New-York tribune., 1904-10-23
iFTTERS TO THE EDITOR.
rrv HE VOTES FOR ROOSEVELT.
,..,,rs rmpslling Democrat to Oppose His
Party.
-.,... a. The Tribune.

a, EDITOR o. The IFlo"he'
= ~ vben an ordinary citizen feels himself
-, - vote against Ills party his for 50
os-. of no interest 20 the public. but their true
s's !, himself may be well estimated by his
's.a 's-.--..s 10 give them publicity. For man VIII
s.,,or by his vote candidate or a policy
- - -,of,res which he would hesitate to acl1nowl-
,s-s openly.
~ many Democrats the want OF a definite pro-
-. A The 81. Louis platform was a grievous
t.l---,,rtn,ent II seemed little more than an ar
e-,,sr. Of the verb TO do.' in all its lenses.
~, ,nsefniteness found its climax IN absolute
- FOR ''this campaign" upon the fnan-
=, Dolicy OF the government. a question which.
~. al fiscal cnes can never cease being OF i'm
--~s.os. especially when commerce is growing TO
s--,5 more and more upon individual and national
~ This latter can be shaken by the hostility.
,,r,n indifference. OF any one branch Of the gov
.-sns 50 that the business interests of the coun-
- rsoulred from a party which had gradually be-
ma dominated by unsound principles e most ex-
-. and formal declaration OF fits changed con-
s.tons Instead OF which. after desperate con-
- a. two days. they resolved upon a sinister 81
-. snd aaronted the peoples common sense by
,s,araazng statement tlIat the only question which
- & serious issue in their convention was mot
n issue il this campaign"
n ;hs Democratic platforms the tariff has had a
v-r,,bls place always depending upon the mood Of
~ hor- While I think the present tariff needs
~.
bsrs il IS 10 be effected than IS contained in the
v5ld declaration that the protective system. one
advocated in the beginning by Democrats and still
a use BY nearly all civilized nations. is OF rob-
bsEy
More positively objectionable IS the antaEonistio
attitude assumed toward a growth OF our army and
navy corresponding 10 that Of the nation in size
ana obligations. We are q people who are aggres-
ave industrially ano commercially over the whole
slobe This with questions OF natuTalized citizens
and the Monroe Doctrine. makes US inevita bly, a
worlc factor, and we must choose between being a
world pop-er and band Of gypsies. Arbitration's
sssngth lies IL its being an alternative for war
Think IN What q position We would have been il
The challenge 70 Great Britain contained in Cleve-
lands Venezuela message had been accepted. as Il
would have been by any other Premier than the
pssos loving Salisburz-? Even hc might have been
f5Toed into il but Tor the Jameson raid the Ger
nan EmpeTor's telegram 70 KRUGER and the threat
sned European coalition. With forty-two battle
ships against our SIX. England would have had no
d.hculty in sending her troops 10 Canada or seiZ-
South African she transported 20 600 men with
perfect COmrnisssriat six thousand miles. in three
shores II six week. These men would have had
ar effective reserve . oraW upon OF tsfg00 ali
armed wIIh modern guns would have had unlimited
ard would have been commanded by Roberts or
Kitchener. We had no general who had ever COM
,1oE zes 10 ,oS-lissa-jsr Tot single n5sn,fsc
Tory Of sInCReless powder. and our little army OF
80 rad onv 900 modem guns an the rest in
Guiding lie 50 o. volunteer militia. being armed
with The old and practically useless Snringfield
rife. 50 (by emitting 70 mar our toTts) We should
have mad l5etl men, hall starved. as al Tampa
and bindedhb by their oEn sUOKe to meet 20. 900.
Yet the same ce-naeoElc cry against the army.
which now seeks anaTc6istic votes. Yas responsible
for that condition Of affairs.
Recognizing their lack OF cohesive principles. our
leaders nave violently attacked The personality OF
The President making thereby great strategic
mistake. Ihe average pays little attention
fne spun theories and he understands Theodore
Roosevelt. Who IS an average man Of big proper
lions. and as such eXcites the dislike Of all eX-
tremsts. Forced, like Cleveland. by MS popularity.
upon practical politicians, their dislike for him is
sls ~ S - % S ms pan; il''ye PsSssS m bIl,ss W4
They arraign him for establishing rule Of evidence
NneIe0y cur government assumes the onus and eN-
pense IN the investigation Of Az aged soldiers dis
ability. Which Judge Parker Is willing 10 concede
one SCI scoIds him because he did not wait indea-
80. Ioi SoIonnia, and another because he did not
l4 44.cIsy sc ep re Panama route altogether
bloody record Is called uaconstitu5ionei and .'a6
bet q war Because Il prevented d war? Was
.leFelan0.s threat in his Nenezuelau message an
They RAN because he desires tha, those South
Althe!sesn IepIlllcs winch We must protect, should
F6ilry 1'''s' goes SaTa'e resp0n-
Theodore Roosevelt seems TO me not headstrong.
olt sTongheaced; and. while impulsiye his Inn
pulses are ~ the right direction His father and
himself nave always been known for their interest
JIG lfe Tor twenty-five years receiving all the tine
,neressrs proofs Of the peoples confidence. If he
vance of Congress and the Supreme Court and his
election would mean reign of ''lawlessness'' from
winch We can be saved only BY an alliance between
Wild theorists and anarchists. then our system OF
soleTnIne5.t is farcical failure ] believe no such
INNS, and my vote shall protest against 81 as VIII
I;iose of more men than ever before voted for a
Nev-Tork. Oct %. 1904 LIE