The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-09-01
Roosevelt and Fairbanks,

l9O4.
The campaign is now on. Both
parties and both candidates have
spoken.
On the one side a conservative
party with a radically inclined and
erstwhile too strenuous candidate for
President; and behind him for Vice
Presidency, a man of undOubted
capacity, sound opinions and mental
and physical promise of endura nee.
On the other side radical party,f
With al infinite capacity for mischie
and stupendous record of mischief
actually accomplished, presenting
for President a cOnservativeIv IN
clined candidate of irreproachable
character and attrac tive personal
accomplishments for Vice Presl-
dent one whose extreme age is the
sole but sufficient reason for appre-
hension in case of his succession to
the Presidency.
Such is the choice before the in
dependent voter who will decide this
election.
He cannot take Judge Parker on
the Republican platform and record.
He cannot reject Mr.. Roosevelt
without beckoplng to the distant
Huns: without helping to open the
gates of power to political forces OF
unmeasured destructive potentiality.
1t seems better to maintain unbrok-
en- the wall of defence which the
FIRST election of Mckinley establish
ed.
Two things might have happened
to make the choice of 1904 choice
between individuals rather than
between parties standing on their
respective records. Neither of the
two things has happened. The
first opportunity was deliberately
avoided by the compromising trick
sters at ST. Louis. The second was
deliberately thrown away at Rose
mount yesterday. Barring Judge
Parker's gold telegram of 1904, off
setting in some degree his two free
silver votes for Bryan in 1896 and
1900, and barring a polite anti
second term pledge which might
have been made, perhaps more
gracefully in an inaugural address
after election, nothing has come
from Judge Parker's lips or pen to
indicate that be possesses a single
political idea marking him as a
statesman of independent initiative,
of courage superior to the St. Louis
br and, Of stature to command and
lead. With the two exceptions
noted, he is an echo of the conven-
ton, ana naught beside. He is yet
the unknown quantity that he was
throughout the preliminary period
of silence prescribed by judicial dig
nifty. Instead of rising above the
platform, Judge Parker has crawled
pretty ANONYMOUSLY beneath it, in
our reluctantly expressed opinion.
He himself has decreed that the
choice of the independents shall be
one of parties and records and prin-
ciples, rather thar of men:
To state The Suns position and
its reasons therefor requires no
metaphysical subtlety of explana-
ton. The main consideration is as
broad as the nation s interests. AS
the case is now made up, we prefer
the impulsive candidate of the party
Of conservatism to the mildly con-
sentative, temporizing, opportunist
representative of the Hun vote in
the back ground. We have more
faith in the distinct promises Of the
Chicago platform, not ignoring the
many serious defects Of that. docu-
ment, than we have in the miserable
hellbroth of dishwater and dynamite
concocted at St. Louis a month ago
by yafraid TO renounce its
criminal follies, and tasted yester-
day at Esopus by respectable can
didate who declares with gusto that |
its flavor is admirable!
We shall therefore advocate the |
election of Roosevelt and Fairbanks
and advise the defeat of Parker and |
Davis: preservering our own abso-
lutte independence of organic con-
troll, and our freedom of judgment as
to every specific question occurring. /
And may the Hon. Theodore Roose- |
velt's present mood continue, al d |
l. Il l.