The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-07
LEARNING TO SAY NOTHING.

gents who have taken that useful
root, the beet, to typify the cause of
their instruction, derive from the ad-
dress delivered by the Hon. Theodore
Roosevelt, in Pittsburg, on the glor-
ious Fourth. That speech fairly bris-
ties with the determination of our
rough-riding president to cast his Of
fetal lariat around the bodies of these
political steers and bring them at once
to earth and captivity. Whatever
latent hope may have existed in the
minds of these incipient tariff reform
ers that they could persist in their
recalcitrant courses and maintain
their standing with the administra-
ton of their party is forever smoth-
cred by the threatening tone of that
speech in it's references to the Cuban
subject.
But it is not alone in this regard
that the address of our militant pres
ident is remarkable. AS an orator
the occupant of the White house can
roar as gently as a sucking dove
when he lists. He went to Pittsburg
evidently to make an anti-t trust
speech. He brought his attorney gen
eral along to help him; but he evil
IDENTIFY thought better of the matter
when he got to his destination, and
decided to say nothing whatever on
any subject under the sun save on the
subject of the political relations of
the succulent sugar beet.
That speech may be read as an able
study on what politician in search
of office ought not to say. 1t contains
nothing that is worth either hearing
or reading, and even dispenses with
the stereotyped apologies of the
course of militarism in the Philip
pines.
president nor his attorney general
thought that the people of Pittsburg
would stand for 'PhiI" Knox as an
apostle of war on the trusts. So,
doubtless, they decided to dispense
wholly with the false play that they
are both engaged in of being seriously
up against" the trusts and monopo-
lies. What, for instance, could be
more harmless, indeed, more adroit,
than the following sentiments culled
from the address of this 6nnoe enemy
of illegal ,coEli5ina,.ons of all kinds:
Gentlemen, we have great problems.
Inv
can only solve them by doing well each
particular bit Of work as it comes up
for tS solution solution Much can be done along
combinations which have become so
marked feature in our civilization, but
If we recklessly try without proper
too much we shall do nothing, or else
we shall work a ruin that will be felt
most acutely among those of our citizens
who are most helpless. 1t is no easy
task to deal with great Industrial ten
denotes. To deal with them in spirit of
assumptions and rash folly, and above
and hatred and malice, would be to in
V1te disaster, a disaster that would be
so widespread that this country would
rock to its foundations.
There are still a few things for the
present occupant Of the White house
to learn, although it would not ap-
pear to be the case, judging by the
delightful possession and cock
sureness with which he approaches
all sorts of questions, great and small,
political and otherwise One of these
things is that the American people
know a good deal more of what is
best for them in the conduct of their
own concerns than they can be taught
even by a man of the surprising wis
dom Of the vociferous and strenuous
gentleman who now occupies the
White house.