The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-08
PRESIDENTS PLANS
KEEN OBSERVER GIVES AN
INTERESTING SUMMARY.
Roosevelt Misunderstood as to His Tariff
Views-Fostering Public Sentiment.
Considers Taft Ideal Man.
George Griswold Hill in the North Ameri-
can Rnviauy

1heouoIe Roosevelt, during his six years
in the White House. has propounded sew
eral broad and distinct economic PROPOSE
tons one of them, at least, being essen
TALLY new. These propositions, taken to-
gefher. form that political creed popularity
referred to as 'the Presidents policies"
although Mr.. Roosevelt is convinced that
they have been accepted by a large major
ity OF Republicans, and that they consti-
fute the political issues for which the Re-
publican party stands. Certain conserva-
tive leaders in the party describe Mr..
Roosevelt's policies as ultra-radlcal. Those
who have followed his leadership In their
economic reasoning regard them as reason
able, judicious and progressive. Whether
Mr.. Roosevelt has succeeded In inscribing
these policies indelibly on the Republican
escutcheon. or whether they will pass away
with his administration. his party return
ing TO the tenets of the conservative faction
which has hitherto been synonymous with
Republicanism, constitutes the chief issue
In that epoch-making campaign which Is
already inaugurated, and which will not
end until the adjournment Of the Republic
can national convention, next June. II 1t
ends then.
Briefly stated, Theodore Roosevelt's poll
Giles consist of the exercise of the right Of
Federal control over interstate
TO remedy or eradicate those economic evils
with which he believes the States are I'M
able to cope, and the exercise Of the taxing
power of the national government to prune
what he has described as Swollen for
tunes and in a measure to eQualize those
inequalities in the distribution of wealth
which, he believes, have resulted from en-
trusting to the several States a task which
they are unable to perform.
In fearless devotion to honest convictions,
the President has given utterance to his
belief that the Federal government must
supervise the workings of practically all
corporations engaged in commerce between
the States and with foreign nations. In his
last annual message he declared that 'n
some method, whether by a national license
sSaw or In some other fashion, we must
exercise, and that at an early date, a far
more complete control than Mt present over
these great corporations . = : a control
that will among other things prevent the
evils of excessive overcapltalization. and
that will compel the disclosure by each big
corporation of its stockholders and of its
properties and business, whether owned d.
rectly or through subsidiary or affiliated
corporations" An examination Of Mr..
Roosevelt's public utterances reveals a
gradual development of this idea extending
back over many years.
An opportunist, as well as an economist
and a politician, Mr.. Roosevelt has not
wasted his time In vain PRONUNCIATION Of a
theory for which the people were not pre-
pared but he has lost no opportunity Of
guiding his party toward that well-dehned
goal which he regards as essential to the
public welfare, and under his skilful leader
ship giant strides have been taken toward
an end which, had they perceived 1t as
clearly as did their leader. would probably
have driven the legislative leaders Of the
party in quite the opposite direction.
He seized upon the uncovering OF PERM
cious railway methods and the resentment
which popular knowledge of these evils en-
kindled to secure the enactment OF the rail-
way rate law, whereby a commission or
the national government is authorized TO
declare what shall constitute a just ana
reasonable rate for transportation, and to
compel the carriers of the country to re-
spect its decisions. Beginning with his
annual message of 1904, he undertook the
education of the Congress to the necessity
of such Legislation; and, finding his progress
slow. he awaited himself Of the opportuni-
ties afforded by his public speeches made
before Congress- met in the following year,
to educate public sentiment to a point
where its almost omnipotent force Wouiu
compel the national legislature 10 curry MS
recommendations into effect.
The railway rate law was not, however,
the only long stride toward Federal super
vision of all corporations doing an inter-
state business taken under the leadership
OF Mr.. Roosevelt. That law hardly goes as
far, for instance, as the meat Inspection act.
The clever and ingenious methods whlch
the President employed to create ana los
fer a public sentiment which would compel
Congress to enact that measure, including
the publication Of the sensational report Oh
his special Investigation Of the packing
Industry. are well remembered; but the ex-
tent of government control and supervision
authorized by the law. which corners on
Federal inspectors the right or access Ut
any hour of day or night TO every pari
OF the establishment of any packer VINO
seeks to send his product across u otate
line or the national boundary and wnicn
positively prohibits common carriers from
TRANSPORTING any packing-house product
which does rot bear evidence OF govern
ment inspection, has been generally iost
SIGHT of in the widely felt relief that there
can no longer exist the appalling evils
which the law was framed to remedy.
The national food and drug act, Identical
in spirit with the meat-inspection law, ana
differing from 1t only in the methods EN-
ployed accomplish its purpose, constitutes
still another long stride in the direction
of Federal control. and goes far to bridge
the chasm between the unrestricted opera
lions of corparafions created by the state
and that Federal supervision which MI
Roosevelt regards as essential to the sue
cess of his party and the welfare OF the
nation. Taken together, these laws have
put into effect national supervision and
control Of a vast number of Industrial
operations, including all common carriers,
the meat, drug, grocery. canning, liquor
and numerous kindred Industries. And,
radical as have been these Legislative
measures. for the enactment Of which Mr..
Roosevelt Is almost solely responsible, the
dire results predicted by those engaged
in the interested industries have entirely
failed to materialize. and no one of them
has served even L. check tho steady prog
ress OF that general prosperity for which
the Republican party claims, and Is gen.
orally accorded, credit.
II may be objected TINT the recent de-
probation Of certain railway securities dis
proves. at least in part, the assertion that
the Legislative enactnents for which Mr..
Roosevelt Is responsible have promoted
rather than decreased the prosperity of
every industry affected, and certain promi-
nent railway managers have recently com
planned to the President that, as q result
Of his policies, the public has lost conf
dence in their securities, and that they
find themselves unable to raise the capital
needed to make those improvements of
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