Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-11-08
RooSevelfS Career.

When Roosevelt was police commits
sioner in New York City the pc ,iticians
used to boast with great glee that he
was an "easy mark" not that he was
corrupt but that he could be easily out
witted and circumvented.
Before his election for governor, the
legislature of New York had appropri-
ated nine million dollars for the inn
provement of the Erie canal. The
money was spent but the canal was not
improved. Investigation showed that
the money had been stolen and squan-
dered As a candidate Roosevelt was
loud in his protestations of vengeance
upon any who might be found guilty of
corruption in the canal deal if he were
elected. Not long after the meeting of
the legislature he sent in special mes
sage urging an appropriation of money
for the purpose of investigating the
canal frauds Soon after his zeal for
reform abated and he was publicly mis-
representing the case and denouncing
the charge of wrong-doing as base
SANDER.
The legislature had also passed law
taxing the franchises of the street rail
ways in the city of New York which
were worth very many millions of dol
lars. No species of property is more
Justly subject to taxation than this, and
the validity of the law could not be
questioned. OF course these great cor
porations were unwilling to bear any
part of the public burdens and they
appealed TO Governor Roosevelt for re-
lief. He Accordingly called the legisla-
ture together in special session to
amend the law. This the legislature
compliantly did under the direction of
the corporation counsel. They did not
dare to repeal it. When the authorities
proceeded to tax those properties under
the amended law the corporations chal-
lenged the constitutionality of the law,
and the supreme court declared it
unconstitutional upon provisions in
serted by the corporations attorneys
How much safer TO amend law than
to repeal it Evidently the corpora
tions found Roosevelt quite as easy a
mari nc tho noliticianS had
The Galveston flood occurred while
he, as governor, was making stump
speeches IN South Dakota as candidate
for the presidency. He promptly
issued proclamation urging contribu-
tons for the sufferers and naming a
committee to receive them. This proc
lamation was signed, done at Albany
etc, by Gov. Roosevelt, although he
was thousand miles away, and accord
ing to the constitution of the state he
ceased to be governor As soon as he
crossed the state line. Ii was piece
of spectacular folly which shows his
contempt for legal and constitutional
forms.
Sooa after his succe sion to the pres
ideney, thinking he was DESTROYS of
giving the country good government,
MIR. Roosevelt invited the editors of the
S0-called gold democratic papers to
come to Washington for conference
with him. The invitation was accepted
and heart to hesrt talk was had. On
returning to his office week or two
later, one of the editors read in a paper
an account of executive action entirely
inconsistent with what the president
had said in the conference. He imme-
diately cut cut the item and sent it to
MIR. Roosevelt, who replied that he
knew il did not agree with what was
talked, but he said if you could only be
here now and feel the tremendous pres
sure you would not blame me. That
incident reveals his character. He is a
man of many generous impulses, but
weak and unstable.
BY convictions he is a believer IN
unhamnefed trade, and early announced
in message to congress that tariff
schedules whichs sheltered monopoly
must be changed He even started out
in his impetuous way on a speaking
tour 20 cross the country in behalf OF