Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-09-23
DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
EIection...Tuesday. Nov. s. 1904.
MR.. ROOsEvDLT'S LETTER.

Mr.. RO0SEVDLT'S LETTER.
Mr.. Roosevelt has published his let
ter of acceptance. and whilst we differ
with him in much he has done, and
much he proposes to do. no one can
deny that his letter is vigorous. He
tells the people what he has done, and
what he will do if elected, and politely
informs the Democrats that if they
don It like it they can do as the dog
did the hot dumping, they can lump
1t, and to his own party says, kissing
it through his teeth, you've got to
like it.'' There is no uncertain sound
in it all, and as is usual in such cases,
men who have sense enough to act
either we'll or badly, find some plausl
BILE excuse for their actions. But he
justifies everything he has done by his
own peculiar ideas Of right and wrong.
These are not exalted ideas, but to his
party followers and fawners this will
be sufficient. His letter has, however,
made him no new friends; it may be
the means of holding the old ones, and
if this be the case, that may be all that
is necessary. The letter is typical Of
the man, it is defiant, bold, aggressive,
and seemingly fearless. The word
fearless does not exactly suit the
conditions, it does not fit the subject
Mr.. Roosevelt never struck us as fear
less, we do not believe he IL. No man
who carries a guard about him all the
time but grows more and more cow
ardly every day. The most absolute and
ablect coward in the world is the chap
who carries guns and bowie knives.
Separate HIM from them, and he will
run at the crack of q bush. Every
day the bully has about him these
weapons, hisicowardice increases and
Mr.. Roosevelt will find that every day
he holds about him Gordon of sol
diers and secret service men, his cour.
age will oOze out, and that he will be
no more the man he was when he rode
the plains or climbed the western
mountains than a rabbit can be likened
to a lions cub. His letter therefore,
whilst it is vigorous is not altogether
fearless but carries in it the tone of a
man who is tyrannical and OVerbear-
ing to those under him or in his pow
CT, the tone Of the 0verseer toward the
slave. In other words, the Republic
can Party he owns, the rest of the PEG.
pie he scOrns. Of all the bids for votes
in the letter the one intended to corral
the soldier vote is the most direct and
brazen. He fOrtifies his action on
pensions behind a proclamation by
Cleveland, but the laws in the two
cases are dissimilar. Cleveland had
authority for his act, Roosevelt had
none. He simply assumed the au.
thority and having assumed 1t be now
wants to know whether the Democrats
would rescind the order il they should
come into power? Thus he thrusts
the arms of thousands into the public
crib deeper than ever before, and feel
ing confident of their loyal support for
SO doing, he parades before the public
as most any bully before timid crowd
and in effect, says. II have done the
deed, now ia there any blankety blank,
blank, anywhere around here who
will undo it?" None appearing he pro-
claims the Righteousness of the act.
This is RoOsevelt's idea of right.
He has been guilty of good many
things he has not sought to justify be-
cause he has not felt anxious to have
them in the public eye, 80 he has
passed them in silence. For instance
he has commanded the War and Na0y
Departments not to disclose or make
report of the cost of the war in the
Philippines. No resolution of Con-
gress can force it out. 1t would Ordi
narily be treason not to furnish such
Information, but with Roosevelt this
has not been 30. His party rather
than criticise him, have submitted.
Had a Democratic President refused
such reasonable information a howl
would have gone up from Maine to
California, impeachment would have
been in all their mouths. A list of the
killed and wounded and deaths in the
Philippine Hospitals has been denied
the country under Roosevelt. The
people are kept in profound Ignorance
on all these great subjects. They are
told that what has been done is right
and as to the details of it. they have
no business enquiring. As to other
important questions Mr.. Roosevelt
when be has spoken has told only a
part. He has told that be has prose-
cuted one suit against trust, but
does any body, even the dwelling pc.
litical idiot. believe. that he has gone
an far as justice demanded. or that he
is not, at heart in sympathy with most
of the schemes for public plumber?
There is not one word in the letter
which looks toward the rights of the
people, he does not know the people.
He has nothing In common with them,
and hence he does not know how to