Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-09-16
President Roosevelt's Letter.


cepted the republican nomination IN
the customary letter, This letter Is
remarkably long. and is noteworthy
campaign document The president
is not without considerable aaurels as
n master of the pen as well as of the
''big stick" and he has doubtless hao
help from the ablest minds in the
party.
In accusing the democrats of incoh-
sistency and even insincerity the
president makes use of perfectiy
legitimate party weapon, but IN as
summing that all the virtue that mas
ever helped to save the country, mas
existed in the ranks of his own par
ty. he goes further than even recent
history supports him. We may Wen
admit the mistakes of the democrats
without affirming that the republicans
have made none.
Mr. Roosevelt seems quite content
to rest his case on the record OF MS
marty and on his own personality
This should satisfy the opposition
and if it cannot win under these con-
ditions. the people must be contented'
Some of the paragraphs of the letter
will scarcely meet with unanimous
nublic approval however, although
they may not be sufficient to bring
democratic victory:
For example,
In reference to Panama, the presl-
dent says his action was the only
possible action which could have Sc
cured the building of the canal as
we'll as the peace and quiet which we
were bound to preserve across the
isthmus." Neither the Importance Oh
the canal nor the maintenance OF
peace and quiet can justify an inJus-
flee. The administration would not
have acted as it did if Colombia mad
been a powerful nation. There Is
now no way of undoing what has been
done.
So in reference to the pension or
der. The president asks that the
democrats declare that if they come
into power they will revoke his order,
making all veterans Of sixty-two to
seventy who are not actually dis
abled, give up their pensions. This Is
very clever OF course the democrats
can and will declare no such pur-
nose. The mischief is done and while
it can theoretically be undone. practi-
- stir c
it to have been done in the first place?
The gold standard is not an issue;
but the assumption that it is "a per-
manent organic policy of the repubil-
can party is unwarranted by the facts.
1t is only very lately that the republi-
can party has firmly fixed on the gold
standard and stuck to it. The phrase
used by the president is no more true
than Judge Parker's "irrevocably es-
tablished."
The discussion of the tariff shows
that the writer has entirely forgotten
his one time free trade views-as
thoroughly as Judge Parker has for
gotten his free silver. The tariff has
not vet, and never will have passed
beyond the domain of theory.
Finally in reference to the Fill
pinos, the president gives no definite
program. His treatment of the ques-
ton is inclined to catch both those
who want Philippine independence
and those who do not. There are re-
publicans of both classes.
The length of the letter is not vast
ed. Nearly every important point IS
considered except the negro ques-
ton. which was. of course, omitted by
design The points and the issues
are clearly argued and the pace set
for the democrats is hot one.
on the whole. the prospects for re-
publican victory are brighter to-day
than they We're two weeks ago. what
the next two weeks may bring forth
is an open question