1904 State of the Union Address

The 1904 State of the Union Address was submitted on December 6, 1904, by the 26th president of the United States. This was Roosevelt's fourth address.

1904 State of the Union Address

Date	December 6, 1904 (1904-12-06)
Venue	House Chamber, United States Capitol
Location	Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W
Type	State of the Union Address
Participants	Theodore Roosevelt
Previous	1903 State of the Union Address
Next	1905 State of the Union Address

Themes

Roosevelt noted the importance of continuing the industrialization of the country as the primary driver for wealth and progress. In terms of foreign policy, the President championed the First Hague Conference using it as a platform to improve relations with likeminded countries. Additionally, the President cited the Monroe Doctrine for guiding policy in the Latin and South American regions. The President notably said:

In asserting the Monroe Doctrine, in taking such steps as we have taken in regard to Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama, and in endeavoring to circumscribe the theater of war in the Far East, and to secure the open door in China, we have acted in our own interest as well as in the interest of humanity at large. There are, however, cases in which, while our own interests are not greatly involved, strong appeal is made to our sympathies. Ordinarily it is very much wiser and more useful for us to concern ourselves with striving for our own moral and material betterment here at home than to concern ourselves with trying to better the condition of things in other nations. We have plenty of sins of our own to war against, and under ordinary circumstances we can do more for the general uplifting of humanity by striving with heart and soul to put a stop to civic corruption, to brutal lawlessness and violent race prejudices here at home than by passing resolutions about wrongdoing elsewhere.