Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1904-09-15
President ROOseyelt'S
Letter Of Acceptance
oyster Bay, N. u. sept. Il igoA.


Republican national convention and cor
daily approve the platform adopted by It
In writing this letter there are certain
points upon which desire to lay especial
stress.
1t is diff1cult to find out from the utter
ances OF our opponents what are the real
issues upon which they propose to wage
this campaign. 1t is not unfair to say
that. having abandoned most of the
principles upon which they have insisted
during the last eight years, they now
seem at a loss both as to what 1t Is that
they really believe and as to how firmly
they shall assert their belief in any
thing. In fact, 1t is doubtful II they ven-
-ture resolutely to press single issue; as
soon as they raise one they shrink from
1t and seek to explain 1t away. Such an
attitude is the probably inevitable result
of the effort to improvise convictions;
for when thus improvised 1t Is natural
that they should be held in tentative
manner.
The party now in control of the gov
ernment is troubled by no such diff
culties. We do not have to guess at our
own convictions and then correct the
guess if It seems unpopular. The prin-
ciples which we profess are those IN
which we believe with heart and soul and
strength Men may differ from us, but
they cannot accuse us Of stiffness or
insincerity The policies we have pur-
sued are those which we earnestly hold
as essential to the national welfare ana
repute. Our actions speak even louder
than our words for the faith that is In
us We base our appeal upon what we
have done and are doing, upon our record
of administration and legislation during
the last seven years, In which we have
had complete control of the government.
We intend In the future to carry on the
government in the same way that we
have carried 1t on in the past.
Al party whose members are radically
at variance on most vital issues, and, II
united at all, are only united on issues
whore their attitude threatens widespread
disaster to the whole country cannot
be trusted to govern in any matter. A
party which with facile ease changes
all its convictions before election cannot
be trusted to adhere with tenacity to any
principle after election. A party fit to
govern must have convictions. In 1886
the Republican party came into power
and in 1900 1t retained power on certain
definite pledges, each OF which was scru-
pulousIyf yfulflled But, in addition to meet
ing and solving the problems which were
issues in these campaigns. II also became
necessary to meet other problems which
arose after election, and It Is no small
part of orr claim to public confidence
that these were solved with the same
success that had attended the solution OF
those concerning which the battles at
the polls were fought. In other words,
our governmental efficiency proved equal
not only to the tasks that were anticipat-
ed, but to doing each unanticipated task
as II arose.
When the contest Of 1896 was decided.
the question of the war with Spain was
not an issue. When the contest of 1900
was decided, the shape which the isth-
milan canal question ultimately took could
not have been foreseen. But the same
qualities which enabled those responsible
for making and administering the laws
at washington to deal successfully with
the tariff and the currency enabled them
also to deal with the Spanish war, and
the same qualities which enabled them to
act wisely in the Philippines and In Cuba
also enabled them to do their duty as re-
CARDS the problems connected with the
trusts and to secure the building OF the
our case before the American people upon
the fact that to adherence to q lofty ideal
we have added proved governmental effl-
cheney. Therefore our promises may sure
ly be trusted as regards any issue that Is
now before the people, and we may equal
ly be trusted to deal with any problem
which may hereafter arise.
So well has the work been done that our
opponents do not venture to recite the
facts about our policies or acts and then
oppose them They attack them only
when they have first misrepresented them,
for q truthful recital would leave no room
for adverse comment
Panama offers an instance In point.
Our opponents can criticise what we did
in Panama only on condition Of misstst-
ing what was done. The administration
behaved throughout not only with good
faith, but with extraordinary patienca
and large generosity toward those with
whom 1t dealt. It was also mindful of
American interests. 1t acted in strict
compliance with the law passed by con-
gress. Had not Panama. been promptly
recognized and the transit across the
| isthmus kept open, in accordance with
| our treaty rights and obligations, there
would have ensued endless guerrilla war
1 fare and possibly foreign complications,
while all chance Of building the canal
would have been deferred, certainly for
years. perhaps for generation or more
Criticism OF the action in this matter II
simply criticism Of the only possible &C
| tion which could have secured the build.
i ing Of the canal as well as the peace and
/ quiet which we were by treaty bound tc
| preserve along the line Of transit across
| the isthmus. The service rendered this
country In securing the perpetual right
/ to construct, maintain, operate and do
fend the canal was 80 great that our op
1 ponents do not venture to raise the Issue
in straightforward fashion. for If u
| raised there would be no issue. The de
/ cisive action which brought about thi'
| beneficent result was the exercise by tn,
president or the powers vested in him, and
in him alone. by the constitution-th,
il power to recognize foreign government
by entering into diplomatic relations will
them and the power to make treaties
which, when ratified by the senate. be
come under the constitution part of tn
supreme law OF the land. Neither in thi
nor in any other matter has there beel
the slightest failure to live up to the con
4 stftution in letter and In spirit. But tn
II constitution must be observed positivel,
as well as negatively The president
Il duty Is to serve the country in accord
ance with the constitution, and shoull
be derelict in my duty if used falls
construction of the constitution as
shield for weakness and tfmidity or MS 81
excuse for governmental impotence.
Similar Misrepresentation Ii the on
WEanon Of our Qnaonents in EegaEd ta 0u