The Portland daily press., 1900-07-18
Says He Has No Use For
Tinid Persons.


people besieged the doors OF the hall two
hours before they were opened The day
session Of the National Republican
Leagues clubs convention was tame
affair to that presented when the Empire
States governor arrived before the build
ing just before $50 p. N. He was COM
PEELED to reply to the repeated calls for
speech. Gov. Roosevelt said:
Z 'sAl1 can now say is to appeal to you
as Republicans to stand by the principles
of our great national party"
President Stone of the league called
the meeting to order and introduced ..
S. Senator Cushman K. Davis as chair
man.
AS Senator Davis introduced Gov.
Roosevelt the great crowd came to its
feet and six minutes of cheers and ap-
plause swept the hall. When Roosevelt
finally was able to make himself heard,
he returned thanked for the reception
that had been rendered him here today.
Especially he thanks the Roosevelt
club for its choice Of name and uniform.
He had no use for timid persons. Pub
lie officials, he said, should be honest,
brave and be endowed with the saving
grace of common sense.
Gov. Roosevelt continued:
Governor Roosevelt said:-
Mr.. President and Gentlemen:- We
have come here to begin the work of q
campaign more vital TO Am srican inter-
ests than any that has taken place since
the close of the Civil War. We appeal not
only to Republicans, but to all good citi
zens who are Americans in fact as well
as in name, to help US IN re-electing
President Mckinley. IL was indeed Of
infinite importance to elect him four
years ago. Yet the need is even greater
now. Every reason that then obtained IN
his favor obtains now, and many more have
been added. Four years ago the success
Of the popuhstic Democracy would have
meant fearful misery, fearful disaster at
home; it would have meant the shame
that is worse even than misery and dis
aster. Today it would mean all this, and
in addition the immeasurable disgrace of
abandoning the proud position we have
taken. Of hinehingfrom the great work
we have begun. President Mckinley
promised or that was promised on his
behalf, and as the smoke clears avn y we
see how utterly trivial are she matters
because of which his administration has
been criticised, when compared with the
immense substantial gains for American
honor and interest which under that adj
minis ration have been brought about.
We appealed for President Mckinley be-
fore, asserting what he would do if
President, from our knowledge of what
he had done in lesser positions. Now we
appeal for him asking that the promise
of second term be judged by the per-
Torrance of his first, and pledging that
gun IN his first term shall in his second
be carried to an even more triumphant
conclusion.
We ask support for president 9AIcKin-
ley because of what he has actually done,
of what he now stands for and tpylfies
and because of the marvellous work that
has been accomplished under his admin
istration.
We ask the support of all upright clti-
zens because against him are arrayed the
fOrcessOf chaotic evil, because of the breed
ing menace to our moral and Industrial
welfare which is implied in the present
and purpose of the populistic
Democracy.
We know definitely what we believe,
and we say it outright. Our opponents
who represent all the forces of discomfort,
malice and envy, formed and ..fOrmless,
vague and concrete, can hardly be said to
know what they really do believe, because
the principles they profess, If put forth
are so revolving, even to their
own followers. that they like at least to
try to wrap the mantle of hypocrisy
around them,
They rant about trusts, but they have
nothing practicable to adv ance in the
way of remedy, nor is this to be won
dered at when one of the makers of their
platform, the Representative from New
York, and the leader of their organization
in New York, are both themselves among
the most prominent stockholders in the
worst trust to be found today in the
United States, the ice trust, which had
Justly exposed itself to the crciUicism
which our opponents often unjustly APP
DIV to every form of Industrial effort
They have invented the imaginary dam
ger of Imperialism, and about that they
also rave. Yet so conscious are they of
the hollOWness of their attack, so we'll
aware that to follow out their professions
would mean to trail the American flag
in the dust, that they are obliged to pre-
tend that really, after all, they are for
expansion. After infinite labor they fin
ally did decide hat they still believed in
free silver. This decision was reached
in their committee by vote of 26 to "a
SO that 1t appears that they only have
80 per cent Of faith in their 4S cent dol
lar after all. Even this amount of faith
they were able to reach purely by the
aid OF Hawaii, ana yet four years ago
they objected as much to our expansion
over Hawaii as they now object to our
expansion over the Philippines There
is an element OF grim comedy in these
builders having now perforce to take the
once rejected stone to make out OF it the
foundation of their new platform.
Their only unequivocal position is that
In favor Of free silver at ratio of 10 to
one, for they have sought at least to
make Rha T1rafpnGn of oua1ifvtnp OTs ar
least of clouding what fhey mean when
they ask for the relaxation of the bonds
IF Justice and order and the abandon
nent of our position as a great nation
nanfully doing it's part in the world
work that must be done by all great
True to their nature, they have