Gilpin observer., 1904-08-25
An Open Letter to President Roosevelt

Do these acts OF yours give very
strong backing to your words asserting
say az a 9sst ao nos
10 no, .ns Sus to pons
hsy Tys Shpay % be nsMs asxs nSsed
the victims OF the unpunished and un-
''conspiraoies In. restraint Of trade
which continue to stife competition
and to rob consumers in defiance of
, Far worse than this political partner
blow which you dealt to public conf
dence in the sincerity OF your oppost-
your. Cabinet on the eve of your per-
sonal campaign for election to the
The polite removal of Attorney Gen.
! eral Knox just as he had demonstrated
| in one notable instance his ability to
| porations.. after all previous attorneys
general Of both parties had failed. was
eraaiS poMer SRch with IL tns
courage you successfully challenged in
the Northern, Security case. But the
the head of the department Of com
merce-created as the law declares to
affairs of corporations and. as your
platform says, to secure reasonable
publicity Of their operations'-to the
craftsmanship of your campaign COM
mittee, has all the appearance Of de-
liberate preparation for partisan black
to be investigated.
Mr.. Cortelyou formerly your private
hs hesd Sf the long
enough to acquire by '.diligent inves-
tigation" such Information as would be
chest. The public does not share this
information. There is no evidence that
making use OF 1t to suppress and pun
lsh such odious and oppressive mo-
nop'oliens nope ,no as e. the beef trust-which con-
supply of SO,OoU,0V0 people. But ex-
private and ex-public Secretary Cor
campaign committee---no doubt knows
all that the law enabled him to learn
of the inner workings of the potential
campaign contributors!
What save consuming ambition to
be elected President in your own right
cessful trust prosecutor to Quay's place
as trust agent in the Senate, and to
tary and trust investigator into a cam
paign trust fatfryer, In place OF Mark
Hanna. deceased?
You boast that never has the admin
istration of the government been on u
cleaner and higher level" We appeal
to all honest men whether there was
er public scandal or "A more unprinci-
pied defiance of decent public opinion
than Is this transfer of an official In
vestigator and curber of great corpor-
ations to be collector of campaign
funds from them!
You say that you earnestly desire
friendship with all the nations Of the
new. and old worlds" and that you
think peace is right as well as advan-
tageous." Can you wonder that the
people find II hard to recognize In these
have known hitherto? A short time
ago. in urging the creation of an ever
larger. navy. the advice you gave for
the guidance of the nation was: Speak
softly. but carry a big stick" Is the
man who habitually does this generally
tse eeShs othsr cations Of ye fSe NEW world
thought that you, as President of this
REPUBLIC; really desired peace and
in your letter to the Cuban dinner
ANY. country whose people conduct
hearty friendliness. II a nation shows
that II knows how to act with decency
in Industrial and political matters. IL
then II need fear no interference from
the United States. Brutal wrong. g.doing
general loosening OF the ties of civilized
society may finally require Intervention
Wy ss naea ane e state
can not ignore its duty"
10 not this unmistakably threat
that II any of the republics o. Central
It falls to keep order and pay It's
our Union have failed t. pay) 1t need
fear no interference from the United
States but that II any or all OF these
states fail to live up to your standard
of order and morality. civilized So
ciety may finally require Intervention
ignore it's duty"
In other words, you propose that
YOU, as President OF the United States.
shall constitute yourself the supervisor
and sponsor OF all the turbulent chron-
ically revolutionary, bankrupt sham
and will undertake TO make them 'act
with deceney" and pay their debts to
the bondhoiders. spectators and usur-
ers of Europe.
Can even the widest imagination
conceive a more grotesque. preposter-
Gus and dangerous perversion OF the
Monroe doctrine than Is contained In
this extraordinary proposition? 1t
combines the humbug of Barnum with
to prove. as you say in your speech:
that the non-interference doctrine OF
James Monroe, is IA living, realityr'
fective perpetual invitation to war and
trouble than this policy holds out. the
Imagination of diplomatists and the
| combative instinct of soldiers looking
for a fight have not yet conceived 1t.
| Can you wonder that the conscrva-
| tive business men of the country, who
in their affairs, want n President in the
training and character viii enable
them to go 70 sleep at night without
learning from Startling headlines in
| the newspapers that the President has
dispatched warships to Turkey. Moroc-
| co. Venezuela. China or where not, on
| insufficient information or with impos-
sible demands-or has been cabling
| "Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead" or
| ordering some OF our southern neigh
| bors to "act decently" and pay their
| debts?"
These being the results. the tcnden-
\ cies and the dangers of your admin
istration and your policy, are we not
| right in saying that the paramount is
! sue of the election is whether you, Mr.
| President, shall have vote of ap-
proval. confidence and encouragement
| to go on in the course you have marked
out? You would have the right to
accept your election AS n warrant from
| the people to continue, to increase and
| to Intensity the executive acts which
have amazed and alarmed the friends