Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-09-29
"FLOUR-FLUS HING."
(F'rom the Albany Journal)

Bourke Cochran has this in common
with David d. Hill, that when he is
making a partisan speech he always re-
CARDS emphatic assertions of something
else as Il good enough substitute for the
truth. when it appears to him that to
speak the truth is expedient.
When Mr. Cochran spoke in New YORK
on Wednesday night he exclaimed, after
abiding to President Roosevelts state
ment of tho fact that the democrats
dare not tell the truth about the settle
ment of the anthracite coal miners strike
in 1902 and the suit against the North
ern Securities company.
Il challenge Mr.. Roosevelt TO name a
single democrat who ever openly or
covertly, by himself or by an agent
criticized those two acts Of the execu-
tive
That challenge was In effect an explicit,
emphatic assertion that no democrat
ever directly or indirectly criticized Mr.
Roosevelt because he used his good
Offices as private citizen to bring about
a settlement Of the strike, or because as
President he instructed the attorney gen.
erl 20 institute legal proceedings against
the Northern Securities company
About three weeks ago Secretary Taft
delivered an address in which he asked
the question whether, II Mr.. Parker had
been President at the time Of the strike,
he would have done what Theodore
Roosevelt did, and answered it thus. II
think not. because think he has shown
himself 50 tmid in meeting issues that
We may infer he would have sheltered
himself behind the plea that as he had no
constitutional power as President to d.
what was done, he did not feel justified in
DONG it as private citizen"
Thereupon Henry Watterson. editor Of
the Louisville Courier-Journal. Il life
long democrat and supporter of MIR
| Il ia ,t y q
secretary TAFT had paid Mr. Parker a
compliment. Mr.. Watcrson continued
! thus:
! Judge Parker is not the faithful re-
| publican, not the cloar-headed iurst that
the people of this country have taken him
| 10 20 II he could violate the constitution
of his country on any such puerile. nimsy
ana ridiculous pfeteXt as that which
resident Roosevelt assigns for his viola-
| ton 81 tho constitution in oVersteppine
the functions Of his office in the anthra-
cite strike. Nobody denies that the SGT.
| Element of the coal strike was at thint
to hN desired. but nobody contends that
the President Of the United States coulC
take the action that Mr. Roosevelt tool
without ovorstepping the constitutional
| functions of his Office"
| A little research would suffice II hrini
to light other samples OF democratic cen
| sure of Mr. Roosevelt because he succeed
cd in bringing tho strike to Il sottlomen
when everybody else who had tried to d.
50 had failed Aut it isn't worth the tim
! to produce additional evidence to prov
that Mr.. Cochran spoke--well. recklcssll
to use a mild term when he believe
forth his challenge for the sake " cffec
upon those within sound OF his voice.
Criticism of the Presidents actio
agaist the railroad merger has been a
n rule by indirection and innucndo. hi
everybody who has read the democrat
newspapers knows. and Mr. Cockra
knows. that the Presidents action in tina
matter has been covertly given by hi
opponsnts as one Of The reasons why h
was to he regarded as unsafe
Mr.. Cochran doubtless relied upon III
i certainty that the President would TAX
no notice OF his "challenEe" for success
81 his four-lushing; BIZ did he think ais
that no republican newspaper would ca
his wretched bluff?