Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-01
RESTATES HIS VIEWS
AS TO THE ALWAYS
The President Points Out the
Need of Federal Regulation.
QUOTES FROM HIS MESSAGES
Disclaims Any Hostility to Corpora
lions.
EVILS OF DECENTRALIZATION
Declares That It is a Subject Which
Should Be Given Considera-
ton by Congress.

AS mas Deen tnOuSTt prODaDle Tor
some weeks, the President has de-
cided to give public statement of
his views on, federal regulation of
railway corporations. As he re-
marks, his views have gone through
no change, and he merely collates
and reiterates some of his more sig
nificant and clearly defined express
sions. He again voices his desire for
a square deal for all-railways. ship
pers and the public. He disclaims
hostility to corporations and de-
clares that I'VE should recognize i'll
cordial and ample fashion the I'M
mense good effected by corporate
agencies" He asserts: The cor
poration has come to stay, just as
the trade union has come to STAY"
President Roosevelt has decided not to
accept the invitation of the Illinois Manu-
facturers' Association to deliver speech
at Springfield, ILL.,, on the railroad situation.
He addressed letter yesterday to c. II.
Smith, president of the association, stating
| that it would be impossible for him To ac-
| cept its invitation, extended last week. be-
cause he did not feel that he had anything
| to say at this time in special address
| this special subject.
Many Requests for a Statement.
| The President has received a great NUM-
| Der of requests for statement by him, or
| h., h,.b ,.,g.,
with the railway situation. He has given
| these requests the utmost weight and most
| careful consideration. After fully looking
| into the matter the President inform d his
| advisers that he had come to the conclu-
| sion that there was nothing now which he
had to say at this moment the railway
situation; that he did not deem ii either
wise or proper to say anything with view
to any immediate situation in Wall street,
and that he should only give expression
to the definite and settled policy to be
carried out wholly without regard to the
eXfgencies of the moment, and his views
the policy in question We're already a
matter of record, 1t did not seem neces-
sary at this time to repeat them.
TO the different men, friendly and un-
friendly, who have visited him written
to him he has answered. orally or in writ
ing, that his words and acts spoke for
themselves and needed no explanations
whatever and that he should not in his
future course deviate one hands breadth
from the course he had pursued in the past
and was now pursuing.
The statement was made from an authori-
tatve source today that even a most cur
sorry examination of what the President has
repeatedly said in speech and message will
show the utter nonsense of supposing the
government has the slightest intention to
take any action which would nvalidate the
Safety and stability of the railway securities
now issued, the whole legislative program
of the President having been proclaimed
again and again as one to insure the future
against the mistakes and delinquencies of
the past The President holds that every
executive action taken under his adminis-
tration, whether by the Department of
Justice or by the interstate commerce COM
mission, has furnished its own ample justi-
fication."
1t can be stated authority that the
President again will ask Congress, at its
next session, for power to deal with the
question of over capitalization of railroads.
similar request was made at the last
session, but favorable action was not taken
upon it.
In his letter to Mr.. Smith the President
inclosed copies of the speech he made at
Raleigh, n. c. October 10, 1865, and the
one he delivered before a delegation of
railway employees In this city on Novem-
Der IA, 1905, together with his latest mes
sages to Congress at the beginning of tho
first and second sessions of the last Con-
gress. The President closed his letter to
Mr.. Smith follows:
You will see in the two speeches and
the two messages that / have said about
all that l would say If l spoke now As
said to- your body the other day, | have
already expressed again and again my care
fully-thought-out beliefs. / am more firmly
than ever convinced that these beliefs are
wise and that the policy 1 recommended I'm
my messages at the opening of each OF the
last regular sessions of Congress must
be carried out. Just at the moment / do
not see that have much to add to what 1
have already said, and think that what
has occurred since 1 wrote the two mes
sages in question merely illustrates in strik-
ing fashion the desirability of the course
therein outlined
The portions of his speeches and messages
which the President marked are as fol-
lows:
Government Ownership Opposed.
In his address at Raleigh the President
said:
II do not believe in government owner-
shin of anything which can with propriety
be left In private hands, and in particular
l should most strenuously object to gov
eminent ownership of railroads. But be-
lieve with equal firmness that II Is out OF
the question for the government not to
exercise a supervisory and regulatory right
over the railroads; for II Is vital to the
we'll being of the public that they should
be managed in a spirit of fairness and Jus.
tice toward all the public Actual expert.
ence has shown that ii Is not possible Ia
leave the railroads uncontrolled. Such q
system, or rather such a lack of system,
is fertile in abuses of every kind, and puts
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