The Washington times., 1913-04-09
THE PRESIDENTS FIRST MESSAGE.


not little complaint Mr. Wilson's tendency to
limit his speeches to eloquent generalities. In the
few addresses he made as Presdent-elect he was
no more specific. Some few people felt and re-
gretted the absence, even in mis- inaugural of the
fire of concrete suggestion
But it was at least believed that when Congress
should come together to enact into law what Pres-
dent Wilson himself has again and again claimed
to be the dominant doctrine of the Democrttic party
his message to it would outline in no uncertain
terms his ideas of the basic principles which his
new tariff legislation should be nodded. What he
has had to say has been greatly accentuated by the
fact that departing from a century-od practice he
has delivered his message in person and by word of
mouth. Under such circumstances it is not too much
to say that the public had the right to expect as it
certainly did expect, speech notable not only be-
cause of the Presidents unfaling eloquence but for
its force as guide to the Democratic lawmakers of
the nation.
Eloquent the message is. Sound it is. 1t car
res to the reader sense of profound sincerity and
great determination. No one-Republican, Progress
i've or Democrat-who does not believe that the
tariff should be made the vehicle of open and fla
grant favoritism could take issue with him on any
sentence in it, But that very fact proves how thor
oughly he has again confined himself to epigram-
SeneTalltleS. AS All enumeration OF prln-
cples, guide to the concrete solution of great
economic question according to Democratic ideas,
a message can scarcely serve which must command
the Endorsement of Of all parties irrespective
of their utterly divergent views as to the purpose
of tariff imposition.
To see how widely the President has departed
from the methods of his predecessors, how different
view he takes Of the purpose of message to Con-
gress, one need only to glance at the sedge-hammer
recommendations in Cleveland's communication to
the Fiftytrd Congress at its opening session. That
message nodded in itself the outlines of the forth
coming tariff BILL at least as they before the
process of mutilaton began. Were three Congress
men, each with President Wilson's message in his
hand, to retire to their and draw up tariff
measures in strict adherence to the principles he
enunciates, but without preconceived ideas to low
or high tariff doctrines about how little would the
resultant measures differ in their most general
plan of treatment of the tariffs concrete problems
In this particular instance it happens that side by
side with the message the public can study pre-
pared tariff bill which has his concrete Endorsement
This embodies his economic ideas of ariff-making
The message outlines the psychology and ethics of
the business 1t may serve as potent restraint to
recacitrant Senators in their quest for special ex-
emptons; and if it does this it will have proved its
value. But the time may come when the Presi-
dent will feel called upon to address to Congress
some message asking for legislation not yet drafted
Then, at least, the public will expect him to forget
theory psychology, ethics, and even perhaps elo-
quence and get down to brass tacks.