New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-07

where prophecy and promise In those Gays nave
become history in these. We stand by the an
Gent ways which have proved good
It would take wizard to guess what dainty
dish our adversaries will set before the SOW
ereign people tomorrow. Their State conven-
tons have given them rich variety to choose
from. AS to money they range all the way
| from Bedlam to Belmont as to tariI, the one
wing in Maryland is almost sane, the other
wants raving free trade and dynamite for the
custom houses. When they discuss our island
possessions some want to scuttle away ana
abandon them out of hand; others agree with
| that sensible Southerner who said: WHATS the
| use taking about expansion Great scout!
we've done expanded! One thing is reasonably
sure: they will get as near to our platform as
| they possibly and they will by implication
approve everything Mckinley and Roosevelt
| have done in the last four years. They will
favor sound finance and tariff which will not
disturb business: rigid honesty in adlninistra-
| ton and prompt punishment of the dishonest;
the Monroe Doctrine and an isthmian canal.
the Republican candidates who are pledged to
all these laudable policies.
OPPOSITION MUST OPPOSE.
But they will not be logical. They do not
care to oppose our policy; they merely deny
our sincerity in avowing it, They cannot deny
the soundness of our principles; they pretend
themselves to hold them But the function of
an opposition is TO oppose. and as they are
make few by attributing to principles
have never dreamed of holding and policies
which are abhorrent to us. And distrusting the
effect of these manpuvres in advance, they
announce their plan Of campaign to be not pro-
anything, but anti-ROosevelt This is mere
counsel of desperation, and the Republicans
will gladly accept the issue
Even ON this narrow issue they will dodge
most of the details. Ask them Has the Presi-
dent been a good citizen, a good soldier good
man in all personal relations? Is he a man of
intelligence. of education? Does he know this
country well? Does he know the world out
side? Has he studied law, history and politics?
Has he had great chances to learn. and has he
improved them? Is he sound and strong in
mind. body and soul? Is he accessible and
friendly 10 all sorts and conditions of men? Has
he the courage and the candor, and the God given
ability to speak to the people and tell them what
he thinks? To all these questions they viii
swer, Yes" Then what is your objection to him?
| They viii either stand speechess or they will
answer with the parrot cry which We have
| heard so often: He is unsafe!" y
In certain sense shall have TO admit this
TO ne true. To every grade of lawbreaker high
or low; TO man who would rob till n bal
| lot box; to the sneak or the bully; to the hypO-
critic and the humbug. Theodore Roosevelt is
more than unsafe; he Is positively dangerous.
But let us be serious with these good people.
What are the coetitcients of safety in Chief of
| state? lie should have courage the wisest
coward that ever lived is not fit to rule. And
Intelligence; we want no blunderheaded hero in
the White House And honesty; a clever thief
would do infinite mischief These three are the
| indtspensables. With them a man is all the
more safe if ne has a sense of proportion sense
Of humor wide knowledge of men and affairs:
if he seeks good counsel: and finally if he is
patriot if he loves his country. believes in IT,
and seeks in all things its interest and its
glory. Any man may make mistakes; but such
a man as this Will make few. and no grave ones.
OUR CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT.
Such is President and our candi-
date. He is prompt and energetic hut lie takes
infinite pains 10 get at the facts before he acts
In all the crises in which he has been accused
of undue haste his action has been the result
Of long meditation and we'll reasoned conviction.
If he thinks rapidly. that Is no fault; he thinks
thoroughly, and that Is the essential When he
made peace between the miners and the opera
tors 1t was no sudden caprice but the fruit of
serious reflection; and this act of mingled phil
anthropy and common sense justified by n
great practical result. When he proclaimed
anew the Monroe Doctrine in the Venezuela
case his action was followed by the most ex-
ptcit acceptance of that saving policy which
has ever come TO us from overseas He acted
very swiftly. II is true. in Mississippi. when the
best citizens OF a town threatened the life Of n
postmstress for no fault but her color. He
simply said. Very WELL gentlemen; you may
get your letters somewhere else for whe-''
And as TO the merger suits now that people
have come to their senses they that his
action IN that case was as regular as the equi-
uox He was informed through legal channels
that n statute had been violated. He did not
make the statute. but he was bound by his oath
10 execute it. lie brought the proceeding which
IL his duty to bring. The courts. from the
lowest TO the highest. sustained his action. He
did what Ii would have been q high INSIDE
meanor not 10 have done The laws In this
country are made TO be obeyed. whether # is
safe or not 1t is always unsafe TO disobey
But there has been more noise made over his
suddenness on the Isthmus of Panama than else
where. 1t IS difficult to treat this charge with
seriousness. The President had made treaty
with Colombia at her solicitation, which
Infinitely 10 her advantage 10 inauglrate
an enterprise which to be for the benefit of
the world. He waited with endless patience
while BogOta delayed and trifIed with the mat
ter, and finally rejected 1t. and suggested new
negotiations for a larger sum. Panama. out
ragged by this climax Of the wrongs she had
already suffered. declared and established her
independence The President, following
broken line OF precedents. entered into relations
With the new republic. and. obeying his duty
10 protect the transit of the isthmus as all
other Presidents had done before him. gave
derS that there should he no bloodshed the
line OF the railway. H said like Grant, lie
us have peace" s,nd we had II. 1t will seem In
credible to posterlty that any American could
benehcenty and all some people can find TO
criticise In his action Is that he was too brisk
about il. If n thing is right and proper 10 do
IL does not make criminal to do it promptly
hour and the man arrived together. He struck
while the iron was white hot the anvil of
opportunity and forged perfect n bit Of hon
est statecraft this generation has seen.
We could desire no better fortune In the cam
patgn upon which are entering than that the
other side should persist in their announced in
tention to make the issue upon President Roose-
Welt What godsend TO our orators! II takes
some study. some research. to talk about the
tariff or the currency or foreign policy. But
to talk about Roosevelt! 1t is easy as TO
sing the glory Of the Graeme." OF gentle
birth and breeding, yet man of the people in
the best sense; with the training of a scholar
and the breezy accessibility of a ranchman; a
man Of the library and 4 of the world: an
athlete and a thinker; a soldier and states
man; reader. writer and a maker of his
tory; with the Senslbility or poet and the steel
nerve of a rough rider: who never did and
never could turn his back q friend or an
enemy. A man whose merits are so great that
he could win on his merits alone; whose per-
sOnality is so engaging that you lose sight Of
his merits. Make their fight on man like
| that! What irreverent carcaturist 1t that
called them the Stupid party?
In candidate for the Vfce-PreSde0cv we