Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-09-11
The PRESIDENT AND THE RAILROADS

RESIDENT ANU NE nH'Ino"
It has been some months since The
DICTATOR called attention to tne
It that a report was current tnas :
resident Roosevelt not only had &C
pied favors from railroads in the
az of special trains, but favors also =,
the way of general expenses, sucn
winning and dining. and in addition
hereto it was rumored if the tender
{ special trains was not inaue,
e sent some of his official household, p.
nd informed the railroads that ne
expected to make such and such trip
nd that the road was expected to fur
ish him a train, or in other words DIS
equest came in the nature OF COM
nand. Coming from so obscure
ource as the SPECTATOR no general
attention was paid to it, but the ven
IT obscurlty has been lifted. many
eading newspapers have taken the
matter up and have looked INTO IL.
The result is that it is now ASCERTAIN
ed beyond question that the recent
great trip across the continent Dy nlh
was certainly made at railroad OK
pense. and that about all other trips
be has made have been made the same
way.
So scandalous has this become, anu
so notorious have leading journals
made it, that an apology has been
thought fit by the New York SUM-
which is regard ed as the "official or
GAM of the administrator. and the
apology is worse than the offense. IL
is always hard to apologize Tor a
wrong, hard to palliate an otfense
which has become so malodOrous as to
offend public nostrils. The sun has
made some lame excuses for his Excel
lency. One is that his small salary
would not permit of his doing such
thing as paying for trains. Inc EN-
peror of Germany and the KING Oh
England are said to be very punetli
iOus in paying their way, but they
get over two million dollars yearly,
the President of the United States
gets only $4,000. Another excuse Is
that by the Presidents going to point
the railroads are more than paid. be-
cause extraordinary crowds assemble
there on account of his presence. Thii
is very tame, if not to say pathetic
On the same principle any circus nigh
ask to be carried free because they ar
crowd drawers, and the railroads ge
returns by reason of them they coult
not otherwise get. This is true o
course, but then we hate to put thu
president On the same plane with
circus.
We are sorry for this scandal, W
regret it deeply, both on account o
the country and the railroads, but tn
railroads are largely to blame for ii
they set the pace, they laid the lurin
snare and our thrifty president ha
been caught by it. Thus again we ar
re minded that usually sin return
to haunt the sinner.
To make good our claim that tn
railroads are largely responsible, it wi
be recalled that in 1900 was the secon
occasion on which they banded wit
the other aggregated wealth to defea
the Democratic ticket. They subscril
ed to the campaign fund, they bulldoi
ed their employees, they did everythin
directly and indirectly tending to tt
end in view. In addition they flu
nished splendid trains to Mr.. Roos'
yelt who went on stumping tour,
. carry him from point to point. A
eleven o'cIock one night we stood s
the station of one of the leading raj
ways of this country awaiting OF
train. The train was late. a lare
crowd stood there also with their tlcl
cts in hand ready to be transported t
their several destinations on houl
, agreed between them and the raj
, road and for which they had pail
But their train did not come, and sti
they stood missing their connection
} and being thrown later and later int
the night. The reason was soon mad
manifest. All trains had been sid
tracked, all persons required to wal
to open the road for Mr.. Roosevelt
special. After while it came-thre
Pullmans and baggage car, haule
by one of the finest engines on tt
road and driven by the best enginee
Royalty never rode in better, and M
a cent did it cost him.
| At the same time the trains bearin
VIM. J. Bryan were being delayed q
various points 80 as to cause him
miss engagements. He was not allo"
ed to hire "a special" even when I'll
money was shaken in the faces OF tn
road officials. All this has come bac
to haunt the roads. MIR. Rooseve
was doing their bidding then. Ihe
must do his now. There Is a cOmper
sation in all things, and it shall nj
make us sad if he rides them. as we
as many others to whom he has show
official favors, until their tongues han
out.
In converse tion with some wealth
| Pittsburg capitalists recently, who al
staunch Republicans, they informe
us that if the Democrats would onl
nominate safe, conservation man fC
President there would be no dout
about bis beating Roosevelt. Sine
his dispatching of our fleet into Turl
ish waters without consultation wit
any one, they say they have ha
enough, but we gathered from the
conversation that it was bis pestiferor