Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-26
President Has Been Outlining
It in His Mind.
GATHERING HIS MATERIAL
Putting Views on Paper Question Of
Time and Opportunity.
ANTITRUST LAW AMENDMENT
Chief Executive Seeking All Possible
Light on the Subject-Western
Opposition to Changes.

President Taft is breaking nearly al
presidential records in his delay on his
first annual message to Congress. UI
to this time he has not written a line OF
the document, which is expected to be a:
voluminous as any of recent years. The
President has. however, built up in his
own mind the framework of the message
and putting the material paper is
merely a question of time and opportuni-
ty Any time in the next day or SO he
is likely to call in Assistant Secretary
Mischler, and begin debating the mes
sage. Then he will work rapidly and
complete it. His habits are to delay
discussion of subject until he has all
material in hand and then he puts II
together rapidly. President Roosevelt
on the other hand. dictated portions OF
his message many weeks in advance OF
the assembling of Congress and the doc
ument was frequently ready for printing
two weeks before Congress met. Copies
OF it We're given to the press associa-
tons in advance, under the seal of con-
fidence, so that they could be distributed
10 the newspapers without the trouble
and expense of sending the message by
wire at busy period. Many of Mr..
Roosevelt's most important messages to
congress were in the hands of the press
three weeks before their delivery to Con-
gress.
President Taft's message will 20 to
congress one week from next Tuesday,
the second day after Congress assemblies.
Printed copies of the message will be
placed upon the desks of senators and
representatives at that time. The Presi-
dents manuscript is not likely to be in
the hands of the public printer before the
middle of next week. Although there will
De sufhcient time for printing for the
use of Congress, the advance copies for
the press will be much behind the usual
time.
President Taft has been holding back
the work upon the message until he could
confer with republican leaders and law
Hers as TO proposed amendments to the
interstate commerce acts and the Sher-
man antitrust act. He has also been
waiting for several important documents
dealing with the subject.
Difficulty Of Amendment.
AS to the Sherman antitrust law the
President has sought all possible light. He
realizes that amendments to that law
must be handled with the greatest care
Not only is the difficulty serious from
the viewpoint of law and the effect upon
business, but there is among the western
radicals growing opposition to any
tiHkering with the Sherman law at ALL
Some Of them are trying to convince
themselves that amendments are designed
10 let up on the trusts. even if these
trusts be now considered engaged in legiti-
mate business. President Roosevelt,
whose trust-breaking record seems to be
overlooked in his absence, was himself
an ardent advocate of careful amend
ment OF the law, restricting its operations
so as to remove legitimate business from
its shadow.
President Roosevelt, however, never Of
fered any plan that could be specifically
credited to him. The westerners fear
that the making of the amendments will
rest with Aldrich and Cannon.
Boutell Upholds Cannon.
Representative Boutel, who called on
the President today to introduce some
friends. deprecates the bitter opposition
TO Speaker Cannon shown in some quar-
ters. and says that the election held in
tie sixth Illinois district the other day
shows that the mass of the people believe
in Mr. Cannon. This election resulted In
a big victory for William Moxley, who
made his campaign on platform of sup
port of the Speaker and confidence IN
him.
Mr.. Cannon has never been as strong
before the thinking people of the country
now, declared MIR. Boute1l, anu
many men now engaged in attacking him
Will live to regret their work. I once met
two men who had been bitter in their
hostility TO Lincoln. One of them told
me he would give his right hand if he
could blot out the things he had said
about Lincoln. This will be true of many
men now engaged in public life
Where Is That PieP
Still that much advertised pie remains
a mystery. No word trace of it has
yet reached the White House. and presi-
Dental digestive anticipation has been
overworked waiting for it. The pie is
said TO have left Newark, y. j., two
nights before Thanksgiving, sacredIy
guarded by three bakers. Secretary Car
penter had telegram today from a
Newark newspaper asking about the
Whereabouts of the pie. He was not
able TO furnish the paper with accurate
information.
Wants to Be Chinese Minister.
a well dressed intelligent-Iooking young
man, evidently on the verge of a nervous
breakdown. went to the White House to-
day to ask the President for the position
of minister to China \ White House Of
fetal discovered his condition and advised
him To return to Chicago, where he has
been living for the past three months
The young man has been a teacher I'm In
dianapolis public schools and his mother
and sister now live in Peoria, ILL.,
President Taft is too busy to sit for
portraits. Maruuise Cecelie de Went
worth the Paris painter, asked for a sit
ting to make a painting. but was informed
That the President cannot spare the time
now. The painting has been referred Ia
as intended for Yale but II Is said at the
hat ic