The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-12-05
THE MESSAGE.

When Theodore Roosevelt retires
from the presidency he will leave be-
hind him as remarkable a series OF
state papers as any American Presi-
dent has ever penned. By this we
do not mean to say that Roosevelt
is the greatest President, but merely
that he has dealt with the problems
that have come to him in clear,
frank, fearless way. His language
is never evasive; his meaning is al
ways plain 1t needs a man of some
courage, to state it mildly, to can
didly remark to congress that year
preceding a presidential election is
not the time to tinker with the tariff
Most men in the presidential chair
would have phrased it differently.
This characteristic frankness has
given him his entrenched place in the
great heart of the American people,
and has provided his enemies with
powder for their campaign of attack.
The message sent yesterday to con-
gross is not as remarkable a docu
Tent as the message of 1905, or even
the more remarkable message of
1906. Those stand out as two origi-
nal treatises on government. The
present message borroWs much from
them, and it is far from being the
presidents strongest utterance.
AS usual, the president drives
straight to the core of the problems
that most interest the country-cur-
rcncy reform and trust legislation,
Ee insists that the countr.- is sounI
and that any stoppage of industrial
progress is foolish. In which, Of
course, he states the obvious. He
answers his critics who hold him re-
sponsibIe for the late furry by say
ing;
when the m;sdeeds of successful
~ dishonest men are discovered, SUI
fering comes not only upon them but
upon innocent men 1t is
painful awakening whenever it oc-
ours.
No especial currency is urged, but
the possible benefits of emergency is
sue under heavy tax is suggested
The presidents utterance on the
trusts problem goes farther than it
has ever gone. before. He recog-
nizes this as the age of combination.
He does not seek to eradicate that,
but he would have a law that would
prevent an evil combination and ut
terly restrain monopolies. It is
large task. Whether it can be ac-
complished is a question. He is on
the verge of an incorporation license,
leaning strongly to that idea. He be-
lieves in the national control of in
terstate railways. insisting that not
only the people but the railwa Js
themselves would profit by it. lie
deems this wise Capitalization.
The presidents discussion of most
other topics runs along the lines Of
his previous statements. There IS
not space here 10 compass it all He
amplifes his views on the forests; on
inland waterways and reclamation
work; on the needs of the army and
on shipping conditions. paying espe-
cial attention to ocean mail service
which will arouse some clamor
from the opponents of ship subsidy
He insists on the value of the Paci-
fic cruise, saying that "our coast line
is on the Pacific just as much as on
the Atlantic" and that the Interests
of California. Oregon and Washington
are as emphatically the interests of
the whole Union as those of Maine
and New York, Louisiana and Texas"
statements which will be contro-
verified only in New York. He urges
an appropriation for government
exhibit at the Alaska-Yukon exposi-
ton. He asks a simple form of local
self-government for Alaska-which
will not please certain Alaskans.
While the message is Just bit dis
appointing in its repetitions of prior
opinions, it is intensely interesting,
like all Rooseveltian utterances.-
Tacoma News.