Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-08-06
WHEN SINCERE?
AN ANXIOUS INQUIRER AS TO
PRESIDENTS SINCERITY,
Charles G. Edwards, of Washington. D. C..
Wants to Know Just When the Sincerity
Occurred. and Suggests Some Pertinent
Questions.

Addressing the people OF Denison. Ia,
on June 2, Mr.. Roosevelt said:
81 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"
In view OF these statements, Charles
g. Edwards. OF Washington, submits
some interesting suggestions as to Mr..
Roosevet's sincerity.
Mr.. Edwards is anxious to know
whether Mr.. Roosevelt was sincere free
trader when he was member OF the
New York Free Trade Club in the early
sos, and when he said that he would
"Die for free trade" Mr.. Edwards is
also anxious to know whether Mr.. Roose.
welt was sincere when he wrote lis letter
OF resignation to Poultney Bigelow, secre-
tary Of the club, which letter, according
to Mr. Edwards, was written after Mr..
Roosevelt had decided to @ over to
Platt and the professional politicians
whom he was elected to fight and against
whom he had expressed great antago.
nism." Mr.. Edwards is anxious to know
whether M. Roosevelt is now willing to
repeat his "free trade" speeches on the
stump.
In 1902, DIR. Schurman gave as a slogan
for 1904, Roosevelt, reciprocity and re.
vision"-of the tariff. Mr.. Edwards is
anxious to know that if, as generally
supposed, DR.. Schurman then correctly
summarized the Roosevelt position on
the tariff as assumed from the Roosevelt
speeches in New England, is Mr.. Roose-
welt now willing to repeat those speeches
And if not, why not?
Mr.. Edwards is anxious to know il
there is any truth in the widely published
statement that the protective tariff league
people persuaded Mr.. Roosevelt to change
his views when they informed him,
when he left Washington on April l, that
if he did not cease to talk revision they
would seek topreyent his nomination.
Writing in the Review Of Reviews for
September, 1896, Mr.. Roosevelt said:
"rhe men who object to what they
style government by injunction are, as
regards the essential principles of gov
eminent, in hearty sympathy with their
remote skin-clad ancestors who lived in
caves, fought one another with stone
headed axes, and ate the mammoth and
woolly rhinoceros. They are interesting
as representing a geological survival, but
they are dangerous whenever there is the
least chance OF their making the princi-
pies OF this ages-buried past living factors
in our present life.
"rh:y are not in sympathy with men
OF good minds and sound civic morality"
Mr.. Edwards is anxious to know
whether Mr.. Roosevelt is willing to re-
peat on the stump the things he wrote
for the Review OF Reviews several years
ago.
Mr.. Edwards is curious to know why
Mr.. Roosevelt did not repeat on his re-
cent stump tour what he said of the
farmers, mechanics AMI workingmen in
his book entitled "Ranch Life and the
Hunting Trail" in that book, Mr..
Roosevelt SAID that although the cowboys
and rough riders might be "broken by
weeks OF brutal dissipation" yet they
are much better fellows and pleasanter
companions than small farmers or agri.
cultural laborers, nor are the mechanics
and workmen of great city to be men
toned IN the same breath.
Mr.. Edwards is anxious to know how
as civil service reformer Mr.. Roosevelt
can justify the appointment to high office
OF such men as Payne and Clarkson and
he is also curious to know if Mr.. Roose-
welt thinks it entirely proper for the
president, who every year must sign
many bills affecting the railroads, to ride
in private cars at the expense OF these
same railroads.
And finally Mr.. Edwards reminds Mr..
Roosevelt, in the language OF the strenu-
Gus one, "words are good when backed
up by deeds, and only So"
1t will occur to a great many people
that Mr.. Edwards has built up very in
teresting case; and it is not at all likely,
judging from what We have already OBJ
served OF Mr.. Roosevelt's course, that he
will "make good" any considerable num-
Der OF his we'll nigh numberless words.