Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-06-20
IS HE MAD?

President Roosevelt is considered
brave but not discreet. His bravery
has been better tested within the last
week than when shooting grizzlies or
the California lion, or the fleeing Span
lard at Santiago. He has braved the
Sugar Trust by sending special mes
sage to Congress calling on that body
to give reciprocity to Cuba. The
trusts never surrender, they must be
killed In order to be conquered, and
end the war with them. This the
President has found out, but as trusts
have their origin in the tariff they will
never surrender an iota of tariff duty,
because to do SO means surrender OF
the principle upon which they are
founded. "Kill the tariff and the
trusts die" So say those who have
studied the question. The country
has been bowling for months for a total
repeal of the tariff on beef. in order to
kill the beef trust, the president has
been urging Congress to make 20 per
cent cut in tariffs on articles coming
from Cuba In order that Cuba may
not be bankrupt. But, replies the Beet
Sugar people and other protectionists,
eff we allow this the principle for
which we contend will be destroyed.
Soon we will hear clamoring for re-
auctions on other protected articles,
and then the fabric will fall"
If this be so the fabric should fall.
If the fabric is founded on so feeble a
corner stone, it should crumble. Ii it
is such structure as that a reduction
of 20 per cent will destroy it, it should
60, and 60 quickly. 1t Is not, however,
the destruction of the tariff fabric we
are discussing, so much as the des-
truction of the Roosevelt fabric. 1t
seems as if Sampson Is about to Full
down a pillar which if pulled down
will destroy him. This brave and
daring young politician has certainly
placed himself in dangerous attitude
he has done what no Republican pres
ident since Andrew johnson has done,
he has declared policy different from
that held by majority of his party,
he has bearded the lion in his den, the
trust barron in his hall, and while he
will not, in our opinion, be impeached
he will certainly drive away from him
many of the politicians, and much oil
the campaign fund. When he grows
older he will learn to know a buzz saw
and not monkey with it. Grover
Cleveland got hold OF the tariff buzz
saw. Gen. Hancock had toyed with
it previously. The fate of those should
be a warning to our Theodore If ths
fate of poor William Morrison has beer
forgotten. Theodore, however, Ii
brave, he has wonderful temerity, bu,
the pitcher went too often to the well
Does he realize that in pleading fol
poor Cuba he Is making electral vote
for poor Mr.. HANNAH Does he realize
that in asking 20 per cent reduction
of the tariff he is cutting off Is pei
cent of the campaign fund.- Possibly
not, but he is all the same. Misguided
bravery is often the subject of the
greatest applause, and is often record
ed in song and story. The charge al
Bala Klaya, or the more recent case Of
the penny royal bull in front Of the
railway train were magnificent feats
glorious deeds, but destructive to the
brave but noble actors. This message
coming so soon after the grave yart
speech Of the same versatile and pro
life orator and writer in the Nationa
Cemetery at Arlington, may we'll be
regarded with the gravest apprehen.
sions by those close to the president,
and indeed make them ask under their
breath "is the King mad 7" Great
forces are a blessing when under
proper control. Fire and water are
very useful when rightly directed. But
when they are not under control they
become engines of destruction. Our
Theodore needs guardian.