The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-05
A MESSAGE NEW.

read and is now being digested-dl-
| gested in part, as some OF IL was
swallowed whole by Outraged" pol
iticians.
| II is a message creating wide de-
parture from the usual mass OF words,
of transitory verbiage and demagoglc
appeal to the grand stands. 1t is not
an oratorical effort, but in parts, is
| classical 1t is not an appeal to the
passions, yet it will, before the thun-
ders of it's effect pass away have
stirred more strife than has any mes
sage since the days of Lincoln. 1t is not
to be classed as political document
in the sense of party or vote induce
| ments, still it will result in greater
and more important political divisions
than has come from the message of
any president since ante-bellum days
AS a creator of precedent, criticism
of individuals and a fearless, if not
WISE exponent of individual views, it
| is epochal.
President Roosevelt has gone far
| in his assumption Of federal authority
farther than President Cleveland
went in the strike of 1S94-and near
| ly as far as Lincoln went until forced
! to the last resort His stand in favor
of the Japanese is one which will
have much to do with failure to re-
consider his denial of a third term. 1t
will have to do-temporarily, at least
which he has held monopoly. Yet it
is a question whether later years will
not accord him a deeper insight,
profounder craftsmanship than is now
granted him.
At the present time there is no gain
saying the fact that the president has
to a greater or less degree, estranged
a goodly portion of the west and
much of the favorable south, as a re-
suit of his strong, fearless definition
of federal authority, associated as such
definition is by the ultra policy of Jap
anese naturalization. Without the lat
ter association there would have been
no such clamor as has arisei
The political panhandlers of the
south might have rallied for effect to
the ancient states rights doctrine and
California might have felt affronted,
yet the golden state would have re-
| manned loyal and only the mouthings
of politicians would have been heard
but for the last straw, the naturaliza-
| ton of the Japanese.
People in the east who witness the
glittering pageants of the high class
| japanese scholars and statesmen, who
| read of the fighting ability of the Japs
| Japan, see and realize nothing else
They do not come in contact with the
| actuality-the Jap of Jim Hills rail-
| road, the yellow men of the camps
and mines and fisheries. Therefore,
not knowing, in ignorance, they will
array themselves against the west and
the westerner's horror Of making equal
those dangerous little brown men,
In two things has the president Gre
ated strong division-in the proposition
to naturalize a heather race-and in
his strong structures upon the south's
attitude toward the negroes He has
| done more to strengthen the barriers
of race wars in both instances than
can be realized generally at this time
And time alone may tell the wisdom
of it.
| In another portion of his message
President Roosevelt is even more re-
markable. 1t is the chapter on CAPT.
tai and labor in which he mercilessly
scores the sinister demagogue" and
the foolish visionary" The pointed
reference is too pointed to be miscon-
strued. With vitriolic force he de-
nounces William Randolph Hearst as
a dangerous agitator seeking to Gre
ate violent class hatred against all
men of wealth." and "the insincere and
unworthy visionary promising much
and accomplishing nothing which lat
ter is plainly pointed toward Bryan
ism.
No other president has been so dar-
ing as to individualize against his
two most radical political opponents.
No other executive has used so much
force in officially attacking partisan
opposition.
Taken altogether the message is a
remarkable document-one which will
live long-for good and for evil. And
none may say now which shall pre-
dominate.