The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1908-12-16
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Condensed for Busy Readers
His Recommendations In
A Nutshell.

about thirty columns of THE CITIZEN, if
printed in our ordinary reading matter
type. 1t is however, readable through
out, for those people who have special
interest in governmental affairs, and such
will find it in full in the bulky daily
papers but the mass of the people will
hesitate to burden themselves with the
task of perusing it in its entirety, and for
such we offer its salient points in con-
densed form.
Mr.. Roosevelt first congratulates the
country on the fact that during his ad-
ministrations, notwithstanding the mill
ions spent on extraordinary projects in
Guiding the Panama Canal, the national
debt has been reduced ninety millions of
dollars, and the interest charge cut down
nine millions year, or about thous-
and dollars an hour.
Corporations, he declares, should be
under reasonable and firm control, but
he is in favor of the repeal of the Sher
man law, and the allowance OF certain
combinations under governmental con-
troll. Railroad concerns, employees and
shippers have equal rights, and exact JUS
tice most be guaranteed to each.
Interstate telegraph and telephone
lines should be absolutely brought under
the interstate commerce commission.
Unrestrained "individualism" as ex-
emplitied by captains of finance and in
dustry," and professional and irrespon-
sible corporation crushers and wealth
baiters Mr.. Roosevelt regards as equally
harmful to the general welfare.
Savings bank insurance, equivalent to
old age pensions, is recommended as
well worthy of study, while stock jobbing
and gambling are roundly denounced.
Federal judges should be paid more
liberal salaries, and Congress is asked to
accept the President S views on this point.
He does not deny that there are bad
judges and deprecates the fact that they
are menace to the whole structure of
social order and decency, nor does he
fail to condemn judicial hair splitting
and the miscarriage of justice through
legal technicalitles but he claims that
these flaws in the system furnish no war
rant for wholesale attacks upon the
bench.
Forest waste is subject which, as
might be expected, greatly interests the
President, nature lover as he is. He
shows how China is suffering from the
appalling desolation" resulting from a
wanton destruction of woodlands, and
declares that we are nation of fools if
we cannot be brought to realize that the
denudation of the mountains will event.
uate in the sweeping out of the soil of
plains and valleys by flood, and to know
that "when the soil is gone, men must
60"
MIR. Roosevelt again argues strenuous
ly for comprehensive, co-ordinated
national system OF waterways, but de-
nounces the foolish, wasteful and futile
expenditures in the ill-advised schemes
which have proved so expensive to the
country.
In discussing the amended law restrict
ing secret service activities, the President
handles Congress without gloves, and
deals out to the members of the House
such castigation as is without precedent
in the history of the country. He tells
them plainly that the law framed by
them was clearly designed to protect the
criminals among themselves, using
the word in its broadest and most Of
fensive sense, Then he ironically sug-
gests that if the members were really
trying to protect themselves they would
better now make only themselves ex-
empt from the detective operations of
the service, and not all the legislative
branches of the government.
Mr.. Roosevelt claims that every time
Congress lodges the parcels post prob
lem, the postal savings bank problem
and the government by injunction prob
lem, it finds it much harder to invent ex-
cuses for its dereliction.
New Mexico and Arizona, the Presi-
dent urges, should be Immediately ad-
mitted to the Union as new States; while
III Deldll VI our QUIET uepeHueHCleS,
Hawaii, he claims, needs harbors Porto
Rico, citizenship the Philippines guar
dian, and Cuba another chance at self
government The Panama canal, he
says, is progressing WITH speed, eflici-
ency, and entire devotion to duty on the
part OF those in charge of the work, but
no figures relating to cost are given.
Mr.. Roosevelt discusses the army, its
condition and needs at considerable
length, suggesting the elimination OF
men of "mediocre ability" in the higher
ranks, and declaring that the young Of
ficers in the service are able and COM
petent. He urges the building of four
more great battleships to form second
division of a squadron whose first will
be composed of the dreadnaughts North
Dakota, Delaware, Florida and Utah.
He denounces the "bureau contror' OF
tha nayv ond damandS that tho 6aod