The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-09-06
ThGO.
Appears to be the
Chief Issue Before
the People

principal Issue before the people OF
this country continues still to be,
Theodore Roosevelt. and ] can do no
better work for the people and, incl
dentally. the Democratic party, than
TO continue to give a history Of the
things Theodore Roosevelt has said
that thoroughly unfit MIN for the
presidency OF this nation.
I'm quoting from Mr.. Roosevelts
books and not from hearsay tcsti-
mony
Last winter. In the house OF repre-
scntatlves, the distinguished gentle.
man from Massachusetts (MI Girett).
In a speech complained that lawless-
moss and lynching in the south stim-
ulated lawlessness and lynchings in
the north In passing, ne will permit
me 70 express regret that the eooc
people Of Massachusetts, are Sc quicl,
to initiate southern vices and 80 slow
to emulate southern virtues. Now,
want to ask him IL It Is not fact
that the three hooks which Roosevelt
wrote, Ranch Life and the Hunting
Trail" "Oliver Cromwell" and "'rhe
Winning OF the West" are not in al
moat every Hri, ate and public library
aud in every school library through
oL. The north?
trust It Will not shock the law
loving aud law abiding people of our
country too greatly when tell them
that Theodore Roosevelt in these
books deliberately justifies and ad
vocates lynch law for the stealing of
$40 rat tailed Texas pony wish
10 Buggert to my friend from Massa-
chusetts that these books OF this dis
tinguished author, so widely read IN
the north. teaching the right TO lynch
human beings for stealing horses,
might possibly have some influence
in stimulating to lawlessness the great
aud good people Of the north Let me
quote from Ranch Life and Hunting
Trail" i" pages "a and so;
Daring the las two OF three years
the stockmen have united to put down
all these dangerous characters, often
by tie most summary exercise OF
lynch law. Bands OF horse
and cattle thieves have peen regular
ly hunted down and destroyed in pitch
ed fights by parties OF armed cow
boys, and as a consequence most Of
our territory is perfectly law abiding.
A little over two years ago
one committee of vigilantes In eastern
Montana shot aud hung nearly sixty
not however with the best judg-
ment in all cases.
IL Is the fashion to faush at the
severity with which horse stealing is
punished on the border, but the rea-
sous arc evident. Horses are the most
valuable property of the frontiersman,
whether cowboy. hunter or settlers.
They are always marketable
and are very easily stolen Horse
stealing is most tempting business
etc
Row let me quote from fhe w.@h -
Oliver Cromwell. at page so
In many crises II may be naces
sary TO overturn constimtior 5. % dis
regard statutes. just as It may be nee
essary o establish ylsiuncc com
mittee or take refuge in lynch laws
Ia Winning Of the West" ge hnt
the following
The good men in such a case banl
themselves together as regulators an,
put down with ruthless severity b.
the exercise Of lyacL law, shooting an,
hanging The worst ofhand.
Ia many OF the cases Of lynch lag
which have come to my RnowlcGs'
the effect has been healthy for tn.
community, Init sometimes great IN
justice Is done Generally the Wig
ilantes by series OF summary exc
cuticus, dc really good work, but
have rarely known them 10 fail
among the men whom they kin 70
good reasons, to also KIN one or tw
either by mistake OF 20 crafty pr
yate malice"
DO not defend, nor DO the pecpl
in the south defend lyuchlng for an
crime condemn. and they In IN
south condemn lyncning for an
crime EXCEPT the unspeakable Grim