Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-07-07
Splendid
Address
Concluded from Page 6.)

pandedi." One thing is REASONABLE
sure: they will get as neal to on
platform as they possibly can an
they will by implication approy
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 administration ant
prompt punishment of the dishonest
the Monroe doctrine and an Isthmial
canal. To be logical they ought t
go on and nominate the republican
candidates who are pledged to al
these laudable policies.
But they will not be logical. They
do nc care to oppose our policy; they
merely deny our sincerity in avowine
it. They can not deny the soundness
of our principles; they pretend them
selves to hold them. But the fnnc'
tion of an opposition is to oppose.
and as they are otherwise destitute
Of al issue they seek to make a few
by ~attributing to us principles we
have eve dreamed OF holding and
policies which are abhorrent to us.
And distrusting the effect of these
maneuvers in advance, they announce
their plan Of compaign to be not pro.
anything, but anti-Roosevelt. This is
a 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 president been a good citf
zen, a good soldier, a good man in
all personal relationsg! Is he a man
OF intelligence, of education? Does he
know this country well? Does he know
the world outside? Has he studied
law, history, and politics? Has he
had great chances to learn, and has
he improved them? Is he sound ana
strong in mind, body, and soul? Is
he accessible and friendly to all sorts
and conditions of men, Has he the
courage and candor, and the God
given ability to speak to the people
and tell them what he thinks? To ali
these questions they will answer,
yes. Then what is your objection to
him? They will either stand speech.
less or they will answer with the par
rot cry which we have heard Sc Of
ten: He is unsafe! !,
In a certain sense We shall have
to admit this to be true. To every
grade of lawbreaker, high or low;
to a man who would rob a till or 9
ballot box; to the sneak or the bully;
to the hypocrite and the humbue,
Theodore Roosevelt is more than un.
safe: he is positively dangerous.
But let us be serious with these
good people. What are the coeffl.
clients in a chief of state? He should
have courage; the wisest coward that
ever lived is not fit to rule. Anu
intelligence; we want no blunder
headed hero in the White House. Ana
honest; a clever thief would do in
finite mischief. These three are the
i~ndispensables. With them a mar is
all the more safe if he has a sense
Of proportion, a sense of hnmor,
wide knowledge Of men and affairs.
IL he seeks good counsel; and, final
~, If he is a patriot. II he loves his
country, believes in II, and seeks in
all things its interest and its glory
Any a may make mistakes: but
such a man as this will make few. anu
no grave ones.
Such a man Is our president am:
our candidate. He Is prompt ana
energetic. but he takes infinite palma
to 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 medIratioL
and well.reasoned conviction. II he
thinks rapidly, that is no fault; h.
thinks thoroughly, and that is the es
sential. When he made peace be ],
tween the miners and the operators
It was no sudden caprice but the fruit (,
Sd. II
OF serious reflection, and this act OF
mingled philanthropy and common
sense was justified by a great pracff
cal result. When he proclaimed anew !,
the Monroe doctrine in the Venezuela (,
case his action wa followed By the /
most explicit acceptance OF that say i
ing policy which has ever come to |
III from overseas. He actei very !
swiftly, IL is true, In Mississippi, when
the best citizens Of a town threatened ,
the life Of a postmistress for no fault /
but her color. He simply said, Very
well, gentlemen; you may get your /
letters somewhere else for a while"
And as to the merger SUITS, Ilow /