Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-27
Congress Specializing on Atti-
tude of President During Clos
ing Months of Term
WILL ROOSEVELT "cuT LoosE"
Question Whether President Will Con-
tinue Demands for Progressive Re-
forms or Permit His Successor to
Deal With Congress and Important
Legislation.

Especial Washington Correspondence
Washington, Aug. 27.-Congress is
coming back to Washington in De-
cember, to face the prospect of eigh.
or nine months of the most strenuous
legislative experience that body has
ever known.
1t will have in anticipation the three
climatic months of the presidency of
Theodore Roosevelt. and everybody
anticipates that Mr.. Roosevelt, as
sort of parting momento will unload
on the legislative branch The choicest
collection of suggestions and insist
ences that he has ever put forward.
Then once done with Mr.. Roosevelt,
congress will find new man at the
other end of Pennsylvania avenue;
either Mr.. Taft or Mr.. Bryan, and
either of them will call an extra ses-
sion, and insist on the tariff being
attended to. Mr.. Taft has definitely
announced his intention and MIR. Bryan
is thought to have the same purpose
in mind.
1t is not too much to say that II
the country could see the advance
copy of the message which Mr. Roose-
welt will send to congress next De-
cember it would go far to determine
how the November election will re-
suit Will the president conclude that,
as this is his last congress session,
and a short one, he ought to be mod
est and conservative in his demands?
Or will he decide to unload one huge
burden of troubles on congress and ms
successor? Will he decide to let Mr..
Taft make the policy of the next adj
ministration? Or will he, as "a last
feeling reminder. deliver gatling gun
broads;de of ideas full of the spirit
of innovation?
What Will Roosevelt Say?
These are the questions which public
men are asking themselves. If the
president should decide to amass into
one broadside deliverance all the un-
enacted progressivism which he has
suggested in speeches or messages. he
would have outlined, in sort OF fare
well address, enough work to keep the
legislative branch of the government
busy for two or three administrations.
He would have set his stamp on apout
all the progressivism that could reas-
onably be expected to be brought Tor
ward in the next two quadrenniums.
The legacy of ideas which Theodore
Roosevelt will leave to the pupllc 10
consider and to congress to Wrest'e
with. will be second only to that which
George Washington and Alexander
Hamilton aggregated together into the
farewell address. President RooseVell
may decide to bequeath some such Ut
terance, setting forth In general ms
ideas of the demands which present
economic and social conditions 1orce
upon the consideration of the leglsla-
tive branch of government. 1t is reas-
onably plain that if he does this, ne
will provide all the program that the
government will need for some time 10
come: vastly more than 1T will conslo-
or if under the new order of things
II decides to be less pushing about lts
progressivism.
such a great climactic state paper
would probably in the end be the doc
ument by which the fame of Theodore
Roosevelt would be marked up OF
down. Marked up, if it should prove
that be were a prophet' Ilarheu
Gown, il events should decide against
Kim. and if his recommendations
should be rejected.
Congress Would Like to Know.
TIC begin with. it will noe be for
President Roosevelt to call the speclal
session of congress which will deal
with the tariff. The next president
will do that; therefore it cannot be for
mally called till after Inauguration ON
March 4. But whoever is elected pres
ident it is very we'll understood thal
congress- will receive au advance in
tirnation that special session call
NAV be expected. and members VIII
have no excuse for being taken by
surprise, and getting their summer va
cation plans disarranged and their
chautauaua speaking dates pied up, by
reason of an unexpected call to look
after the tariff woodpile. No, there
will be no shock, no surprise, no thls
is so sudden business about 1t.
With the assurance that his success
or will look after the tariff, President
Roosevelt will be at liberty to present
his views about vast array OF other
Questions. There are for example the
questions of inheritance tax and in
come tax. The president has declared
himself as favoring both these methods
of siphoning off some of the substance
of swollen fortunes. If he should IN
his message seriously discuss these IS
sues, and present some ideas as to the
nrogress other nations have made along
these lines, he would be leaving leg
acy of working opportunity which
statesmen would not soon forget.
There is especially good excuse for
such a announcement at this time.
because the government is going to
need the money.
IT will be recalled that when the
president first suggested these means
of raising revenue and also of checking
the agg1 egations of wealth, the treas
ury was showing an annual surplus
which a couple of generations ago
would have been ample to meet the
annual budget of the republic. There
was mighty little apparent excuse for
levying new taxes.
A Troublesome Deficit.
But today it is different. Not only
is there a troublesome deficit, but
there is prospect that II will continue
for some time ON top of this, tariff
revision--do as both parties
indicate it will be made-may be ex-
pected further to reduce revenues.
rrherefore the revenue argument will
be entirely in favor of the new taxes.
x.r,1