The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-12-08
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THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The tendency of Presidential mes
sages, like the duration of Vermont
Legislatures, is to grow longer, and the
annual message of President Taft, an
abstract Of which is printed to today's
Journal, Is very long document. The
natural excuse is that this is a very
great country with interests many and
varied, and they cannot even be
touched upon in brief statement.
If any reader is looking for a doc
ument that is sensational he will be
disappointed, for it contains no cpl
thets and no exclamation points. In
NO sense is it partisan document
and the President makes no attempt
to sound a Republican rallying cry.
Rather, it reads like the annual re-
port Of the worlds greatest business
corporation to its ninety odd millions
of stockholders, reviewing the opera
tons and the needs of each depart
ment. 1t is a sane and dignified State
paper and is constructed along the
lines that such a message should fol-
low when no emergencies threaten the
Nation. The underlying note is eff
ficiency and economy, and while these
are less sensational, less strenuous and
less Socialistic than the New Nat
ionalism," so-called, they ought to find
a warm response in the hearts of the
great body of the American people who
still love the old fashioned virtues of
thrift, honesty and sobriety.
The reference to the efforts made
in behalf of international peace shows
that America is leading one of the
greatest possible movements for the
betterment of the world at large. The
review of our relations with foreign
nations indicates gratifying condition
of good will and amity. The outlook
for closer trade relations with Can
ada is excellent and it is hoped that
before another year passes recipro-
city treaty, mutually beneficial may be
concluded. The President significant
ly alludes to the time in the near flu
ture when our manufacturers and
merchants will need the foreign mar
kets.
The large opportunity for lessening
expense by discharging needless Off
Gals, abolshing useless customs dis
tricts, navy yards, etc, is a wise
policy of economy that should be
needed and Republicans should not
leave this reform for their political
opponents to accomplish
The President admits that some of
the criticisms of the Payne tariff act
have been just, but he considers that
it has never been surpassed as an in
come producing measure. He proper
ly lays great emphasis on the value
of the Tariff Board and the import
ance Of considering the levying of du-
ties as a business and not a partisan
question. The Journal believes most
emphatically that the position of the
President is absolutely sound and
right and that it is the only tenable
position that the Republican party
can occupy.
The President is satisfied that the
Panama Canal will be completed well
within the time fixed by Colonel Goe-
thals, to wit: Jan. /, 1915, and within
the estimate of cost, $4,000, 600" He
strongly favors fortifying the canal
and recommends that canal tolls shall
not exceed 81 per net ton. In order to
preserve a healthy competition he
would prohibit interstate railroads
from owning or controlling ships en-
gagged in trade through the Panama
Canal
Again the President calls attention
to the great need Of cheapening the
cost of litigation by simplifying judi
cial procedure and to the "woeful dis
advantage" which the poor man suf-
fers in q contest with a rich corpora
ton. He points out the fact that the
Supreme Court is burdened with many
cases that ought not to be brought be-
fore them for review.
The abuse of the franking privilege
certainly is a crying evil and the
President does well to call attention
TO that abuse IS we'll as to the need
Of putting higher rate on magazines.
The Presidents we'll known attitude
on this latter subject is believed by
some to explain the bitter hostility to
the administration on the part of some
of the magazines. Many persons will
be pleased to learn that the message
favors the introduction OF the parcels
post on rural delivery routes.
Conservation is adequately treated
and the President properly urges that
the subject should not be treated as
a partisan one. The creation of a
Bureau of Health is favored. The
President believes that the agitation
against this proposal is wholly un-
warranted.
What the message says on economy