Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-08

THE. PRESIDENT REPEATS.

The intolerable length OF the Prcsi.
dents message this year IL largely
duo to the method OF its composition.
In turn, tho method of composition is
largely due TO Mr.. Rooscvelrs extra
ordinary reverence for the form and
phrasoology, as well as the substance
Of his own previous utterancos. a ven
Grafton which impelG him not only to
assert over and oyor again the dcap
and doctrines no has previously OK.
pressed hut also IL prcsorve and re
peat with tedious fidelity the very
words of the Glriler expressions.
Those who think IL worth while to OK
amino critically the present document
with Wow to separating what is new
from what is old to It's contcnta win
encounter several somewhat Iis!bie
manifestations OF literary habit
Which secms 10 he growing upon Dir.
Rooeovelt as his satisfaction with his
own thoughts increases aud the re-
s'raining sense OF humor becomes
weaker In his case. Thus of the frst
four columns and half of the pres
ont message not less than two and Il
quarter columns. or fifty per cent,
consists of formal extracts from car
lior writings OF Mr. Roosevclt's.
frankly exhibited between quotation
marks; while much of tho other nifty
per cent. reduces itself upon analysls
20 outoparaphrasc. This part Is only
the prcpylaeon, so to speak. OF the
| colossal verbal structure which NJ
Rooscvclt's literary industry has rear.
| I'D for this occasion; and yet we risk
| no conjecture that these Introductory
passages. in great part Unnecessary
because they are mare repetltions. oc-
! cnpy more space tban all four of tho
ANNUAL messages in which Thomas
Jefferson. himself person OF consld-
Arahie literary cnergy. gave to tho
Congress information of the state OF
he country during the whole OF his
FIRST term as Chief Magistrate. More
| over. tho curious student will find
| that Mr. Roosevelt. not content with
very extensive citations or q formal
md Acknowledged character from his
1revious writings. actually resorts to
tho sly practices OF the conscious
niaSiarist in order to Introduce np-
parcntly as new matter that which he
has verbosely said before Wo ri.
most blush TO make this charge. but
II Is nevertheless true. For example.
the passage in the annual message
which relates to the income tax and
ne Inheritance tax actually is
| lifted bodily from an address nj
Jamestown. The President does
not quote" his former remarks
" refer in any way to the fact
NJ their presentation last GUNNER to
M unofficial body or citizens. He in
! corporates In the official message PAR.
ograph transcribed almost verbatim.
hut here and there exhibiting those
| slight and otherwise insignificant
changes of propositions and other mi
nor parts of speech which in tho case
u deliberate rlacarist of the words
VI another denote consciousness OF
no disrcputable act. OF course Mfr.
| Noosevelts right Is undoubted to use
his own thoughts over and over again
% any extent. either with or without
| he symbols OF previous publication
We are not questioning that right or
wen the ethical p-opriety of its un-
limited exercise We do insist. how
ever. that by yielding 10 the vice of
excessive admiration Of what he him
self has said before Mr.. Roosevelt is
'weilng his mcssages four or Eve
tsmcs beyond their normal dimen.
s'ons and killing public interest In
'hcir appearance as documents of
| record.-New York Sun.