Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-09-21
RoosEvELT's WORDS
PRESIDENTS UTTERANCES MA
LICIOUSLY MISSIONS TRUED.
Lud1crOus Attempt by Se1f-En-
throned Democratic Leader to Make
Safe Man Appear az Dangerous to
the Country-Pu1itzer's Letter.
(C1hicaeo Tribune

Chicago Tribune)
The New York World is probably the
most enthusiastic Parker paper in the
country. To an extent it is striking the
keynote of the Parker chorus in the
east. Two of it's editorials are to be
reprinted and circulated by the Demo
cratic committee as campaign docu-
ments. These two editorials are in the
| form Of open letters addressed by Joseph
Pulitzer, editor of the World, to Theo-
| dore Roosevelt. The first one occupied
| a page-the second nearly two pages.
The third may take up three pages.
| In the words of Mr.. Pulitzer, 'The
paramount issue of this campaign is not,
| as you would have it, free trade or free
| silver, but YOU YOURSELF Theo-
dore Roosevelt This issue is forced
upon the country by your unusual tenn
| permanent and talent-your own strong,
able, ambitious, resourceful, militant,
| passionate personality, your versatile and
surprising genius"
| This issue was framed by the World
in its first letter, July 80, 1904. But as
that document did not seem to brighten
anybody to Parker, the hot blood of
| strong desire denied mounted to the
brain of Mr.. Pulitzer, and his emotions
ravished his judgment. His second let
I ter-the one two pages long, printed on
| August 23-is addressed to Theodore
| Roosevelt, Candidate for President of the
| United States and the Western Hem
isphere." The headlines ask if the Pres
ident is a military megalomaniac." He
is accused of a "monomania" to be the
grand lord protector" of the two Amer
| icas.
A Gibbet of Folly.
| This letter is interesting-hrst, be-
cause the World is generally recognized
as the chief Parker spokesman; second,
as an exhibition of that gibbet of folly
to which partisan zeal, untempered by
! common sense, can on occasions, elevate
man ordinarily so level headed as Jo-
seph Pulitzer.
Roosevelt's record, contends the World,
clearly indicates that his return to pow
! er would be vested with the ruin Of
cur free institutions. 1t proceeds TO
examine all his despotic procedures and
unconstitutional usurpations, seriatim.
But it unquestionably omits much that
would make its case stronger. For in
| stance, it does not show how the Presi-
dent has increased the standing army
i
liberties Of the citizens. (For, in fact,
during President Roosevelt's administra-
ton the army has been diminished, not
increased)
1t does not prove how the ambitious,
costly, and bloody wars conducted during
| the present administration were begun,
not as the constitution provides, by an
act of Congress, but at the imperial die
tation of the ruler. Cor, in factg there
has been no war of any sort during
President Roosevelt's administration
Always for Peace.
| 1t does not even show how the Presi-
dent has brought the country to the
verge of a desperate war, which was
prevented only by the retreat of the
country which he threatened, as it might
| have proved against its favored Presl-
| dent Cleveland. (For, in fact, the Pres
ident has at no time brought the country
near war. His efforts and those Of his
| Secretary Of State have been consist
| emily directed toward the peace of the
world, and the circumscribing of the area
of hostilities once wars have begun
| 1t does not show how President Roose-
Welt had used either corruption or force
to influence elections in any State, so
abasing the principle of local self-gov-
| eminent, nor how he has deposed re-
calcitrant governor, or dissolved hos
| tile State assembly after the fashion
of certain reconstruction Presidents.
| For he has done none of these things)
| 1t does not show how he influenced
| judicial decisions. reversed a decree of
court, or suspended a judge who had
striven to limit the presidential usurpa-
| ,oIxx +bo Hrc tom
of the dissolution of constitutional gov
eminent. (But President Roosevelt has
not been guilty of IT'D
It does not show how, when the leg
islature maintaining it's independence,
refused to divest itself of its authority
and humb1y accept the advice" of the
man on horseback, he filled the halls of
the lawmakers with bayonets, oyerawed
the tribunes of the people, dissolved the
sitting, imprisoned the ringleaders. AS
| is we'll known, the terrorizing of the
| legislature is the twin forerunner with
the control of the judiciary i'll the down
| fall of free institutions
Has Done None of This.
| Tt does not show how the President
| annulled the right of free speech and i'm
posed a vexatious censorship upon the
press. The Worlds own articles are iv
| ing proof that he has done none of this.
| 1t does not show how, like the great
| est of our presidents, he has, under the
plea of national duress, suspended the
writ of habeas corpus-the very spirit
of civil liberty. Cor President Roose-
welt has not suspended the writ of habeas
| corpus.)
Thus the record shows President
| Roosevelt has, in no single way, even
embryonically exceeded his constitutional
| functions. He has not turned his face
| in the direction of a single one of that
set of actions whereby the usurpers of
history have established themselves in
| power on the ruins of freedom. New
ertheless, the World reiterates that, by
his record, it can prove Theodore Roose-
| welt to be man dangerous to the lib
critics of his country. How can this
| proof be wrought?
In a simple way. By passing over
| in silent contempt his record as a thor
| 81 4,,.o