Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-25

To the Editor OF the Evening Ios'. -,
Sir:-From various parts OF lhe
State have received letters asking me
what l think of Col Roosevelts can
didacy. There being more OF such IN
quiries than l can answer separately,
you will oblige me by giving me space
for public statement of my views.
Col. Roosevelt and myself have long
been personal friends, and l have al
ways respected Ills many excellent
qualities very highly. When he was
first spoken of as candidate for the
governorshlp, | greatly wished and
hoped to be able to support him; and
it is no mere empty figure of speech
when | say with painful reluctance
/ have come to an adverse conclusion.
Although somewhat disappointed by
some things he did Immediately before
his nomination, / continued to hope
that he would, in opening his cam
paign, take a position entirely consist
ent with the character of a champion
of good government. and that, if lie
touched national questions at all, he
would at least refrain from making
his extreme imperialism one of the is
sues of the election.
I was much startled when I read
that in response to the declarations Of
the Republican state platform, eve
commend the administration of Gov.
Black; 1t has been wise, statesman
like, careful and economical" Col.
Roosevelt, in accepting the nomination
for governorship, went so far in his
concession to the Republican party
machine as to say: ''The record made
by the Republican adminisu alton in
the State of New York is a guarantee
that upon all questions involving the
property rights and interests and lib
erty of all citizens the Republican par
ty can be safely trusted" Consider
ing what the record of that admins
tration VIGOROUSLY is, Mr.. Roosevelt's
language betrayed a kind partisan spir-
it which has been fatal to many good
intentions such as Col. Roosevelt now
no doubt, honestly-avows in gener-
al terms.
But, while in this respect we might
still be inclined to hope for the best
We can hardly do the same with regard
to certain utterances put forth in his
speech at the Carnegie Hall meeting,
In which he sounded the key note of
the campaign" There he told us that
or his competitor will make the bet
ter Governor of New York, but that
by electing him are to declare to the
whole world that the State of New
York stands behind the national ad-
mlnistration in its annexation policy,
now far that policy may ever go. And
even more than that. He virtually
asks us to endorse, by electing him,
MS kind OF military imperialism, which
mas no bounds. According to him, we
need big navy and "a far larger reg
ular army than we now have" not for
the purpose of keeping order at home,
but for action abroad. The American
psonle' who, we have always supsg9Q2s@d,
s sung and energetic people in the
1u, aIe' according to him, in dan
ger Vi rustlng out" and of driftirg
a4.o stagnation, like that of China
ny IS AFRAID lest the soft. easv life"
Which, IL seems, the American neonla
s mave oeen and are now leading NAV
.n,pa1f tne hDre of the brain and bpart
ana muscle" He thinks that IN ayoid
90 SAD a fate we must have moro oc1
oupdtloh-that is, occupation abroad.
anu that we must constantly civ IN
tne harness and strive nightly evan
aI the risk of wearing out". and -
curse FOR this living in harness 80
STRIVING nightly big armies and ~
VleS@how big nobody can te1INwiu a.
very much needed. VII oe
repeat, such a programme aoo. -
yodld the mere present annevetio9,
.ne Fhlilppines. But extravaoap+ ns " -
llay seem, every one acouaintad 49,
INF. Roosevelt knows that This is tba
tning IN which he really believes anG
when Is nearest to his heart
IL may be said that as Governor ~
new York he )uld not have tho now
er 70 carry sucr ideas into effect Tbis
Is true enough But we have tn CON
slder that, sine those things have
Deen by him injected into this cam
palgn IN SO prominent-I might saw 60
ostehtaclous-a way We cannot elect
MN without seemingly countenancino
thls sort OF imperialism-at anv rate
We cannot elect him without imnrov-
Ing and encouraging the annnxation
poilcy so far as it may go at present
LOT that is what he has emphaticaIIv
told us his election is to mean. We
cannot elect him without making him
IN a large sense the spokesman of the
state CT New York as to these things
ana we may count upon it that he
would not be silent.
Moreover, it is by no means imnronar
to point out the fact that an election
to the Governorship of New York as
1t repeatedly has been, NAV become
again in Col. R0osevelt's case the stem
ping stone to the nomination for the
Presidency. Indeed, it is in eyerv-
body's mouth that if Col. Roosevelt
succeeds, it will be so. am there
fore, not dealing with a vague and re-
mote contingency, but with a question
or immediate interest which Will call
for actual decision in less than twenty
months, when | say that we have to
consider the probable effect Of Col.
hoosevelt's election to the Governor
snip from this point of view.
Col. Roosevelt deserves much honor
for his gallant conduct in the Santi-
ago campaign. He is, no DOUBT. one of
the bravest Of soldiers, and If | had
the power | would in case of another
war, give him a number of Rough Rid
ers to command, with perfect conf
dence that he would acquit himself
gioSiousy. But l would not put him
in position, nor open the way to a
position, in which he would exercise
ANY influence upon +hc foreign policy