Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-09-16
ROOSEVELT'S LETTER
Campaign Issues Discussed by the
President.
VERY SEVERE ON HIS OPPONENTS.
President States That His Administration has
Been Misrepresented Outright-t Would
Be Disastrous. He Argues, 70 Absnion
S ngIe 0ne Of Ills Policles-false Criticism
lie Says

Oyster Bay, N. Y. (SpeciaD.-Pres-
ident Roosevet's letter accepting the
Republican nomination for the Presi-
dency was made public here. 1t is in
part as follows:
Oyster Bay, N. Y, Sept, IL, 1904
Hon. ]. G. Cannon, Chairman OF the
Notification Committee:
My Dear Sir-I accept the nomi-
nation for the Presidency rendered me
by the Republican National Conven-
ton and cordially approve the plat
form adopted by it. In writing this
letter there are certain points upon
which | desire TO lay especial stress.
1t is difficult TO find out from the ut
terances of our opponents what are
the real issues upon which they pro-
pose to wage this campaign. 1t is not
unfair to say that. having abandoned
most of the principles upon which
they have insisted during the last eight
years. they now seem at loss both
as to what it is that they really be-
leve and as to how firmly they shall
assert their belief in anything In
fact, it is doubtful if they venture res
olutely to press single issue; as
soon as they raise one they shrink
from it and seek to explain it away.
Such an attitude is the probably in
evitable result of the effort to i'm
provise convictions; for when thus i'm
provised it is natural that they should
be held in a tentative manner.
The party now in control OF the
Government is troubled by no such
difficulties. We do not have to- guess
at our own convictions and then cor
rect the guess if it seems unpopular.
The principles which we profess are
those in which we believe with heart
and soul and strength. Men may dit
fer from US, but they cannot accuse
us of stiffness or insincerity. The
policies we have pursued are those
which we earnestly hold as essential
to the national welfare and repute.
Our actions speak even louder than
our works for the faith that is in us.
We base our appeal upon what we
have done and are doing, upon Our
record of administration and legisla-
ton during the last seven years, in
which we have had complete control
of the Government. We intend in
the future to carry on the Govern
ment in the same way that we have
carried it on in the past.
A party whose members are radio
ally at variance on most vital is
sues and, if united at all, are only
united on issues where their attitude
threatens widespread disaster to the
whole country, cannot be trusted to
govern in any matter
No other administration (than the
present one) in our history, no other
government in the world, has more
consistently stood for the broadeSt
spirit of brotherhood in Our common
humanity, or has held more resolute
attitude of protest against every
wrong that outraged the civilization
OF the age, at home or abroad.
Pension Order No. 78 directing
that any veteran of the Civil War who
has reached the age of 81 years should
be persumptively entitled to pension
of Sc a month"; is justified, not merely
on legal grounds, but also on grounds
of public morality.
The record of the last seven years
proves that the party now in power
can be trusted to take the additional
action necessary to improve and
strengthen our monetary system and
that our opponents cannot be so
trusted.
The action of the Attorney General
in enforcing the Antitrust and In
terstate Commerce laws, and the &C
ton of the last Congress
have for the first time opened chance
for the national Government to deal
intelligently and adequately with the
questions affecting society
because Of the accumulation of capt.
tai in great corporations.
When they (the Democrats) speak
of protection as robbery. they of
course must mean that it is immoral
to enact tariff designed to secure to
the American wageworker the benefit |
of the high standard of living which
we desire to see kept up in this coun-
try. To speak of the tariff in this
sense as robbery is on its
face false.
From time to time schedules must |
undoubtedly be rearranged and read
justed to meet the shifting needs of
the country, but this can with safety
be done only by those who are COM
mitted to the cause of the protective
system.
At no time In the history of this
or any country has there been an
era so productive of material benefit
alike to workingman and employer
as during the seven years that have
just passed.
The army as it is now is as small
as it can possibly be and serve its
purpose as an effective nucleus.
The expenditures of the nation have
been managed in spirit of economy,
as far removed from waste as from
niggardliness.
The pubic work of the United
States has never been conducted with
a higher degree of honesty and eff
cheney than at the present time. We
have known no party in dealing with
offenders.