The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-03
Optimistic Views Acquired
During His Western Trip Is
Reflected in the Document
To the Congress.
FINAL EDITING WAS
DONE LAST EVENING
And the Message, One-third as
Long as the Last Roosevelt
Document, Has Been Sent
To the Printers.

Washington, Dec. 3.-Carrying in ev-
cry paragraph the intense pride OF
man who has just completed an inspec-
tion trip through 30 states of coun
try with record crops and crowded
bank vaults, President Taft's message
went to the printers last night, finally
revised.
Short by comparison, concise and op-
timistic. 1t mingles the free and un-
hampered progress of the West with
the conservatism of the East and
unites them both.
Five hours were given by the presi
dent and his cabinet to editing the
document. and when this was conclud-
ed 1t was estimated that the message
will not exceed 10000 words in length,
or about one-third as long as Presi-
dent Roosevelt's last regular message
to congress.
Economy of administration is a
prominent feature of the message and
there already Is hearty cooperation
between the President and the leaders
of congress to reduce the expense of
operating the government.
Pork Barrel Is Shattered.
with a giant stroke the president
has sent the slaves of the old pork
barrel, so potent in returning men,
bers of the house to congress. flying.
Should the appropriations of the COM
ing session equal, as 1t Is held they will
do. those of the last. ft VIII Not be be-
cause of q spirit Of extravaganza at
the White House.
President Taft will leave the trusts
to a special message and the courts.
Two weeks ago definite changes in the
Sherman antitrust law were framed in
the presidents mind. But since then
1t was thought best to defer definite
recommendations on this vital ques-
tion until the determination of the ap-
peal in the Standard Oil case by the
Supreme Court of the United States.
Should this sustain the contention
of the government, as the president
says he is confident it will do, it will
have solved in great part the problem
of trust control.
Should the government lose its fight
to dissolve the Oil Trust, the president
can be depended upon to send to con-
gress recommendations designed to
stop the gaps, and II this becomes nec-
essary. there is a strong probability
that in the amending of the act it
would be made to exclude combina-
tions the intent Of which is not the re-
straint Of trade.
After Big Sugar "Fiies."
When the president reached the Su-
gar Trust there apparently came one
of those moments when he demon
strates that there Is something admir-
able behind the smile.
He has no care for the petty agent
in the game bag Of the law. The men
whom he wishes to reach are those
who worked out the plan of the great
est fraud with which the government.
has been called upon to deal in many
years.
There Is the snap of the lash and the
burn of words Of deep feeling in what
he has to say. II there be action for
congress to take, what the president
says of the sugar Trust will hasten it.
So broad has been the discussion by
the president Of his recommendations
for the extension of control by the
and railroad corporations are prepar-
ing to comply with them.
In a general sense. his treatment OF
the railroads conforms to the program
which he outlined in his speech at Des
Moines, Iowa. While the government
is reaching out and asserting new au-
thority over the railroads, they are
not to be sent from the steps of the
capitol empty handed.
What the Railroads Get.
In return for the control which the
president would have given to the in.
terstate commerce commission over the
issue Of stocks and bonds of the fl-
ture. the railroads gain steadily of in
vestment character and the right to
work together under not too stringent
restrictions.
Much OF the sting OF the proposed
control over issues of stocks and bonds
was removed when the president aban
doned the first form of his amend
ment. which looked to making the Law
retroactive in this respect He
thinks. or hopes. that his railroad con
troll amendments will not precipitate 3
contest which will he more than re
minder of the fight over the rate Law
which marked the break between The
odore Roosevelt and congress.
Greatly increased powers are to lie
with the interstate Commerce Commits
sion and the shipper may rest at ease
in the satisfaction of having obtained
redress which he has long demanded.