The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-12
THE DEMOCRATIC LINE OF ATTACK.

Recent speeches by Democratic senators
and representatives indicate the line of at
tack which is to be adopted against Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who. it is now certain, will
be nominated for reelection. He is to be
attacked on the ground that he is too rash
and impetuous to be intrusted with the
great power of the presidential office. He
is to be charged with usurping the powers
of Congress in his hasty recognition of the
| independence of Panama and in other mat
tiers. In the pretended name of the bust
ness interests of the country he is to be
| charged with hostility to trusts and cor
porations, and in the pretended interest
of working men he is to be charged with
| hostility to labor unions.
| These charges involve the question of
| Mr.. Roosevelts fitness for the office of
President, and If they could be substan-
| tiated they ought to and would lessen pub
| nc confidence in him and perhaps cause
| his defeat. 1t must be remembered, how
ever. that the people have already passed
| judgment once on his fitness for President
| by electing him Vice President. Those who
| make the charges will have TO substantiate
them, if at all, by citing something he has
| done since he became President to justify
| them. His record is an open book, and
there is reason to believe that large ma
| jority of the people approve of every page
of it. AS far as the Republicans are con-
cerned, they have already done so in every
state convention that has met during the
last two years.
The acts of the President which will be
| cited by the opposition in support of the
charges are. first. his directing the attor-
ney general to bring suits against the
Northern Securities Company and the beef
trust. This will be cited as evidence of his
hostility to combinations of capital, and
consequently to the great business interests
of the country. Second. he will be charged
with having acted with undue haste in rec
ognizing the independence of Panama
thereby seizing a golden opportunity t.
close the long-pending Panama canal ques
ton. Third. he will be charged with ex
ercising arbitrary and illegal authority il
his recent pension order. although the
| record SHOWS tndt some OF MS predecessor;
issued similar orders without being criti
cised therefor. Fourth. he will be charged
with hostility to organized labor becaus
he declined to make the Public Printing OF
flee a closed shop. thereby using the au
thority of the government to discriminate
against nonunion men,
Does anybody believe that charges
against Mr.. Roosevelt based these act
will hurt him with the people? They ar
very likely to add to his popularity. Ever.
one of them shows his regard for law an,
his determination to enforce it, his desir
to serve the whole people and not any par
ticular class, and his courageous adher
ence to duty. The people are not easil
fooled as politicians are apt to think
AS to the quality of these acts and tn
motives that inspired them they will judg
for themselves. and they will conclude tina
President who In the performance of hi
plain duty did things which he knew hi
enemies would condemn is to be admire
J rather than distrusted. Those who hav
started out to convince tie American pee
pie that Theodore Roosevelt is danger
Gus and unsafe man will find they hav
undertaken hopeless task.