at they probably will succeed il
bringing down the prosperity of th'
nation with a crash.
"But il is not easy to do as the presen
and the immediate predecessors hav,
done; that Is sternly to disregard alik
the self-interest of those who hav
protited by the present evils and tn
wild clamor of those who care less TO d
away with them than to make a repu
tation with the unthinking of standing
in extreme opposition to them.
But this Is precisely what the presen
congress has done. The previous con
gress, by the enactment of the Elkin
law and by the creation of the depart
ment of commerce and labor, including
the bureau of corporatio:s. has enable
us TO make great strides In adVanc
along the path of thus bringing the us
of wealth in business under the super
vision and regulation Of the nations
goVernment-for in actual practice
has proved sham and pretense to sa
that the several states can thus super
wise and regulate it,