Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-09-22
SPEAKS ON THEISSUES
ROOSEVElTS FORMAL LETTER
OF ACCEPTANCE.
President in Twelve Thousand Word
Document Defends His Administra-
ton of the Affairs of the Nation-De-
clares Protection Necessary.

President Roosevelt's formal letter ac-
cepting the presidential nomination Of
the Republican party has been given out.
1t is 1920 words long.
President Roosevelt defends the last
seven years of Republican control. He
declares that the Democrats attack Re-
publican policies and acts of the last
seven years by disappearing what has
been done. He then proceeds to review
those acts in detail, and scatters through
his 12,OOO-word letter scores of interro-
cation points, asking the Democrats
what they are going to do different, or
what different they would attempt if
charged with power. AS to Panama, he
says he would be derelict in his duty if
he used a false construction Of the con-
stitution as a ''shield for weakness and
! tmdlty, or as an excuse for govern
mental impotence"
The letter charges the Democrats with
inslncerity in and conflict of criticisms
III matters such as the settlement of the
coal strike and the prosecution of the
| merger suit that shows no chance for CO.
herent action or constructive legislation
II they are given power. AS to the money
question he declares the only real way
| to keep the question from becoming I'M
settled is to keep the Republican party
| in power.
In defense of the protective tariff pol
ICY the President says that some Demo
Gratis seem anxious to prove that it is
safe to give them partial power as they
could do no mischief then. In cOnnec-
| ton with the tariff he discusses the
trusts, and says the evils connected with
them can be reached only by rational
effort, along the lines taken by Congress
and the executive during the last three
years. The tariff is made the leading
feature Of the letter.
1t is set forth that the present execu-
tive thinks the present regular army is no
larger than the country requires, and as
TO the Philippines he says that to retrace
our steps would be to give proof of an
lnflrm and unstable national purpose"
Points from the Letter.
Following are leading paragraphs from
the Presidents letter:
1t is difficult to find out from the utter
anceS OF our opponents what are the real
issues upon which they propose to wage
TINS campaign. 1t is not unfair to say
tnat, having abandoned most of the prn-
cipes upon which they have insisted dur
ing the last eight years, they now seem at
q loss, both as to what it is that they real
~ believe and as to how firmly they shall
assert their belief in anything. In fact, it
Is doubtful if they venture resolutely TO
press single issue; as soon as they raise
one they shrink from it and seek to explain
IL away. such an attitude is the probably
inevitable result of the effort to improviss
convictions; for when thus imprOvised it Is
natural that they should be held in ten
tative manner.
There is not a policy, foreign or domes-
TIC, when we are now carrying out which
1t would not be disastrous to reverse or
abandon.
We base our appeal upon what we have
done and are doing, upon our record of ad-
mlnlstratlon and legislation during the last
seven years, in which we have had COM
plete control of the government
If continued in power we shall continue
our foreign policy and our handling of the
navy on exactly the same lines in the fu-
ture in the past
The fundamental fact is that in a popu.
lar government such as ours no policy ia
lLreEocaDiy settled by law unless the peo-
pie Keep in control of the government men
VINO Delleve in that policy as matter of
deep-rooted conviction.
On some of the vital questions that have
CONFRONTED the American people in the last
decade our opponents take the nosition
that silence is the best possible way to CON
Vey their views.
10 say that action against trusts and
monopolles should be limited to the applI-
cation OF the common law is equivalent to
saying that the national government shouId
take no action whatever to regulate them
Undoubtedly it would be possible at thu
present time to prevent any Of the trusts
from remaining prosperous by the simple
etpedient of making such sweeping
change In the tariff to paralyZe tre In.
duStries of the country. The trusts would
cease to prosper, but their smaller com
petltors would be ruined and the wage.
workers would Starve while it would not
pay the farmer to haul his produce to mar
ket. ~ A"
The expenditures Of the nation have been
managed In spirit of economy as far re.
moved from waste as from niggardiness
ana IN the future every effort will be con.
tlnueu 10 secure an economy as strict as In
consistent with efficiency.
SO far from having Slapped the founda.
lions of free popular government at home
Dy the course taken in the Philippines. we
nave been spreading its knowledge and
teachlng It's practice among the peoples TO
whom 1t had never before been more than
an empty name.
AT no time in the history Of this or anv
0ther country has there been an era so pro.
9uctlVe OF material benefit alike to work.
lngmen and employer, as during the seven
years that have just passed.