The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-09-15
Mr.. Roosevelt Writes The Committee
Defining His Position
he ASSUMES A FIRM ATTITUDE
The President Says 1t Is Difficult to
Find Out From the utterances of
sour Opponents" What Are the
Real Issues Upon Which They Pro-
Pose to Wage Their Campaign.

President RooSevelt'S letter Of accept
ance, which is quite a lengthy docu-
ment:
Oyster Bay, N. Y, Sept. II, 1904.
Hon. J. G. Cannon, Chairman Of the
Notification Committee.
My Dear Sir: accept the nomina-
tion for the presidency rendered me by
the Republican national convention,
and cordially approve the platform
adopted by it. In writing this letter
there are certain points upon which
l desire to lay especial stress.
1t is difficult to find out from the ut
terances Of our opponents what are the
real issues upon which they propose to
wage this campaign. IL is not unfair to
say that, having abandoned most OF the
principles upon which they have in
sisted during the last eight years, they
now seem at loss, both as to what it
is that they really believe, and as to
how firmly they shall assert their belief
in anything. In fact, it is doubtful If
they venture resolutely to press a sin
gle issue; as soon as they raise one
they shrink from it and seek to explain
it away. Such an attitude Is the prob
ably inevitable result Of the effort to
improvise convictions; for when thus
improvised. it 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
pursued are those which we earnestly
hold as essential to the national well
fare and 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 legis-
lation during the last seven years, in
which we have had complete control of
the government. We intend in the u
ture to carry on the government in the
same way that we have carried it on in
the past
A party whose members are radically
at variance on most vital issues, and il
united at all, are only united on issues
where their attitude threatens wide
spread 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 1896 the Republi-
can party came into power, and in 1900
it retained power on certain definite
pledges, each of which was scrupulously
fulfilled. But in addition to meeting
and solving the problems which were
issues in these campaigns, it also be-
came necessary to meet other problems
which arose after election; and it is no
small part of our claim to public conf
dence that these were solved with the
same success that had attended the So
luton of those concerning which the
battles at the polls were fought. In
other words our governmental eff
cheney proved equal not only to the task
that were anticipated, but to doing
each unanticipated task as it 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 18TH
mian canal question ultimately took
could not have been foreseen. But the
same qualities which enabled those re-
sponsible for making and administer
ing the laws of Washington to deal sue
cessfully with the tariff and the cur
rency. enabled them also to deal with
the Spanish war; and the same quail
ties which enabled them to act wisely
in the Philippines, and in Cuba, also en-.
abled them to do their duty as regards
the problems connected with the trusts,
and to secure the building Of the 18TH
mian canal. We are content to rest our
case before the American people upon
the fact that to adherence to lofty
ideal we have added proved govern
mental efficiency. Therefore. our pro-
misses may surely be trusted as regards
any issue that is now before the people
and we may equally be trusted to deal
with any problem which may hereafter
arise.
MISREPRESENTATION OF REPUB-
LICAN POLICIES.
So we'll 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 misrepresen-
ted them; for a truthful recital would
leave no room for adverse comment.
Panama offers an instance in point.
Our opponents can criticise what we