The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-11-20
PRES. ROOSEVELT
SILENT AS SPHYNX
No One Taken Into His Conf
dence as to the Purport
of His Message.
NOT CONFIDENTIAL,
AS HERETOFORE
No Hint as to What New Leg
islation, if Any, He Will
Recommend.
Especial c6rrespondence.)

gkSpecldl correspondence
Washington, D. c., Nov. 19.-With
the approach of the meeting of the
new congress interest In the Roosevelt
trust policy increases. Curiosity is
being whetted to razor edge by the
strange silence of the president upon
the question. Old observation-disclosures de-
clare that no president has been as
frank, outspoken and less mysterious
as Mr., Roosevelt concerning the topics
and their treatment in his annual and
special messages to congress. Here
tofore he has taken into his confidence
on these important matters everybody
VINO has had claim upon his time
or attention. His messages, therefore
have been largely discounted by the
interests, general and special. involved
days and weeks before their delivery
and publication. But in the present
instance President Roosevelt is as ST.
lent as the sphynx, and quite as cryp-
tic. All sorts and conditions of men
nave tried in vain to get from him
some hint, be 1t ever so vague. as to
what new legislation dealing with the
trust question in its relation to inter
state commerce in his forthcoming
message to congress. But thus far he
has favored nobody, as far as known.
with the desired information. When
asked for an expression that might in
dictate the drift Of his mind of the goal
Of his purpose he shuts up like a clam.
to the infinite embarrassment OF his
1nquisitor, or abruptly changes the
subject
Presumably 1t Is understood that IL
is the privilege of the president of the
United States to lead in conversation.
This is particularly true of Mr.. Roose
welt. He has reduced II to fine art.
Verify he is the head of the table
wherever he may sit. He sets the pace
of discussion, and while he does not
show the utmost pleasure when Wis
ftor disagrees with him, at the same
time he displays keener irritation
whenever a caller agrees supinely with
his every suggestion. He is man OF
pugnacious character. Nobody likes
a fighter better than he. He would as
lief quarrel with clergyman on the
ology as with a politician on some
tpublic question of the moment or a
disputatious economic theorlst on a
lpet hobby. Representatives Of all
shades of opinion on every question Of
public interest have tackled him with
in the past fortnight on his forthcom-
ing message to congress, but to none
of them has he spoken single word
which may be fairly interpreted as in
Idicating either his matured purpose as
to anti-trust railroad or tariff legisia-
ton or the drift Of his thoughts on
these subjects. Therefore, all Wash
fngton as wondering what has come
over the spirit of his dreams.
One can hear all kinds of reports
here as to what the President proposes
to urge upon congress touching the
trusts the railroads and the tariff. AS
to this you pays your money and you
| takes your choice" The wise citizen
| is he who can patiently await the ac-
tual delivery of the message and then
| govern himself accordingly. BY this is
meant that what the president NAV
recommend will have a powerful, If not
a determining influence upon congress.
| The new body Of lawmakers is a more
distinctively Roosevelt congress than
any that has assembled under the dome
Of the capitol. 1t is conservatively
estimated that quite two-thirds Of the
house were elected as Roosevelt men,
irrespective of their nominal party af-
| fliatinns Nphndu A. 49,.
mendous import of this condition bet
ter than the President. Whether this
understanding Is having what for lack
Of better term, may be called a sober
ing effect upon him, is, Of course.
merely a matter Of conjecture. The
concensus Of opinion here, however, is
that this condition has increased his
sense of responsibility and that this in
turn has tinged his thoughts with a
finer conservatism than ever before he
has felt. It follows, therefore, that, ir
the judgment of Washington, the
President will not appear so radical in
his dealings with congress this winter
In point of fact, Washington Is almost
convinced that If things political are
to Mr.. Roosevelt's liking he will put
the breaks on his forthcoming mes
sage In other words, it is generally
expected here that, in the language of
Shakespeare, he twill coo as gently a.
a sucking dove on the trust, the rail.
road and the tariff questions in his an.
nual communication to congress.
BY the way it seems not to be gen.
orally known that the message he will
send at the opening of Congress will be
written because the constitution impos-
es that duty upon him That instru-
ment directs merely that the president
shall, from time to time, acquaint the
congress with the state of the union. y
In other words, the trainers of the con-
stitution had in mind only that the
chief executive should in this sense be
only the means by which the law
makers should be informed of the con-
ditions of the nation and its needs
Every president from the days OF
Washington has proceeded upon the
assumption that he was not merely en-
Joined by the constitution to aeQuaint
the lawmakers with the actual con-
ditions of the nation, but also to insist
upon the enactment of certain legis-
lation remedial of conditions which
may not jibe with his notions of the
fitness of things in particular and in
general. No president, with the posi-
BILE exception of Andrew Jackson, has
been as profuse in his recommendation
of remedies as has Mr.. Roosevelt This
statement is based upon the results of