Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-09

desperation, and the republicans will
gladly accept the issue.
Theodore Roosevelt.
even on this narrow issue they will
dodse most of the details. Ask them,
Has the President been a good citizen,
good soldier, good man in all per-
sonal relations? Is he man of intel
ngence, of education. Does he know
this country well? Does he know the
world outside? Has he studied law, his
I tory and politics? Has he had great
chances to learn, and has he improved
them! Is he sound and strong in mind,
body and soul? Is he accessible and
friendly to all sorts and conditions Of
men? Has he the courage and the
1 candor, and the Godgiven ability to
speak to the people and tell them
what he thinks? To all these questions
they will answer, Yes. Then what is
your objection to him? They will
either stand speechless or they will
answer with the parrot cry which we
have heard SO often: He is unsafe!
! In a certain sense we shall have to
admit this to be true To every grade
of lawbreaker, high or low; to man
who would rob a till or ballot box;
to the'sneak or the bully; to the hypo-
critic and the humbug, Theodore Roose-
welt is more than unsafe; he is posi-
lively dangerous.
But let us be serious with these
good people. What are the coefficients
of safety in chief of state? He should
have courage; the wisest coward that
ever lived is not fit to rule. And in
telligence; we want no blunder-headed
hero in the White House. And honesty;
clever thief would do infinite mis-
chief. These three are the indispens-
ables. With them a man is all the
more safe If he has sense of proper
ton, senst Of humor, a wide knowl-
edge of men and affairs; if he seeks
good counsel; and finally, if he is a
patriot, if he loves his country believes
in it, and seeks in all things its inter-
ests and its glory. Any man may make
mistakes; but such man as this will
make few, and no grave ones.
Such a man is our President and our
candidate He is prompt and energetic,
but he takes infinite pains to get at
the facts before he acts. In all the
crises in which he has been accused
of undue haste, his action has been
the result of long meditation and we'll
reasoned conviction. If he thinks rap.
idly, that is no fault; he thinks thor.
oughly, and that is the essential. When
!, he made peace between the miners and
the operators, it was no sudden caprice
: but the fruit of serious reflection, and
this act of mingled philanthropy and
, common sense was justified by a great
practical result. When he proclaim
, ed anew the Monroe Doctrine in the
Venezuela case his action was followed
by the most explicit acceptance of that
, saving policy which has ever come to-
, us from overseas. He acted very swift
ly, it is true, in Mississippi, when tn,
best citizens of town threatened this
life of postmistress for no fault but
; her color He simply said, Every we'll
The Merger Suits.
!, And as to the merger suits, now that
people have come to their senses they
see that his action in that case was as
regular as the equinox. He was in
formed through legal channels that a
statute had been violated. He did not
make the statute, but he was bound
, by his oath to execute it. He brought
, the proceeding which it was his duty
, to bring. The courts, from the low
est to the highest, sustained his &C.
ton. He did what it would have been
, a high misdemeanor not to have done.
: The laws in this country are made to
!, be obeyed, whether it Is safe or not.
!, 1t is always unsafe to disobey them.
, But there has been more noise made
over his suddenness on the 1sthmus
of Panama than elsewhere. 1t is diff
fcult to treat this charge with serious
, ness. The President had made a
treaty with Colombia at her own So
licitation, which was infinitely to her
! advantage to inaugurate an enter
: prise which was to be for the benefit
: of the world He waited with endless
!, patience while Bogota delayed and
: trifed with the matter, and finally re,
jected it, and suggested new negotia
lions for larger sum. Panama. out,
:. ragged by this climax of the wrongs
:; she had already suffered, declared and
u established her independence. The
: President, following an unbroken lille
), of prtcedents, entered into relations
I with the new republic, and, obeying his
> duty to protect the transit of the 18th
:. mus as all other presidents had done
,, before him, gave orders that there
c should be no bloodshed on the line OF
:, the railway. He said like Grant, Let
y us have peace and we had it. 1t
: will seem incredible to posterity that
y any American could have objected tc
: this. He acted wisely and beneficent
: lily, and all some people can find to
= criticise in his action is that he was
;. too brisk about it. If thing is right
and proper to do, it does not make il
a criminal to do it promptly. No. gen
4 tlemen! That was time when the
s hour and the man arrived together. He
$ struck while the iron was white hol
. on the anvil of opportunity and forged
! as perfect a bit Of honest statecrafl
r as this generation has seen.
t. We could desire no better fortune IL
# the campaign upon which we are en-
e tering than that the other side SHOULD
e persist in their announced intention
t to make the issue upon Preslden
e Roosevelt What godsend to ora
Il tors! 1t takes some study, some re
y search to talk about the tariff, or tn
l. currency or foreign policy. But to tall
n | n ! To- noC " n