Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1903-09-25
FRIDAY, SEPT. IS, 1903.

One of tho %silliest things that will
possibly be attempted by the Demo-
cratic party in the next congress will
be the resolution which will be intro.
duced asking for the costs Of the trip
of the president through the west and
who paid the bills. This disgusting
carp1ng of the Democrats is becoming
so strong that it is about time to call
a halt before they make the nation the
laughing stock Of the world. Some
time since it was announced that A.
P. German of Maryland would be
made the Democratic leader in the
senate ard that he would seek to annoy
the Republican leaders in their fight,
and nothing more. No better man
could have been selected for the pur.
pose. There is a faint belief among
people who are not familiar with Cor
man hiatt he is a statesman. No
greater mistake was ever made. He
is a good ward politician, but has
never arisen above that plane. He
may be a statesman from the Demo-
cratic view, when the only requisite
is an ability to play the demoagogue,
but measured by any other standard
he falls far short, The scheme is pro-
pably one of his making, and repre-
sents about his ideas of the presiden-
tial Office. The trick is to play on the
prejudices Of those people who are
eternally fighting the railroads., and
indicate that the country should go
back to the days of stage coaches and
turnpike.
The RIGHTEOUSNESS of the thing may
be seer when it is stated that it would
be just as proper for the president to
explain to congress when he was en-
t~ertained by a friend and whether he
paid for it. Or whether he paid for
the food that went on his table at
staple prices. The Democratic party
has not yet learned that the president
in this country never entirely loses
his identity as a citizen while filling
the highest office in the land. This
does not accord with the blue blood
idea Of the south where Democracy
1ourishes like the green bay tree, and
there are sickening attempts to imi-
tate the purple of royalty, but it is
the idea of the people who believe in
the freedom of mankind. This being
true, the president had a right to
make the trip as a private citizen,
and he did 50. Suppose that the rail.
roads granted him the use of their
property for the purposes of his trip.
Did they not have he right to do so?
Suppose he had stopped in a city and
a Democrat had given the use of his
carriage to the president, would he
have been accused Of playing into
the hands of the Democratic party
When the people lose respect for those
who honorably hold Office, the nation
is not far from the verge of anarchy.
The great cry is made that the rail
roads are great combinations of wealth,
and the charge is true. The immen-
sity of the country and the wonderful
development Of the last quarter If a
century make it impossible to operate
railroads without these combinations
Of capital, and yet if the railroads
were destroyed, the country would be
ruined. President Roosevelt had a
perfect right to accept the courtesies
of these railroads just the same as that
of individuals. and if he did so, it is
none of the concern Of congress. It
is doubtful if there could have been
found a man in the Democratic party
except Mr.. German with a mind small
enough to suggest such a thing.
Tho Ohio Ror1h1ioap c~a,Opaino