Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1908-12-12
EDITORIAL COMMENT.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

The synopsis of the message OF President Theodore Roosevelt to
the sixtieth congress of the United States, now beginning its second
session, published on another page of this paper, is we'll worth the
attention of all our readers. We believe a synopsis better than
giving the message verbatim in this case, for in each section OF the
message the president Celebrates upon his theme, making a long
document Theodore Roosevelt is perhaps the most versatile man
who has ever been in the presidential chair-not, perhaps, that he is
our greatest president, for Washington, Grant; the beloved man of
sorrow, Abraham Lincoln; and our late revered Mckinley, all rose to
great crises in a manner which has made the name of American
respected by all nations. Roosevelt has not been face to face with,
and through, any such crises IS were these men, but his attention
has been turned more to economic and business conditions and de-
veopment And in handling the peace conditions of the country he
has shown a capacity for work, a quick understanding, and a gen
eral and correct knowledge of what was going on in all sections of
the nation and in all departments of his government which
has been at once the marvel and in some parts of congress, the
despair of that body. His messages are masterpieces-and fearless.
In the present message, I'll is significant of the absolute honesty
and fairness of the man that while making broader recommended
lions for the protection and welfare of the laboring man than any
prior president has ever done, he at the same time scores some of
labors leaders for their attack upon the judiciary of the United
States and their attempt to legalize the blacklist, the boycott and
personal violence in the name OF a strike. In no uncertain words
he states that the great Interstate corporations must be so super
vtsed that they observe both the letter and the spirit of the law, and
yet must be given opportunity to develop their various industries
to the greatest extent-in a legal manner.
He states that the administration o. justice must be prompt, and
sure, that the workingman may be on an equal footing with the
capitalist in the courts of law. And some of his most ringing SEN
fences are to the effect that in sickness, in disability, or in old age,
the man who has given himself, body and soul, to the government
service, n the service of the great corporations-worn out o Grip
pied himself in that servfce-shall be cared for by those to whom
he has devoted his best years and efforts. That is not politics. it is
not law, but it is right. 1t is Socialism which has been purified from
Socialism; Repubhcanism refined to troy weight, the utterance Of a
man who feels for his fellow men.
The presidents message also shows that he sees that the pros
periy of a nation is measured according to the development of
natural or acquired resources; that he sees that the natural re-
sources of the United States are greater than those of any other ma
ton of the world, that they must be developed, but at the same
time be developed in such a manner that they are perpetuated for
the benefit of generations yet unborn. And these resources, this
natural wealth, must be guarded so that no nation will ever try to
tresspass upon it, 1t is for this reason that he urges the construc-
ton of a navy which can not only hold its own, but defeat the navy
of any other nation of the world, and. an army which can equally
well protect its borders. 1t is for this reason that he believes the ma
tonal guard should be brought to the efficiency of the regular
army, practically huge body of patriots trained in military man
euvors and discipline, fully armed and equipped, ready at practical
y a moments notice to take the field, armed, provisioned and train
ed for actual combat All this is not for war, but for peace. The
banker does not leave his gold piled on his counters, but surrounds
IT with intricacies of steel, electricity, and cunning mechanical de-
vices so that the would be thief is repealed, not attracted. Our
army and navy is but a gigantic safe, warding off calamity.
Roosevelts last Ieuer-all his etters-show him not to be the
Roosevelt OF the big stick" but the man of peace, but who, like a
skilled physician, applies the knife to business, political and civic
tumors, not in anger, but in sorrow; not in warfare, bat thar healing
and peace may be the ultimate result; who applies precautionary
measures rather than to try to cure after a plague has broken out.