The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-07-30
PRESIDENT RoOsEVELT'S SPEECH
OF ACCEPTANCE.

It was on last Tuesday, at his
home at Oyster Bay, that Presi-
dent Roosevelt was officially no.
tilted of his selection as the
standard-bearer Of the Republican
party for the Presidency. 1t is
superfluous to say that on this oc
casion he delivered himself OF
another of his CHARACTERISTIC
speeches, bestowing upon himself
and his party all of the ful-cm
praise and credit for every bless
ing and hurting imprecations at
his opponents for every evil and
calamity.
We deem it useless to comment in
detail on the late display of word
ed phyrotechnics on the part OF
Mr.. Roosevelt. In the main, the
points he makes are only reiter-
alton on the many "vague and IN
definite" isms with which the Re-
publican party has for 10! these
many years gulled and hood
winked the people of the United
States.
However, there is one passage
in the Presidents speech which we
cannot pass unnoticed because it
develops new departure from the
old-line high tariff Republicanism.
We allude to his remarks on reel
procity treaties with foreign coun-
tries in all such products which
we dc not sufficiently produce
within our own territory. He
lauds his administration specific
ally on the reciprocity treaty, with
Cuba, seemingly ignoring most
completely that that reciprocity
measure has dealt a severe blow
to the Louisiana sugar industry,
which, it has been conclusively
ascertained-coupled with the
sugar industries of other sections
of the United States-if properly
protected aud encouraged, could
come very near supplying the
people Of the United States with
all their sugar requirements.
While eXtolling his party and
his administration upon the great
wisdom Of his new-fangled reci-
procity doctrine, he seems to for
get that James G. Blaine was the
original advocate Of reciprocity
aud that this doctrine was repudi-
ated and MIR. Blaine overwhelm-
ing!y defeated by Mr.. Cleveland
in the early eighties. Reciprocity
may benefit few trusts in the
country, but in every case it is
almost sure to hurt some incipient
interest, in which many
plain, hard-workiug and industrial
citizens are engaged.
A sugar and rice reciprocity
treaty with Cuba is grand
achievement in the eyes of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. If elected, we
would not be astonished to see
him go step further and in his
new hobby and consummate cat
tie treaty with Brazil and other
South and Central American
States, to the detrlment of this
now promising industry in the
States. Perhaps the great meat
barons of the country would glad
ly give their sanction to such a
project.
In some cline or country many
years ago lived an old robber
whose name was Procrustcs. He
was a very tall man and made
many captives among the wander J
ing tribes. These he would lay |
on his bed. Those that were too
short would be stretched to the
length Of the bed, and those who
happened to be too long would be
cut off to the proper length. The
new igh-tariff-reciprocity plat
form of Roosevelt Republication
is quite PIocustean. 1t is SO
thoroughly elastic and contradict
,ory that it is bound to fit one way
or the other in any and all sections
Of the United States.