The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1904-09-16
STRIKE And MERGER
President ROOsevelt's Position
Cannot be AssaiIed.
Administration Acted WISELY and
Firmly Win the Coal Strike
and Railroad Merger.

The following is a selection from Presi-
dent Roosevelt's letter of acceptance:
IN addition TO those acts OF the ad-
mInlstration which they venture to
assall only after misrepresenting them.
there are Others which they dare not
overtly or officially attack, and vet
when they covertly bring forward as
reasons Tor the overthrow Of the party.
In certain great centers and with certain
great interests our opponents make
every effort TO show that the settlement
OF the anthracite coal strike by the indi-
vldual act OF the president, and the sue.
cesstul suit against the Northern Sc
curltles company - the merger suit
undertaken by the department of Justice.
we're acts because OF which the present
administration should be thrown from
power. Yet they dare not in any au
thorltative or formal manner say that
In either case wrong was done or error
committed in the method OF action. or
III the choice of instruments for putting
that action into effect.
But what they dare not manfnly as
sert In open day, they seek to use fur
lively and through special agents. 1t ia
perhaps natural that an attack 40 con
the ground that too much sometimes
on the ground that too little. has been
done. Some OF our opponents complain
because under the antitrust and inter
state commerce laws suits were under
taken which have been successful; Others.
because suits were not undertaken which
would have been unsuccessful.
The democratic state convention in
New York dealt with the anthracite coal
strike by demanding in deliberate and
formal fashion that the national govern
ment should take possession of the coal
fields, yet champions of that sconven-
TONS cause now condemn the fact that
there was any action by the president at.
although they must know that it was
only this action by the president which
prevented the movement for national
ownership OF the coal fields from gaining
what might well have been an irresist-
lbie impetus. Such mutually destruc-
tive criticisms furnish an adequate
measure OF the chance for coherent ac-
tiOn or constructive legislation if our
opponents should be given power.
Opponents Weak Policy.
$50 much for what our opponents
openly or cOvertly advance in the way
Of an attack on the acts of the admins.
tratiOn. When we come to consider the
policies for which they profess to stand
we are met with the difficulty always
arising when statements of policy are 40
made that they can be interpreted in
different ways. On some of the vital
questions that have confronted the
American people in the last decade our
opponents take the position that silence
Is the best possible way TO convey their
views They contend that their luke
warm attitude OF partial acqulescence in
what Others have accomplished entities
them to be made the custodians of the
financial honor and commercial inter-
ests which they have but recently sought
to ruin Being unable TO agree among
themselves as to whether the gold stand
ard is curse or a blessing, and as to
whether We ought or ought not to have
free and unlimited coinage OF silver, they
have apparently thought it expedient to
avoid any cOmmittal on these subjects,
and individually each to follow his par
ticular bent. Their nearest approach to
a majority Judgment seems to be that it
is now expedient to assert their con
victions one way or the other, and that
the establishment of the gold standard
by the republican party should not be
unless there is an alteration in
the relative quantity of production of
silver and gold.
''Men who hold sincere convictions on
vital questions can respect equally sin
cere men with whose views they radical
ly differ; and men may confess a change
Of faith without compromising their
self respect. But it il difficult to re-
spect an attitude of mind such as has
been fairly described above; and where
there is no respect there can be no trust.
A policy with so slender basis of
principle would not stand the strain of
single year of business adverAity."