Evening star., 1900-09-17
ROOSEVELT'S LETTER
Formally Accepts the Nomination for
the Vice Presidency.
REVIEWS CAMPAIGN ISSUES
Declares the Triumph of Democ-
racy Would Mean Ruin.
DISCUSSES I'M Z RI A LIS NJ

Following Is Governor Roosevelts letter
accepting the vice presidential nomination
rendered by the republican national con-
vention:
OYSTER BAY, N. Y.
September Is, 1900.
To Edward O. Wolcott, chairman commit
tee on notification of Vice President:
Sir-I accept the nomination Vice
President of the United States, rendered
me by the republican national convention,
with a deep sense of the honor conferred
upon me and with an infinitely deeper sense
of the vital Importance to the whole coun-
try of securing the reelection of Presi-
dent Mckinley. The nations welfare is at
stake. We must continue the work which
has been so well begun during the present
administration We must show in fashion
incapable of being misunderstood that the
American people, at the beginning of the
twentieth century. face their duties in a
calm and serious spirit: that they have
intention of permitting folly or lawless-
ness to mar the extraordinary material
well-being which they have attained at
home, nor yet of permitting their flag to
be dishonored abroad.
| feel that this contest Is by no means
one merely between republicans and dem
ocrats. We have a right to appeal to all
good citizens who are farsighted enough
TO what the honor and the interest of
the nation demand. To put into practice
the principles embodied in the Kansas
City platform would mean grave disaster
to the nation: for that platform stands
for reaction and disorder; for an upset
ting of our financial system, which would
mean not only great suffering. but the
abandonment of the nations good faith,
and for a policy abroad which would i'm
ply the dishonor of the flag and
worthy surrender of our national rights.
Its success would mean unspeakable hu-
initiation to men proud of their country,
jealous of their country's good name, and
desirous of securing the welfare of their
fellow citizens
Appeal to All Good Men.
Therefore have right to appeal to
all good men, north and south, east and
west, whatever their politics may have
been in the past. to stand with us, be-
cause we stand for the prosperity of the
country and for the renown of the Ameri-
can flag
The most important of all problems is, of
course. that of securing good government
and moral and material well-being within
our own borders. Great though the need
is that the nation should do its work well
abroad. even this comes second to the thor
Ough performance of duty at home Under
the administration of President Mckinley
this country has been blessed with degree
of prosperity absolutely unparalleled. even
in its previous prosperous history. While it
is, of course, true that legislation and no
administration can bring success to those
who are not stout of heart, cool of head
and ready of hand. yet 1t is no less true
that the individual capacity of each man to
get good results for himself can be abso-
lUtely destroyed by bad legislation or bad
administration, while under the reverse con-
d.ttons the power of the individual to do
good work is assured and stimulated. This
is what has been done under the admins
tration of President Mckinley. Thanks to
his actions and to the wise legislation Of
Congress the tariff and finance, the con-
ditions of our industrial life have been rem
dered more favorable than ever before and
they have been taken advantage of to the
fun by American thrift industry and enter
prise Order has been observed, the courts
upheld and the fullest liberty secured to all
citizens. The merchant and manufacturer
but, above all, the farmer and the wage
worker, have profited by this state of
things.
TO Continue Present Conditions.
Fundamentally and primarily the present
contest is contest for the continuance of
the, conditions which have told in favor Of
our material welfare and of our civil and
political integrity. If this nation Is to re-
tain either its weil-beng or It's self-respect
ii cannot afford to plunge into financial and
economic chaos: 1t cannot afford to indorse
governmental theories which would unsettle
the standard Of national honesty and de-
stroy the integrity of our system of justice.
The policy of the free coinage of silver at
ratio Of 16 to l is policy fraught with de-
struction to every home IN the land. 1t
means untold misery to the head of every
household and. above all, to the women and
children of every home When our oppo-
nents champion free silver at 16 to 1 they
are either insincere or sincere in their atti-
tute. II inSincere in their championship
they. of course, forfeit all right to belief or
support on any ground. If sincere then
they are menace to the welfare Of the
country Whether they shout their sinister
purpose or merely whisper it makes but
little difference. save as 1t reflects their own
honesty. No issue can be paramount to the
issue they thus make for the paramountcy
OF such an issue Is to be determined not by
the dictum OF any man or body Of men but
by the fact that It Vitally affects the we'll
being OF every home in the land The fnan-
cldI question Is always of such far-reaching
and tremendous Importance to the national
welfare that II can never be raised in good
faith unless this tremendous Importance is
not merely conceded, but insisted on. Men
who are not willing to make such an Issue
paramount have no possible justification for
raising 1t at all. for under such cIrcum-
stances their act cannot under any conceiv-
able circumstances do aught but grave
harm.
Law Not n Sufficient Safeguard.
The success Of the party representing the
principles embodied in the Kansas City
platform would bring about the destruction
OF all the conditions necessary to the con-
tinuance of our prosperity 1t would also
unsettle our whole governmental system.
ana delicate machinery of our complex in
dustrlal life. Above all. the effect would
be ruinous to our finances. Ii we are TO
prosper. the currency of this country must
be based upon the gold dollar worth 100
cents The stability of our currency has
been greatly increased by the excellent
hnanciai act passed by the last Congress
But no law can secure our finances against
the effect OF unwise and disastrous man.
aSement In the hands of unfriendly ad-
ministrator5- No party can safely be in
trusted with the management of our ma
ucI2l affairs unless it accepts as automatic
the truths recognized in all progressive
countries as essential to a sound and
proper system of finance. In their essence
these must be the same for all great civil
lzed people In different stages of develop
ment, different countries face varying eco
nomic conditions, but at every stage and
under all circumstances the most impor-
tant element in securing their economic
well-being is sound finance, honest money
30 intimate Is the connection between in
oustrial prosperity and a sound currency
that the former Is jeopardized not merely
by unsound finance. but by the very threat
OF uusound finance. The business man and
the farmer are vitality interested In this
question, but no mans interest is 80 great