The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-08
factory assurances that the Speaker
will do the talking for both.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The annual message to Congress from
President Taft is very long. 1t is de
voted chiefly to routine, having nothing
in it Of the snappy, sensational char
actor that we have been accustomed II
of years past. On the whole, Presidcn
Taft seems pretty well satisfied will
matters as they are, and while urging
number OF propositions upon Con
gross, he does not urge those measures
very strongly, and Congress might rea
sonably be excused if it thought thai
he didn u want them very hard.
The message gets back TO the tradi
tional style of putting first and at con
siderable length the international rela
tions Of this country with the world nj
large. Everything in this line is peace
full and comfortable except for the
little ruction down in Nicaragua. That
however, will be easily handled in what
ever way the government wishes to
handle it; and there is no particular
sensation in it. We see that some OF
| the Eastern newspapers, assuming that
we shall demand heavy damages from
Nicaragua, favor the occupation of the
customs houses of that country by the
United States and the collection and
disbursement of custom dues, as we arc
doing in Hayti. Nothing of this
kind, however, appears in the Presi-
| DENTS message. But still, in the end
we may have to come to it if we really
intend to do anything for the good of
Nicaragua.
Tho President calls attention TO the
big treasury deficit in prospect, and
favors onergetically the proposition Of
building the Panama canal, not from
current revenues, but from bond issues,
this to apply as a general proposition
and to cover the whole Of the expense
of that work. This was what was
contemplated in the Spooner act, under
the terms OF which this country assumed
tho Isthmian canal project, The sale
of Panama bonds covering the whole
expenditure would recoup the treasury
in amount exceeding $60,000,000 in
ready money and that would be enough
for the present so that the financial
question, or deficit is not really very
pressing. Congress and the country can
afford to wait to see how the new
tariff act produces revenue before tax
ing any very decisive step other than
here indicated for the obtaining of
more money; the Panama bond sales
repaying what has been taken from the
treasury will suffice.
The President deals very optimis-
tically with the maximum and mini
mum rates OF the tariff act, declaring
that he does not expect the maximum to
be enforced upon any country as all will
probably make concessions that will
bring them within the minimum rate.
He appears, also, TO put much CON
fidence in his tariff board, evidently
intending to make it an effective factor
in the solution of the tariff question.
His assumption that this board will
be practically 4 tariff commission, the
idea of which was absolutely rejected
in Congress at the extra session, Will
be certain to stir up good deal of OPP
position in the Republican ranks in
Congress.
The President declares that there
must be economy in the army expend
itures without reducing the efficiency
of the force. He congratulates the
country on the spectacular voyage of
the battleship fleet around the world;
announces that plan is on foot for
the reorganization Of the officers of
all grades in the navy, and fore
shadows cut of $3S,000,000 in naval
estimates. Here, also, there will be
much difference of opinion, because
there is large element in this country
that docs not believe in economizing
on the navy, but considers that simply
as defensive proposition we ought
TO have the biggest navy in the world.
We should have navy in the Atlantic
strong enough to meet any hostile force
that could reasonably be calculated to
attack it. We should have the same
in the Pacific, force overwhelming
as against Japan or any other nation.
Undoubtedly, it would be the best econ
omy in the world to do this. Our war
expenditures in the trouble with Spain
could have been absolutely eliminated
If we had had competent navy at
that time, for in that case there would
have been no war, Just so if we had
an overwhelming force in the Pacific,
there would never be any trouble with
Japan; and if we have an adequate
defensive force in the Atlantic we are
safe on our eastern coast also. The
truest possible economy for this coun-
try is to have an overwhelming navy
in both oceans.
The President emphasizes in this mes
sage his declaration made in this city for
reform in court practice, so that cases
can be heard and judged speedily and
terminated absolutely with reasona-
BILE time.
If. -. ~ 4