New-York tribune., 1908-03-26
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
President Roosevet's latest message to Con
gress ought to stir that body out of its fit of
lethargy and secure some legislation of real
importance at this session. The majority In
Congress has been acting on the theory that
with Presidential campaign impending a mega
tive record was safer and surer than positive
one and that an early adjournment would cover
a multitude of legislative omissions IN
doubtedly, rule, 1t is unwlse Tor po-
litical party to undertake far-reach1ng leglsia-
ton on the eve of a Presidential or congress
sional campaign The public often takes snap
judgment on a new law. not waiting to see how
it works but crediting instead extravagahl
psrtisan prophecies as to how it will work For
this reason chiefly The Tribune has cordially
approved the plan of revising the Dngley tarlH
at a special session of Congress to be caiieo
after March f. 1909. If tariff law can be
enacted by July l or 10, 1909-as the Dlnsiey
law was enacted before August at the special
session of 1S97-it will have fifteen monulS
trial before the next election for Congressman
is held. The country can then pass on lts opera
tions intelligently whereas no such posteriori
Judgment was possible in the case of either the
Mckinley act of 1890 or the Wiison-Gormah
act of 1894.
There would be decided objections to trying
to pass general tariff law at this session. bul
there are other briefer and easier tasks TO WHICH
Congress can profitably apply itself Inc freSl
dent names some of these and advises actoh
which will enlarge and strengthen the ad1nHdpie
legislative record made by the Republican major
ity In Congress in the last five or six years 1t
would be practicable. for instance. to repasS
tho common carriers liability law, recently de-
clared invalid by the Supreme Court because OF
family construction. The Supreme Court mas
noted the particulars in which the law OF l'oo
was unconstitutional and has indicated ciearls
what sort of liability law would be sustained
No difficulties can be encountered in drawing
and passing a remodelled act a law moull9lls
present practices in issuing injunchons Wouiu
also he virtually unopposed. The changes sug-
pested bv the President have been generaiiy
spnroyed and are in no way unreasonable. III
the tariff is to be revised next sprng-and the
nIstforms of both the great parties will prob
ably favor revision then-much helpful pre-
Iiminarv work can be done this year ana Cofl-
cress ought to devise plan for dong IL. IL Is
not very material whether a special commission
is created or whether the members OIL lhe
House Ways and Means Committee ana
the Senate Finance Committee conducl thc III
dufry with the help Of outside experts me
main thing is to collect the information needed
70 enable tho two houses to act on ample knowl-
od.a end with fairness to all interests. The
effect Of the passage separately at this session
of hill putting wood pulp on the free hst
would be probematical. 1t is generally uhuer-
stood that the Republican leaders in Congress
would greatly prefer dealing with the tarlh
question as a whole next year to attempting
revision now as to one or two detalis. More
over. there is no certainty that if we abolished
the tariff on wood pulp Canada would not put
an e,nort duty on it to protect her own sup
plies. in which case the proposed law Woulu
ONLY nullify itself
As 10 the other measures suggested by the
President. Congress can have no gooh reason
for not considering them now, or at least get
ting them in shape for action at the snort ses-
sion next winter. Both houses have aireauy
pretty thoroughly discussed the emergency cur
rency legislation embodied in the Aldrlch ana
Fowler bills. In its latest form the Aldrich bill
promises little good and may do little harm Inc
Fowler bill has no chance Of passing Inc
massage of a child labor law for the District OF
Columbia concerns Congress in its character as
a territorial and not as national legislature.
Restricting the employment OF chlld lanor Ill
Washington would be, however. a step IN the
right direction. Legislation for the protection
and improvement of our inland waterways Is
urgently needed and the creation OF an inland
system will become more and more an absorb
ing national task 1t would not be bad idea
for Congress to make a beginning along TINS
line Finally the Qualification of the Sherman
antitrust law should not be longer postponed
It is agreed that the law. as construed by the
Supreme Court, does things which 1t was not
Intended to do and is more sweeping than it is
discriminating or beneficial in many OF its pro-
hibltions President Roosevelt wants 1t modi-
fed so as TO exempt from liability comblna-
tions technically potentially in restraint OF
trade. which are in themselves neither unrea-
sonable nor harmful. No doubt this purpose
can be accomplished, and the country would
approve liberalization OF the antitrust law
which would allow more scope 10 combinations
made for legitimate purposes. but which would
still frown on combinations Injurious to the
pubIic because maintained TO eXtort excessive
prices or to restrain trade and production by
the use of such deplOrable and un-American
devices as the blacklist and the boycott.