The Springfield herald., 1904-10-21
RoosEvEL1's COURAGE.
Its Quality Is Such that 1t Com m ands
Respect AMI Admiration.

Respect ann Aumtrntions
This Presidential campaign has re-
solved itself into study of President
Roosevelt and the three years of his ad-
ministration. beginning with much CON
fidence and good will. the public has
learned, from nn extended examination of
the Presidents public nets and utter
ances, fresh respect for the man on the
bridge of the ship of state.
And the study of events and how they
were met hns revealed how much is need
ed in the makeup of the American Chief
Executive the quality of courage. Not
physical courage, merely, but that endur-
ing. steadfnst holding to duty without
fear of present or future personal CON
sequences which nerves men Of strong
moral and mental fibre.
1t takes the strongest kind Of moral
courage to meet the questions which
confront the American people of our day.
The President, ns representing the whole
people of the country, must. meet these
questions az best he can. He must be
eyes, ears, hands and feet for the tre-
mendous interests cOnfdcd to his cnre.
In short, he is the executive head of the
nation.
To this great Office President Roose-
welt brought highly organized brain,
an educated understanding, a cultivated
personality. OF ardent temperament, he
ensily secured public affection and ad-
mirution. But, along with his charming
good fellowship and broad humanity, he
had the supreme quality of courage.
Very soon this possession was called
out in manner both unexpected and un-
precedented, and the people began fully
to know their President.
The first record bre-.>S V& ~ INK
ing up by President Roosevelt of the
coal strike, and its happy settlement
Let no one under-rate the firmness of
purpose, the sense of duty, and the high
appreciation of public accountability
with which this step was taken. No one
of President Roosevelt's friends advised
him to attempt what everyone believed
would be a failure. But the commission
was appointed, its work was carefully
laid out for it, and, backed as It was
by President Roosevelts personality and
position, it won peace from the gripped
men and children were, in consequence,
warmed and fed and sheltered from the
storms Of winter.
In this life Of ours the first gift to all
the sons Of men is courage. And then
courage, and again courage!
Again. when the people began to de-
spair under the heavy tread of the over
powering trust monopolies, President
Roosevelt took the initiative toward regu-
lntion by law of the Illegal combinations
which threaten the smaller corporations
MS well as individuals. Now, again,
there were discouragers Of action. Again
there were many who, seeing the danger,
still could see no way of escape. And,
ngain, through the constituted channels
of legal action, President Roosevelt took
the initiative in the defense against tres
passers upon the national laws of COM
merce and labor. In the Northern Sc
curities case the Court sustained the
position of the executive. and gave the
people a lesson as to one lawful way
by which illegal monopolies can be con-
trolled.
There have not been wanting other
examples of courage and sense of re-
sponsibility In Roosevelt's Presidential
career. The two instances referred to
here are enough to remind people what
manner of man sits now in the Presi-
dents chair at Washington. We need
courage there at the head of the nation.
We are not going to part with 1t at this
stage Of our growth and progress.