Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1904-09-16
FOR PRESIDENT:
ALTON b. PARKER,
A VIGOROUS ABANDONMENT

Inc IOll0WlnR 10 an extract from an elO-
quent speech delivered by Editor Henry
Watterson, OF Kentucky, before the congress
OF editors, from all parts Of the United States,
at the Waldorf Astoria Of New York City,
on the 7th instant:
Inevitably the personality, the character
and performances of Theodore Roosevelt
occupy the foremost place in the public
mind. They will constitute the CHIEF horn
of the peoples dilemma in the coming cam
paign. They are, as 1t were. the beginning
and the end of the chapter. Yet because we
propose to discuss the President and 10 bold
him 10 just measure Of accountability we
are accused of abusing him.
81 would not, for my part, utter an unkind
or dlscourteous word. l admit that he is
as sweet a gentleman as ever scuttled ship
or cut throat. Indeed, very much that kind
of a gentleman, for, hosting the black flag
over the South has be not scuttled the ship
of civil service reform and cut the throat OF
reciprocity Has he ever obeyed the law
Ia case II stood in the way OF his humor
port of bis own commission, he removed a
States Attorney from the office to which
the people had elected him here in the city
and county of New York to the time when
by scratch of his pen he usurped the pow
or of Congress and added many millions oil
outlay to the pension rollsP
as he not responsible for the fly-by night
theatrical combination miscalled the Repub
lie Of Panama. Was his treatment Of Miles
and Schey the act of a wise or considerable
Presdenlp Was his promotion of Wood
just either TO the army or the peoplef Was
his proceedings in the postal scandals not
shuttle designed to suppress while seeming
10 eXposeS Were his operations against the
Northern Securities Company not the merest
play to the galleries, achieving thus far moth
ing beyond the throwing OF little dust into
the eyes Of unthinking peopler Does not
his whole career, illustrated by his writings,
his sayings and his doings, his needless
criticisms, his spectacular explorations, his
broken promises, reveal TO us q self willed
adventurer upon the high seas Of public life
having no rudder or compass except his
own ambition, no principle or rule OF con-
duct save that OF decking the machine with
the iounces and furbelows OF civic righteous
ness, while violating the spirit and sacrl-
icing the actualties Of the civil service by
line OF partisan appointments to office
never surpassed during the worst times Of
the spoils system he has so stigmatized and
exemplifiedP
"Was Jackson, whose Ignorance he re
Dukes, more personal and autocratic thar
he is himselfp Was Grant, whom IN If
he persistently antagonized, more indiffer
ent TO the admonitions of public sentiment
And II we have seen such things In tn
green Leaf, what may we not expect l.
see 10 the browni II elected President II
1904, why not again In 19OsP The tradition
broken, what may not be the possibilities i
1927
"As a Republican would take no sue
risks; as an American shall not drea
the one-man power. Still more dread III
one party power; absolutsm at length bal
Reading itself against the reach Of the pee
pile; the opposition thoroughly dsbauche
and because of It's decentralization and in
potency only degree less corrupt than th
autocracy; the Government close corpois
ton OF organized interests, slowly but sur,
ly breeding caste distinction; our publ
men q race OF Medecian princes, without Ii
learning or the arts of Florence; the oil
Tree system of Washington and Frankli
and Jefferson very syndicate OF veal
and officialdom; republic only in nam
world power In fact more imperial IN
aggrrssions and resplendency than Ron
itself.
AT we want these things let US by 1
means elect Theodore Roosevelt Let
destroy all healthful and responsible opp
sition. Let US construct an Irresistib
power al Washington. Let us relegate co
servatism to the rear. Let Us bring To II
front only socialism To dght with abs
lulism--A battle which. no matter how
ends. is bound To be dangerous to the libe
ties OF the people and the peace OF Il
country"