Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-09-17
Democratic Charge Against
President Roosevelt that Is
Without Foundation.
SAFEST MAN IN COUNTRY
Three Years in the White House and al
No Time Has Anything Been Done that
Did Not Tend Toward Peace
with All the World.


define his opposition to the President.
the inevitable reply is that Roosevelt
Is an unsafe man."
Now, is he!
What makes an unsafe man? When
Is man safe and when is he danger
ous2 How are we to judge n nun
by what he has done or by what soma
one says he may do? Are we justified
in calling a man unsafe who has all
his life been emiuently safe? Is not a
man entitled TO the reputation he makes
for himself?
For three years Theodore Roosevelt.
has had absolute power, as President of
the United States. and yet during that
three years. although called to the great
Office suddenly, as the result of hor-
r!ble murder, he has never lost his head.
lie has never done a dangerous thing,
he has at no time involved the country
In difficulties, either at home or abroad.
False Predictions.
Immeliately following the murder Of
William Mckinley predictions were
freely made in the Democratic press
that President Roosevelt would involve
the country in war. Has he done SOP
IL was also freely predicted that he
would break with the Republican ma
jority in the House and the Senate. and
that he wcald insist having his own
way, disregarding the advice Of the
me-honored leaders OF the party. Has
he done sof
Does not every one know, on the con-
trary. that the conditions of peace be-
tween the United States and the rest
Of the world were never more securely
anchored than to-day This has not
been because the President has not had
an opportunity TO go TO war. There
have been half a dozen such opportuni-
ties at the very least since he became
President. when, II lie had been the un-
safe man he was alleged to be, he might
easily have involved us in war with one
or more OF the great powers Of Europe.
lie has mct every diplomatic emergency
with rough and ready diplomacy and eI-
tra0rdinary tact. which have won for the
United States the respect OF the civil
lied world.
Record in Diplomacy.
Look over the record OF the State De-
partment under Theodore Roosevelt for
the last three years. and see how much
has been accomplished TO uphold the dig
nifty and the honor OF the United States.
without at any time causing the slight
est apprehension OF foreign war. 1t was
during the present administration that =
special commission was appointed TO ad-
Just the disputed boundary between alas-
ka and the Dominion Of Canada. Some
OF the Canadian people and papers talked
rather sayagely. There was every op-
portunity for a misstep on the part of
the United States. A little too much
blustcr. a little too pronounced brng,
failure In tact at the proper moment, =
substitution of umidity for bravery. or
OF ra shness for conservatism by Theo-
n IL a al
feeling In Canada into dangerous
fame. The Alaska boundary was an
Inheritance from the Mckinley admin
istrafion, but il was safely settled un-
der Roosevelt settled to the credit of
the United States. settled without the
loss of an inch OF American territory.
and settled, too, without the destruction
OF the friendly feeling between Great
Britain and the United States.
When Germany and England were at
the throats of the little republic Of
Venezuela. an unsafe President might
easily have involved us in war with
those two countries. and timid Presi-
dent might easily have brought upon the
flag the shame of the rest Of the world.
Russia and Japan have been at war.
The sentiment of the people in this
country has been largely in favor of
Greet Secretary of State, appointed by
Mckinley and unhestatingly retained
by Roosevelt. has so successfully direct
cd the course of American diplomacy
that the United States to-day is as much
the friend of Russia as 1t is OF the little
fighting cock, Japan. The United States,
in fact, has dictated the diplomatic con-
duct of hostilities between Russia and
Japan. This country has dominated thS
situation, and yet at no time has there
been the slightest danger that we might
become embroiled with any foreign ma
ton.
Safe Every Day In the Year.
These are the actual results of three
years OF the foreign policy of Theodore
Roosevelt, the man who, when he en-
tered the White House as the result of q
murderous bullet, was by his political ad-
versaries pictured to the other nations Of
the world as a braggart and a swash-
buckler. He has been safe. always safe,
every day and every hour, since he has
been President Of the United States. He
has never lowered the American flag to
anybody, he has never been forced to
apologize and he has conducted every
episode of our foreign policy, with the
advice of John Hay. in such a way az
to preserve tho honor OF the American
Republic, and 10 gain the respect of the
sovereigns of the world. There is not q
king, nor an emperor. nor a president,
nor pctentate from Pekin to Timbuctoo
who does not know to-day that Theo-
dore Roosevelt is OF the best American
type. honest. frank. courageous, sensi-
BILE. and always safe for those who treat
him fairly.
Men of the Roosevelt type are unsafe
only to the dishonest, to the disturbers
of the peace of nations, to the grafters
at home and ene grabbcrs abroad. to the
manipuiators OF markets and tho wreck
ers OF nations. To the honest men, to
the people of the home and the firesids.