The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-12-15
A Conservative Message.
It is Called Thorough and Business-Like.
Washington Special to Boston Globe. If

1t is Called Thorough and Business-Like.
Washington Special to Boston Globe. r.
No Presidents message has everssbeen
known to give universal satisfaction OF
to meet the approval of every man on
both sides of the house, but President
! Taft's message comes very near to doing
SO. The strongest criticism that has
been heard against it is that it might
have been shorter without having lost
any of it's force. With that exception
the general opinion is that the message
is straightforward business document
and is thorough resume of the affairs
of the government.
1t is very much the sort of report, said
one member of congress, that the Presi-
dent of great corporation makes to the
shareholders at the annual meeting. 1t
goes into the details that the sharehold-
ers have a right to know, so that they can
: tell whether their property is being
wisely and economically administered
and for the best interests of the persons
to whom it belongs"
Very much in this spirit the President
talks to the shareholders of that great
corporation known as the United States.
He deals largely with business. Foreign
affairs he views through the eyes of a
business man and the State department
to him is not a place where diplomats
plot and talk in whispers and scheme for
some other nations undoing, but where
business men, contrive how to expand the
commerce of the United States for the
benefit not only of the United States
but also for other States.
The efforts of American business men
and financiers to obtain share of the
recent loans made by China to build
railways in that country is to be viewed
from business standpoint and not as
a diplomatic achievement.
1.-The policy of this government in
these matters" the President says, ''has
been directed by desire to make use of
American capital in the development of
China as an instrument in the promotion
of China's welfare and material pros
perity without prejudice to her legiti-
mate rights as an Independent political
power"
In the same way the President talks
about the Canadian reciprocity negoti-
atoms.
The Argentine battleship contracts,
the President says, ''were secured for
our manufacturers largely through the
good offices Of the department of State,'
and so were the contracts for the Ar
gentine railway equipment and the
Cuban government vessels.
Evidently the President regards the
ideal department of State as manu-
facturers' bureau on large scale and
the more contracts the State depart
ment can secure for American manufac-
turers the better it is fulfilling its func-
lions.
The business-like view that the Presi-
dent takes of the government is confined
not alone to the State department. He
approves highly of the plan creating
commissions composed of experts so that
congress can be advised by ex perts in
stead of having to act on insufficient
evidence.
The Presidents recommendation in
favor of revision of the tariff schedule
by schedule after the tariff commission
has reported and has told congress what
schedules should be revised, does not
meet with the approval Of congress as
whole
Congress has never taken kindly to the
tariff commission, because it does not be-
lieve that any outside body should have
right to tell congress what it should do
about the tariff.
To the stand-patters in congress, and
despite the recent election there are still
some of them left to whom the very sug-
gestion of a tariff revision is odious,
while some of the insurgents want
wholesale revision rather than a piece
meal effort.
The Democrats are not prepared to
say whether they approve the Presi-
dents recommendation, as the policy of
the party on the proper way to revise
the tariff is still to be formulated.
1t is conceded that not much is likely
to come of the various recommendations
made by the President because of the
shortness of the session. Ship subsidy,
the fertilization of the Panama canal and
and the passage of the appropriation bills
will furnish work enough for this session.