The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-09-07
ROOsEYELr,s sPEECH.
Gov. Roogevelt gald in part:

In this campaign the issue OF over shad-
owing Importance is whether we shall
continue or abandon the governmental
policy Whichshas brought this coun try to
the highest pitch OF prosperity at home,
and which has kept the national honor
unstained both at home and abroad TO
deliberately undo the work would be to
disnOnOr the national reputation and Ito
throw us into dreadful industrial chaos.
The Kansas City platform commits our
opponents TO a policy which means mate
rial disaster and moral disgrace; which
means violent panic in the business
world, and therefore widespread and
prolonged misery among all our people;
which further means upsetting the courts
the violation Of the nation faith in
financial matters, and the unworthy
abandonment Of our duty abroad.
II you think 1 am using strong Ian
guage, let me read you from Mr. Carl
Schurzs' speech in Chicago, Sep6em Der
9th, 1896, in which he says:
land at what price will the ultimate
result be gained in case of Mr.. Bryan S
election? At the price of the most violent
and destructive crisis on record, such a
crisis as can only be brought on by a sud-
Ceen subversion OF the standard OF values
and of the whole business credit At
the price of indefinite business paralysis
and distress, At the price of the ruth .
less spOllat1On OF the savings accumulated
by the toiling masses. At the price OF
rObb1ng our war veterans OF half the
value OF their pensions, at the price of
greatly increasing the number of unem
ployed by d1scouraging enterprise and of
curtailing the value Of wages OF those
remaining at work. At the price OF the
respect of the world for our tnteII1g ence
ana practical sense, And worse, far
worse than all this, at the price CT some
thing that has never been forfeited since
this republic was bOrn-at the price OF
~
and for the preservation Of which II
should shed its last drop Of blOOd-aH the
price Of our national honor. For this
nation, so rich and powerful, would stand
before the world as a WantOn, reckless
repudiator, as nothing better than a
fraudulent bankrupt. This Will be the
cost of the experiment. Are you willing
to pay this price?'
Fellow citizens, it is a CARVE matter, a
matter of vital import to the existence OF
this nation. The public men who teach
such moral principles to the people, edu-
cate the people for the contempt and alb
hOrrence of mankind. The nation that
accpts such moral principles cannot live.
1t viii rot to death in the loathsOn0e stew
Of its own corruption, IL the nation
adopting such moral principles be this
republic, it VIII deal death blow Co the
credit Of Democratic Institutions, from
which the cause Of free governments Will
not recoverfor centuries.
Now mind you, the platform Oh which
Mr.. Bryan stood in 1896 has been re-
affirmed without the alteration of a
letter and with an explicit reaf6rnation
Of the free silver plank to which MIR.
Schurz particularly referred. Mr.. Schurz
told the exact truth in his scabhinQ
speech of 1896, and therefore what be
said then is OF course the exact truth to
day.
We have right to insist upon both
wisdom and sincerity in the leaders OF
any party who appeal for popular eonh-
dence Now, let us see If we can trust
the wisdom of our present opponents, by
comparing their prophecies In 80 with
the actual events since.
We have been hearing q good deal re-
Gently of Mr.. Bryan statement thai he
wanted to put the man before the dol
lar and not the dollar before the man. -
There are certain conditions to which
such a statement might apply but it
cannot possibly apply to the present con
d1tions. AS things are now, it can best
be compared with Mr.. Bryan other
Statements of September 10Th, 1896. in
which he denounced the gold dollar as