Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-04
The Presidents Message.

secret that the massage of President
Roosevelt to the first session of the
Goth Congress has been awaited with
speciaI interest and anxiety. The full
published in full elsewhere in the
Journal this morning and we hope our
readers will take the time to give it
a careful perusal 1t is very long, to
be sure. All of President Roosevelt's
messages have been of exceptional
length compared with those of his
predecessors. and this one, containing
fully 10000 words is one of the longest
ever sent TO Congress. but it deals with
so many matters of great Importance
and deals with them in such straight
forward fashion that no citizen who
wishes to keep Informed upon the great
events of the day and understand the
progress Of national affairs can afford
to miss reading it. No doubt it deals
with many matters upon which no
legislation will be enacted during the
present session, but all the matters
touched upon are of national interest
and importance, and the Presidents
clear and vigorous style of writing. his
mastery command of good English
SO that there is never any misunder-
standing his meaning, makes il doubly
pleasure to read one of his stare
documents.
Without wasting any words in pre-
amble or introduction the President
starts off at once into a discussion of
the causes of the recent financial furry
which have resulted in the money
strngency. He makes it plain that
continued warfare will be waged
against law breaking corporations
and urges that additional legislation be
enacted TO control interstate business
The antitrust law should not be re-
pealed. he says. but should be made
more in harmony with actual condi-
tons In this connection the President
quotes copiously from earlier messages
| to Congress and gives that body and
the country at large to understand that
there will be no truce in the aggressive
campaign against the great trusts
which have broken the laws and robbed
the public
The matter Of currency reform is dis
cusspd at length and here also a long
quotation is made from the message to
Congress a year ago. Immediate ac-
ton is needed to give the currency
greater elasticity such as will be con-
! sstent with safety, and also to provide
| for an emergency currency. The
| President touches briefly upon the
tariff, asserting in the strongest Ian
| guage that this country cannot afford
to desert the principle of the protective
tariff, but granting that revision of
after the next presidential election He
takes up again the matter Of an in
come and inheritance tax as earlier
urged by him and thinks that some
| form Of the former can be adopted
which would stand the test of con-
sttutionality, and that a progressive
inheritance tax should be placed upon
the national statute books in addition
t" those imposed BY the states.
Among the matters Of interest "a
| labor which are discussed are a recon-
mendation for a law to limit the abuse
Of injunctions in labor disputes, plea
for an employers liability law and also
for an eight hour. law in government
service. and new laws for regulating
the labor of women and children in the
District Of Columbia In speaking OF
the affairs of our outlying dependencies
he again urges citizenship for tho
people of Porto Rico, says that Cuba
will soon be given another chance al
self government. praises the splendid
progress being made on the Panama
canal. promises that full report of the
Philippine affairs will be made as soor
as Secretary Taft comes home, ant
urges the immediate fortitication q
Pearl IFarbor. Hawaii.
Little is said about our foreign rela
tions. and little is necessary since gu
relations are wholly peaceful will
every foreign power The Presiden
summarizes the results of the recen
Hague conference and the efforts nov
being made to insure more permanen
conditions of peace in Central America
He recommends that provision b.
made for participation in the Japanes
exposition of 1912 and urges a return o
: part Of the indemnity money receive,
from the Chinese government.
Regarding the internal affairs of tn
country the President urges the co
operation Of the national and stat
governments in enforcing the pure foo