The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-01
MESSAGE STIRS UP
RADICAL SENT INTENT
OF WHOLE COUNTRY
Will Raise Squarely Issue
Between President and
Congress.
Far Reaching Effect on
POliticS-Taft Men
Worrying.

President Rooseveit's message to
Congress - accepted as the most
vigorous declaration of the demand for
the accomplishment along the lines Of
his policies that has been voiced during
his administration. It had been known
Tor some days that the message was cal
culated to stir to its depths the radical
sentiment OF the country. The President
has taken various callers more or less
into his confidence. and at tires has
talked quiet freely about what he had in
mind 10 say. Without admitting that he
was going 10 voice these views in che
communication to Congress, he has al
lowed listeners 10 gather that impress
sion.
The political effects Of the message
naturally come in or first consIdera-
ton. In pointing out that the work of
constructive accomplishment along pro-
gressive lines IS not completed, but only
begun, and in urging that progress must
continue. the President has shattered
the bulwark Of defense which has been
set up in excuse OF the do-nothing pol
icy Of the present session Of Congress.
Raises Question Of veracity.
It has been repeatedly urged. by peo-
pie defending the disposition OF Con-
gress TO accomplish as little as possible
toward fulfiilment Of Roosevelts pro-
grams this session, that there was an
understanding. reached months ago,
that nothing much should be done on
the eve Of the Presidential campaign
The President has been quoted as a
party 10 such an understanding. The
message is calculated 10 raise an issue
OF veracity- with people who have been
taking this position. The President
makes clear that he wants more ac-
COmpIishment, and that he he doesn't
expect to allow the present long session
10 pass without anything done. and not
protest.
Il IS known positively that there was
strong oppos don in the Cabinet u put
ting out such a message at this time
II was based on various grounds. some
Of them involving the fear Of injurious
effects on business. and others, il j.
said, being political The Presidents
Cabinet advisers are said 70 have bee.
substantially united in opposition 10 the
putting out cf such az utterance at this
time, and the President overruled all
Of them.
Wide Range of Subjects.
The message is considered to raise.
squarely and unequivocally. the issue
/ between the Presidents policies and
those who have been disposed TO put the
/ brakes on his program OF enacting thOsa
| policies into law. AS a peg on which
/ 10 hang his discussion Of general issues.
/ the President has used the employers
I liability legislation. which the Supreme
/ Court a few days ago held TO be uneon-
/ stitutional. There would have been no
/ serIC as opposition to a message demand
/ ing that this act be an @nded into sJch
I form as would meet rEc objections OF
! The court But the President discusses
I a wide range Of other subie It's, inClud-
I ing aspects OF the relations Of covers
/ ment 10 the great corpC rate interests
/ and il was as 10 the advisabi-ity OF this
/ par Of the document tTat questions
/ were raised.
I IN TAFT quarters there is frank con-
] Germ about the eject OF the message
/ For something Ike a fortnight there
! mas been evidence of q disposition q
I make one more effort 10 force the third
( term movement into prominence. The
people who fear such a movement, AND
/ similarly those who favor IL, have beer
/ equally concerned about the proba bl,
political effects OF the message. Evi
deuCe has been accommodating rapidly
| that many people who are following the
Taft procession are doing so not be
cause they prefer Taft, but because il
! seems TO be travelling the road tina
leads TO their own political safety.
Revives Third-Term Talk.
They would be glad of an excuse .
I - H.
OF them, indeed, would be willing I
assent to any development that woul
weaken the demand that they stand b
Taft. even If It did not promise anothe
term Of Roosevelt. The truth is tina
the politicians IN all parts of the coun
try want to see the next nOminatio
made in the convention, not before tn
/ convention meets. They want a han
in making it; they want the Opportunit
/ Of doing some trading and manipulatin
I which they hope to turn TO political aC
I vantage in the future. They are read
to- seize on anything which will civ
! hope Of securing to them this Cppol
/ tunity. and just now the President
call to arms for a further effort !
behalf OF his program looks like u
/ opportunity they have wished.
Between the utteTanceS of GOvernC
, Hughes and the President the Taft 70
lowers are naturally concerned lest th
effort to organize all prOgressiveS bac
of Taft may eXpeience a setback NJ
since the President reissued his r.
:. nunciation of another term, has thel
been anything like so much third-terl
talk as right now.
The psychology Of the latest Pres
Dental message to Congress is just no
receiving much attention. Why di
the President send rather a tame an
non-combative message to Congress
the opening Of the December session
% be followed almost two months late
by the fleTcest deiiverance Of his AZ
llinistraticn? That is what everybod
is asking
The best explanation is that the Pre-
idcnt originally intended to send Il
red-hot message in December, Dut TIL
the October money panic restrained hin
He sent q different document tna
would have been communicated in di
ferent circumstances.
The December message was follows
| By defamation that there was
agreement that this should be a lis
/ less session; that just before a Pres
| Dental election was no time for q
! vance legislative programs.
| Then came the era of boisterous abu
| of the President. His enemies we
| never SO busy or bitter as during &
weeks following the deliverance OF Z
| December message He was attack
| on every hand, as he himself describ
|