The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-09-24
DEFJES ALL CRITICISM.
Paints His Opponents Black, But Fur
athes No Proof For Condemnation.

,.H eu' nttprance moves rapidly, dashing
-ror INT not dislodging, the obstacles
:. oncounters. Little complaint, how
:. 'ror can be made of its ambiguity. On
tbo contrary. the country is to be felic-
',"tod h nm the fact that he differentiates
"'nst broadly and clearly the Republi-
n"r nolicies for which he stands from
tho nolicies proposed by the st. Louis
nstform proving that there is wide
and deep gulf between the aims and
arinciples of the two great parties.
In his ardent advocacy of his party's
ovtreme tenets. his repeated denuncia-
lions of the ''insincerity" and "misrep-
respntations' of his opponents and his
Iich sounding praise of Republican adj
ninistrations since 1897 his letter fore
ibly recalls. as was once said of an
English Chancellor's speech. the self
Iaudation of Cicero over .'the immortal
cIories Of his own Consulate The
President plants himself squarely upon
tbe record of his administration and
defies all criticism. There is apparent
II in his letter no attempt to apologize
for ANYTHING that has been done under
Republican rule, though. on the other
hand. the opposition is mercilessly
scored for its folly and malicious meth
OdS designed TO bring about cessation
Of prosperity, to injure the wage earn
er and generally to impair the etficien-
cy of the Government and introduce an
era of commercial disaster. The Dem
Orrats. MIR. Roosevelt evidently thinks,
arp not to be trusted with the govern
ment. and his letter aOounds in many
labored and specious special pleadings
10 convict them of imbecility and in
sincerity In painting his opponents
in such dark and fOrbidding colors
without furnishing adequate proofs of
his sweeping criticisms or condemna-
ton Mr.. Roosevelt has committed a
grave tactical blunder, which the peo-
pie. who decide the election. cannot ap-
baud. and Independent voters VIII be
rppelled by the severity of his crimina-
tions His repeated attempts TO throw
the blame of the proStration of buSi-
ness which was so disastrous in 1898
chiefly upon Mr.. Cleveland'S admins
trati0n is a notorious contradiction Of
historical facts-a contradiction which
has been so often exposed and eX-
plodcd that its revival now will be gen
orally regarded as an outrage.
But aside from these deplOrabln feat
ures of the letter the reader will note
with deepest concern Mr.. ROosevelt's
latest and final utterances on the prin-
c!pal issues of the campaign. He bold
IL swallows the entire protection"
policy of his party and seemingly
scuuts the idea of any tariff revision.
1t IS evident that if elected in Novem
Der he will sustain with unmeasured
zeal the extreme radicals of Dingley
ism in opposing any real reduction of
the present high tariff. SO far from
bending to the rising storm of popular
demand for tariff reform and the elm
ination of unnecessary and burden
some restrains of trade, his argument
is for q perDetuation of the system by
which INSCRIPTIONS trusts are fostered.
So far from yielding to the clanor
within his own party for at least a
moderate reduction of tariff taxation
he tells the recalcitrant Republicans of
the West and the East. as he tells the
great Democratic reformers: 1T is 4
matter of regret that the protective
tariff policy, which during the last
forty odd years has become part Of the
very fibre of the country, is not now
accepted as definitely established
This mature utterance of Mr.. ROose-
vcit can only mean that he ranges him
self with the stalwart enemies of all
who would seek to lower taxation and
relieve manufacturers and consumers
generally of the barbarous erormities
and eXecreScences of Il prOteCtioniSm
which has outgrOwn every decent
claim and has overridden the CONNER
cal rights and liberties of the people.
1t is almost needless to note that, as
might have been expected from his an
on tariff reform. Mr..
Roosevelt in few brief sentences init
mates Enthusiastically his approval of
the utopian scheme by which it is
sought to upbuild the merchant marine
by ship subsidies.
Upon the policy of imperialism, with
which the letter deals rather briefly
Mr. Roosevelt stands, as he does on the
policy of Dingleyism. for its perpetual
ton. Here, too. he uses no eGuivocal
expression. There is not a policy for
cign or domestic which we are now
carrying on which it would not be dis
aStrOus to reverse or abandon This
will be enough to satisfy the minds of
independent voters that if elected Mr..
Roosevelt proposes to press forward his
costly and dangerous imperiaiistic
schemes = especially as he now ex-
presses the hope that our hands will
be upheld by all who feel love of coun-
try and trust in the uplifting Of man
kind" No one will have any difficulty
il discovering what is meant by meas
ueS for the uplifting Of mankind" af-
ter the exploits of the Republican
party in Hawaii and Panama. which
are manifestly but samples OF what we
should see on far grander scale of
territorial expansion and aggrandize-
mcnt if the too long lease of power the
Republicans have already had should
he extended in November. The coun-
Try will now know from these authori-
tative pronouncements of the Republi-
can standard bearer into what Ser
bonian bog" of governmental expendi-
lures and taxation it will be plunged
if his ambition and aspirations are
gratiied.
1t is to be regretted that Mr.. Roose-
Welt in this lengthy and long. DELAYED
letter of acceptance could not have ad-
cQuately met the tremendous auppa-