Daily New Dominion

The New Dominion presents to its readers, in this issue, the earliest accessible reproduction of President Roosevelt's message.

As the first state paper from the new President, the message has been anticipated with unusual eagerness, and will be scanned with critical interest by the entire country.

We may say in a general way that we do not think the message, as a whole, will disappoint the expectations of the country. The President is not regarded as a profound statesman, but he is believed to have very profound convictions upon any subject with which he has to deal, and to have the courage to express his views in a very direct and positive manner. We think the country will be satisfied to find that there is nothing very rash or radical in the message, even if it does not measure up in its tone and purposes to the highest statesmanship.

We believe the temper of the message throughout, will be regarded as fairly conservative. As a literary production it is equal to or above the average products of his pen with which the country is familiar. President Roosevelt is not a very lucid or polished writer. His style is a little diffuse and lacks vigor of expression due to want of terseness.

He generally says what he means, but there is often a suspicion of crudeness in his style that would suggest the amateur in literary work, and there is always the absence of the ornate or any attempt at it.

President McKinley surprised the country with his facility in the use of the pen, but his successor will not. Nevertheless the first Message is an improvement upon any specimen we have seen from the hand of the President in a literary way. It shows careful preparation, as well as very clear notions about what he writes.

Among the prominent features of the message will be noted that relating to Anarchy. And on this subject we may say that his recommendations will be considered wise and statesmanlike.

On the subject of trusts he has some very decided views, and while recognizing that it will not do to deal rashly with the business interests of the country, or to make war by wholesale on the trusts, we must recognize the good that is in them while not hesitating to deal also with the bad.

Faithful to his pledge to carry out the lines of policy inaugurated by his predecessor, he very fully commits himself to the policy of reciprocity. But there is a string to his committal in this behalf. He would not disturb the tariff. He would have reciprocity just so far as it does not interfere with the tariff income. He would, in other words, if he could, prohibit by tariff, the importation of foreign goods and at the same time not diminish the exportation of American goods. But how to promote exports and at the same time prohibits; or how to make commerce anything else than the exchange of exports for imports. he evidently has not worked out to his satisfaction. That is the conundrum that is just now troubling the republican party and the end is not yet.

The conservatism of the message will be attributed to the recommendations relating to the army and navy. There was a general belief that the President's policy on this line would smack of militarism. It does not in print, unless we read between the lines. We will wait a while to see what the President means on this head.

As to civil service we believe he is sincere and sound. We look for the President to satisfy the country on this subject, and we shall be greatly disappointed if he doesn't, even if his party is disgusted and divided by so doing.