The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-10
Tile Presidents Message.

Editor of The Times Dispatch:
Sir-The Presidents recent message
hard, pressed paragrapher, though we
should perhups not grndge tue latter
anything at all that may serve to
replenisll his drained receptacle OF
IDEAS. The fact H. that message seems
to, be taken very seriously by tn.
whole country, and the President, most
astute politician that he Is, voices
an overwhelming public sentiment that
| doesn't seem to have been III the lea5t
modified by the recent financial strin-
gency.
The echoes of the message tell us
two or three very significant things:
Dental election no reactionary need
apply. This is true of either party,
and we can feel certain now that who
ever Is elected. the Rooseveitian policy
Ultimate course. This ought to have
reassuring effect upon business, for
q reactfonary policy. with wealthy law
breakers in the saddle, would soon
mean very much more periious radi-
ealism than the kind we have, now,
and arc certain to have through an
other administration. The message
puts candidates of the Foraker can
non, Fairbanks and Parker stripe so
far out OF the running that they are
already forgotten.
1t also illustrates the absence of pres
idential timber In the South for With
aH cNCGpllpU, Oul SOullGlb
statesmen Of the older school arc Of
the ilassez faire variety--a doctrine
of politics which Just now has about
as much Influence on public opinion as
last years funeral. one of our lead
ing statesmen recently complained Of
Mr.. Bryan that he had too many ideas
Good heavens! send us an amiable In
vertebrate. or, better still. skilfully
carved gatepost. to lead us on to VIC
tory. Our prophets do not seem to
be able to read the signs. of the times.
This lis an era of new IDEAS, and God
save the country when the last new
idea arrives and passes on forever into
the splendid mausoleum of an en-
balmed conservatism. Let our young
err Southern statesmen cultivate new
and carefully digested ideas. compre-
eXigent civilization. and they will not
be nonentities in the coming days.
Governor Glenn, of North Carolina, is
an illustration OF tho kind of man /
mean.
In the present temper of the coun-
try how easy It would be to elect a
Bryan with his new ideas against a
Foraker with none. What are some of
those new ideas? Government owner
ship of, railroads. the Initiative and
referendum; adapted, you say. only
to community of ideal virtue and
Intelligence" and therefore bearing
the honorable objection OF being in
advance of the times. An effective
democracy of business opportunity,
regulation of public service corpora
tions, destruction of monopoly-the'
Republicans have purloined those new
ideas without so much as giving
thanks. trustee fund, with the gov
ernment as trustee, to guarantee bank
deposits, has become the policy of a State
and has run like wildfire into other
states before conservative" denounc-
ers could get their second wind. Mr..
Bryan is undoubtedly handicapped be-
cause, being constructive statesman,
he is thereby odious to the states
manship of the dead hand" and If he
is defeated again 1t will probably be
because of these dead hand" politi-
clans in his own party, but for whom
he may yet in the future himself put
into effect some OF the new ideas which
the present administration has borrow
ed from the inexhaustible fertility of
his genius. BENJAMIN c. MOOMLAW.