Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-12-24

to Congress Is very much like those he
has sent in before. 1t is like In its
needless verbosity and like in its sub
ject matter Indeed, very nearly a
quarter of the whole is made up of
extended quotations from previous mes
sages.
This much being said, it is needless
to add that the Presidents has again
discovered many familiar principles of
moral right, which his fellow country
men are hardly willing to accept as
novelties. Neither the repetition of the
passages be has clipped from previous
communications nor the new expletives
in which he INDUCES in expanding bis
views on these time-worn topics will
furnish excuse for his needless prolix-
ity of phrases.
Studied critically, the important sub
jects touched on in the message count
not more than half dozen or so. In
deed, Mr.. Roosevelt has confined him.
self almost solely to a renewed pres
entation Of his familiar views with re-
gard to the arrogation of federal au-
thority and the subordination of the
power Of the States. That is his mes
sage 10 Congress, in the main, at least.
Beside his Recommendation that the
federal government take control OF
many things we have heretofore
thought the constitution reserved for
the States, the message offers few sug-
gestions.
Most striking, perhaps, is the pro-
posal that the government shall finance
the political parties by providing cam
paign funds. Less novel, but more I'M
portant, is the call for an emergency
circulation, about which, by the way,
bankers are not at all agreed. 1t is
interesting, too, that the President
wants Congress to find lawful way
to levy an income and inheritance tax,
as also that he believes there should
be a revision of the tariff-but not now.
His concern in the army and navy, and
his desire for ship subsidy, are re
newals of past expressions.
What he tells Congress about the
need of developing the water highways
along with the conservation and devel-
opment of the other natural resources
of the country is timely and will COM
mand the grateful appreciation Of the
millions of people who have come to a
realization Of what can be done III reg
ulating railways by promoting river
commerce. 1t can be regretted that
the concrete suggestion OF fourteen feet
loaded with too comprehensive pro-
gram for a development of all natural
resources, but there is hardly need to
emphasize the criticism.
President Roosevelt's heart Is so set
on Capitalization of power in the fed
eral government that it Is for this, in
various phases, that he reserves most
of his thunder. 1t sounds resonantly
in his index and reverberates all the
way through the codex. For this the
President summons all his masterful-
ness Of manner; and it is not difficult
to realize the fire of enthusiasm that
inspires him when he pictures that
greater nation he would bring into be-
ing above the wreck of State sover-
eighty.
With business centralized, he insists
that control must be centralized as
we'll And for fear there may be some
who would suspect that the thought is
new with him he extracts some two or
three columns from his messages of
last year and the year before to prove
it is an old story. Again he tells us
that it is impossible to either give or
to get justice from the railroads unless
the national government assumes con
troll. Incidentally he admits that the
courts must ultimately define the limits
of State and federal jurisdiction, but
it doesn't seem to disturb him very
much that this must, after all, be a
fact.
1t is needless to enter into the mer-
its of the issue President Roosevelt is
crowding upon us in this passing COM
ment on his message. 1t is a living.
growing issue that the country will
hear more of in the days of the APP
preaching campaign If Theodore
Roosevelt is the Republican nominee it
will be the dominant issue in 1908, and
there remains ample time to discuss it
at length.-St- Louis Republic.