The progress-advertiser. (Lexington, Miss.) 1902-1903, 1903-06-18
WASHINGTON
LETTER.
A Few Questions Asked The
President. t1

1
Roosevelt. Is he backing up his
words with deeds? He said in his
speech at Denison, Iowa, on June 2:
II think you will do me the justice to
say that ! do not say what | do not
mean. | never said anything off the
stump that would not say on the
stump. So what | say now you can
take as sincere"
So, you acmit, Mr.. President, that
your two months swing around the
circle was a stumping tour pure and
simple. Now, then, in view of your
article, written in 1900 and published
in the Youths Companion last Novem-
ber on the duties and responsibilities
Of the President of the United States
in which you said there are few
harder tasks than that of filling well
and ably" this high Office, do you
think it entirely proper for presi-
dent to leave his post for more than
two months at a time to stump the
country for his own nomination and
election. Had you presidential stump
ing tours in mind when you said at
that time ''the president should be
held to strict accountability alike
for what he does and for what he
leaves undonew
Were you sincere free trader
when you were member of the New
York Free Trade Club in the early
80's and when you said you would
"die for free trade" If so, how do
you explain your letter Of resignation
to the secretary, Mr.. Poultney Bige-
low, written after you had decided to
desert the Independents, who had
elected you to the New York legisla-
ture, and when you had decided to
go over to the enemy, Platt and the
professional politicians whom you
were elected to fight and against
whom you expressed great hatred?
Was it not purely and simply to pro-
mote your political ambitions? Are
you willing now to repeat your free
trade speeches on the stump? You
say you are always willing to say on
the stump what you say off Of it.
You are now playing the republican;
when will the free trade performance
begin?
One year ago DR.. Schurman, one Of
your good republican friends, gave us
the campaign slogan for 1904 Of the
three R's-"Roosevelt, Reciprocity,
and Revision" Of the tariff. If, as
generally supposed, DR.. Schurman
then correctly summarized your po-
sition on the tariff, as gathered from
your New England speeches, are you
willing to repeat those speeches now?
If not, why not?
Is there any truth in the widely
published statements that the Pro-
tective tariff league people changed"
your views when they informed you
just before you left Washington on
April |, that if you did not cease to
talk revision they would preventyour
nomination?
Are you willing, Mr. President, to
say on the stump what you said Of
union workmen in the Review Of Re-, !,
views Of September, 1896? You then
said: The men who object to what
they style Government by Injunction
4 4 d -
are, as regards the essential princi-
pals, Of government, in hearty sympa-
thy with their remote skin-clad an
cestors who lived in caves, fought
one another with stone e-headed axes,
and ate the mammoth and woollyl
rhinocerous.' They are interesting
as representing a geological survival,
but they are dangerous whenever
there is the least chance Of their
making the principles Of this ages
buried past living factors in our
present life.
They are not in sympathy, with
men Of good minds and sound civic
morality