The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-12-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE


The great present prosperity
for the country is frequently spoken
of in the presidents message tC
Congress, while nobody would
learn from reading of this docu-
ment that il was sent to Congress
in time of financial panic. The
panic" directly cuts little figure
in the message, and it apparently
has no effect upon the President S
purposes and policies. He repeats
former recommendations, "stand-
ing pat as the country confidently
expected. But the financial crisis
has this effect, that it induced the
president to quote extensively from
his former messages in relation to
'malefactors of great wealth, TO
remind the country of just what his
alleged assaults on business -
amounted to in fact, not by gener-
al description of what it was that
he had been saying but by citing
the language he had used in his
messages and speeches, for this mes
sage contains also extracts from
his Provincetown address, which
critics of the President blamed
more than any other of his utter
ances for bringing on the panic.
The quotations show what the
enemies as we'll as supporters OF
Roosevelt already knew, that he
defended honest business men and
methods at the same time that hs
denounced dishonesty, being care
full to balance one against the other
to avoid the very charge that his
critics bring against him.
Not a step backward is taken
nor word withdrawn and retract-
ed in the. message. If the Presi-
dents enemies are right, the panic
should be revived and become more
disastrous than ever following the ,
present message to Congress, which ,
puts the question to the test. He ,
urges more vigorously than eveo
the extension mot of federal au
thority, but OF federal activity
over business and corporations.
and advocates either federal char
ter act, the authority to the Inter
state Commission TO make valua
tion of railroads, the withdrawal of
coal, oil and other mineral public
lands. a national inheritance tax,
favors an income tax and suggests
as the measure of protection i'll the
tariff the difference in the wage
cost here and in competing
countrys.
Prohibition of corporate contri-
buttons to campaign funds and
publicity of the books of campaign
committees are advised by the
president, but he goes further and
favors government endowment OF
funds, campaigns to be
at government expense
with private contributions prohibit
ed This is an entirely new fea-
,urc, and so is the Presidents sup
port of postal savings banks and the
parcels post, recommended bv
Postmaster General Meyer, both
Of which propositions will have
much support in Congress. In his 81
message the President again proves d,
himself the special friend of the tr
lrmy and navy, by exalting their S,
Iervices to the country and urges OF
he nescessity of a strong navy, 70
veil disciplined and we'll paid, of al
md AT least the skeleton of regu b,
ar army"in time of peace. dT
On the latest and perhaps the d
.reatest of the Roosevelt poll
les, the preservation Of the ma
ional resources by irrigation, pre-.
ervation of forests, reforestation w
nd develomcnt of waterways, the tn
,essage is strong and earnest Sa
What the message says to the M
ountry is that the President stands
here he stood year or a month
90 without variableness or shad-
W Of turning.