The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-04-05

His FORMER s~ttcranCcs Show no
~tcptio TO DO Anything TO Injurc
Pathway Sccuritic~-DFis Raleigh
Speed, Quoted TO Show His Pres
unt Attitude on Government Own
cr,3lip and ControI-Oppo9c, the
FORMER While Advocating the
ge1tcr.
washington April 1.-President
Roosevelt has decided not 10 accept
fnc invitation IF the Illinois N%anufac-
tuners association TO deliver a speech
Al Springfield, Ill, on the railroad
SITUATION. He addressed . letter yes
to-day t. {. II. Smith, president Of
t.ao association. stating that it would
sG ira possible for him t." accept their
Invitation. extended last week, be-
satlsc ne did not feel that he had any
tt,tng TO SAY OF this time in a special
address On this special subject.
Ehe president has received Il great
auLnber Of requests for q statement
by him OF a speech to be made by him
in connection with the railway situa-
ton. he has given these requests the
almost weight and most careful con-
aidCration. After fully looking into
the matter, the president informed
his advisers that he had nohing to say
at this moment on the railway situa-
tioR, that he did not deem it either
wise or proper TO say anything with a
vitpw to any Immediate situation in
1taH street and that as he should only
$jyc expression to the definite n
setAed policy to be carried out wholly
without regard to the eXigencies of
the mSacnt and IS his views on the
noAicy in question we're already a mat
ter Of record. it die not seem necessary
at 3his tirae to repeat them.
The statement was made from an
authoritative source today that
"even u most cursOry examination Of
vita. the president has repeatedly said
~ speech and message viii show
thr Uttar nonsense of suppOsing the
government has the. slightest intention
take aax action which VIII inValidate
ig,e safety ard stability oil the rail-
Van securities now issued, the whole
Legislative programme of the president
haVias bec;r proclaimed again and
a-1is as one t insure the future
against mistakes and delinQuencies
ct thc past. The president holds that
every ~e>'tutiVe action, taken under
his ada.iniStrIt on, whether by the de-
paEca1ent f justice OF by the inter
Steta commerce &C mmissiOn, haS fur
sish~A rs own aTHplt Justification"
It a tie stated on authority that
the president again will ask congress
&C its 1ext session, for power to- deal
usaaA Ene question of over c~apitaliza-
taSA OF railroads. A similar request
wtsaS made at the last session, but fav-
erat4s action was not taken upon
It.
IH nis letter to Mr.. Smith. the
president encloses copies Of the speech
az made at Raleigh. North Carolina.
Gctsber 18th. 1905, and the one he
ddivcaed before a delegation of rail-
wIg employees in this city on No
vesn Der II, 1905, together with his
&est messages to- congress at the be
sARniRg of h first and second SEES
Soas Of the last congress. The presi-
dcRt concluded his letter to Mr..
SHlith aa follows:
"Ysu will see in the two speeches
add The two messages that 1 have
said about all thai I would if 7 spoke
nov. As i said to YOUR body the other
day, L nave already expressed again
y aRd again my carefully thought out
beliefs. L am more firmly than ever
convinced that these beliefs are wise
md that the policy recommended
in ray messages at the opening of each
Of the last regular sessions of congress
must be carried out"
The portions of his speeches and
messages which the president marked
are as follows:
IN his address n Raleigh, the pres
ideslt said: I do not believe in gov
eminent ownership of anything that
can with propriety be left in private
hands. and in particular I should
most ~strcnUOuslY object to govern
ment ownership of railroads. But 1
believe with equal irmness that it is
cut of the question for the government
aot to exercise a supervisory and
regulatory right over the railroads:
for it is vital to the well being of the
public that they should be managed
in a ST 3rit Ct fairness and justice
toward all thu public. Actual expe-
rienCe has sbc0n that il * not possible
10 'eave the railroads uncontrolled
Such q system. CT rather such n lack
Of sNstt7n. j. fertile in abuses Of ev-
!. er; kind, and puts (. premium upon
. INSCRIPTIONS and ruthless cunning in
railroad n:.n!g:r-trt: for there are
ssu,p big SINNERS and some railroad