Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-09-22
ROOSEVELT is THE ISSUE.
Republican Leaders Letter of Accept
ance Reiterates His Contempt
for the Constitution.

AS painted by Mr.. Roosevelt, the re-
publican party almost discounts Provi-
| dence. 1t is all-wise and all-beneficent.
1t is perfection, f~ull-rounded, beautiful.
According to Mr.. Roosevelt, the time has
come when those in charge Of the gov
eminent are omniscient and society's
ills are at an end. The republican party
is the answer to the sum total of man
kinds efforts throughout the ages. 1t
possesses exclusively all of the super
Iative excellencies hitherto known and
1 few newly invented one
If it were as good as Mr.. Roosevelt
processes to think it is, there would be
no further need of politics and we could
ever get along without the constitution.
Mr.. R%oosevelt's letter of acceptance is
in many respects an interesting docu-
ment.
Almost anybody can put questions 10
fit answers favorable to himself, which
is a way of conducting the other fellows
case; and this is what Mr.. Roosevelt has
done. Having selected what he con-
ceives to be the virtues of his admins
tration, he frames an indictment on be-
half of the people against these special
virtues, thus giving the selected virtues
an excellent opportunity to reply-and
they reply for all they are worth.
There can be no other issues save the
enumerated ones involving these sup
posed virtues, Mr.. Roosevelt contends.
If these are not the issues, he says, there
can be no issues.
AS usual, says the st. Louis Republic
Mr.. Roosevelt overlooks the constitu-
ton. When he declares that he is un-
able to conceive what issues the demo
Gratis could possibly have. he forgets that
they have had a Mr.. Roosevelt in n of
the three great constitutional divisions
of government for the last three years
and that the incumbent has wrought q
great strain and damage upon the office.
AS a matter of fact, a president too big
for the constitution is a very large. real,
live and threatening issue and one srf-
fcient to arouse most of thepeopleint the
country which suffers that condition
A lawmaking and l~awbreaking execu-
tive is an anomaly calculated to impress
the majority of Americans with the ne.
cessity for its removable awaken il
them a fear for the safety of their insti.
buttons.
Mr.. Roosevelt is enough of an issue
we're there no others. He represents
anticonstitutionalism the constitution
su~bordinated to executive whim: ant
not all his enumeration of party vir.
tues, real or pretended, can hide the
fact of his dangerous personality.
In electing a president, the people
are bound to consider the man. Thu
people choose between men. This cam
paign is peculiarly one in which char.
acter and temperament must b.
weighed between the candidates. Ii
is admitted on all sides that Judge
Alton B. Parker is a safe man, Of
sound and conservative Judgment. who
If elected, would not ~endanger the in.
ternational and internal affairs of thu
country. His temperament and Judi
cial training qualify him for the con
stitutional duty and responsibility. l
is impossible not to contrast agains
these eminent qualifications the rasl
impulses, big militant ambitions an
headlong proc,ivities of Mr.. Roosevelt
In the very nature of things, the con
trast is inevitable. The one man il
amenable to the constitution, laws
principles and traditions of his coun
try. The other man is intolerant of al
restraint.
The issue is the constitution, or it il
Mr.. Roosevelt, as you please. If i
were a campaign of mere attraction
and Mr.. Roosevelt were permitted t.
state them to suit himself, democrac!
might easily be robbed of all issue1
But the question before The people is
among other things, the selection of
president. The requirements Of of
fee and the fitness of men are consid
~erations. The requirements have ref
erence to the constitution which ere
ated the Office, and measured by then
Mr.. Roosevelt is seen to be who'll.
Unfit.
Question Hurts Republicans.