Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1904-09-23
DEFIES ALL CRITICISM.
Paints His Opponents Black, Bat Fur.
nishes No Proof For Condemnation.

ance is stand pat. Like an lmpetu-
GUS mountain stream, the current of
his utterance moves rapidly. dashing
over. but not dislodging, the obstacles
1t encounters. Little complaint, how
ever. can be made of its ambiguity. On
the contrary, the country is to be felic-
1tated on the fact that he diffcrentiates
most broadly and clearly the Republic
can policies for which he stands from
the policies proposed by the st. Louis
platform. proving that there is wide
and deep gulf between the aims and
principles of the two great parties.
In his ardent advocacy of his party's
extreme tenets, his repeated denuncia-
lions of the ''insincerity" and "msrep-
reservations" of his opponents and his
high sounding praise of Republican ad-
ministrations since 1897 his letter fore
IDLY recalls. as was once said of an
English Chancellor's speech, the self
laudation of Cicero over 1.-The immortal
glories of his own Consulate" The
4 President plants himself squarely upon
the record of his administration and
defies all criticism. There is apparent
~ 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
DDS designed to bring about cessation
of prosperity, to injure the wage earn
er and generally to impair the effieien-
: cy of the Government and introduce an
era of commercial disaster. The Dem
Il ocrats, Mr.. Roosevelt evidently thinks,
are not to be trusted with the govern
ment. and his letter abounds in many
labored and specious special pleadings
to convict them of imbecility and in
sincerity. In painting his opponents
in such dark and forbidding colors
without furnishing adequate proofs of
I his sweeping criticisms or condemna-
ton Mr.. Roosevelt has committed a
grave tactical blunder, which the peo-
pie, who decide the election, cannot APP
plaud, and Independent voters will be
repealed by the severity of his crimina-
tons. His repeated attempts to throw
the blame of the prostration of busi-
ness which was so disastrous in 1898
chiefly upon Mr.. Cieveland's admins
Ktration Is notorious contradiction of
Historical facts-a contradiction which
las been SO often exposed and ex-
loded that its revival now will be gen.
Rally regarded as an outrage.
But aside from these deplorable feat
res of the letter the reader will note
with deepest concern Mr.. Roosevelts
latest and final utterances on the prin-
cfpal issues of the campaign. He bold
swallows the entire protection"
blicy Of his party and seemingly
outs the idea of any tariff revision.
is evident that if elected in Novem-
Der he will sustain with unmeasured
zeal the extreme radicals of Dingley-
m in opposing any real reduction of
e present high tariff. So far from
pding to the rising storm of popular
mand for tariff reform and the elm
tion of unnecessary and burden
be restrains of trade, his argument
or perpetuation of the system by
ich INSCRIPTIONS trusts are fostered.
far from yielding to the clamor
hin his own party for at least a
bderate reduction of tariff taxation
tells the recalcitrant Republicans of
West and the East, as he tells the
Vt Democratic reformers: at is a
Alter of regret that the protective
III policy, which during the last
rty odd years has become part of the
i fibre of the country, is not now
epted as definitely established"
Is mature utterance of Mr.. Roose-
can only mean that he ranges him
with the stalwart enemies of all
would seek to lower taxation and
eve manufacturers and consumers
erally of the barbarous enormities
execrescences of a protectiouism
lch has outgrown every decent
m and has overridden the CONNER
rights and liberties of the people.
KS almost needless to note that as
ght have been expected from his an
adversions on tariff reform, Mr..
boseyeit in few brief sentences init
Is Enthusiastically his approval of
rtopian scheme by which it is
to upbuild the merchant marine
p subsidies.
n the policy of imperialism, with
the letter deals rather briefly
BOSWELL stands as he does on the
of Dingleyism, for its perpetual
Here, too he uses no equivocal
sion. "There is not policy for
domestic which we are now
lg on which 1t would not be dis
to reverse or abandon" This
enough to satisfy the minds of
ndent voters that If elected Afr
welt proposes to press forward his
and dangerous imperialistiC
nes especially as be now ex-
es the hope that our hands will
nleld by all who feel love of coun-
trust in the uplifting of man
No one will have any difficulty
bvering what is meant by meas
'the uplifting of mankind" af-
exploits of the Republican
Hawaii and Panama. which
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