The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-06
SOUNDS KEY NOTE.
CONTINUED from Page one.l
. precept born of cowardice and
Root Paid a Debt.

Root Paid a Debt
I shall not pay undue attention to
the temporary chairman of the Re-
publican convention. After interro-
eating, in the light of reason, a few
utterances, L shall pass on to the au-
thorttattve voice of his party, which
Is It's platform, for proof of the fact
that Mr.. Root knew how to pay a
debt. The country has not yet forgot
ten when Mr.. Roosevelt paid a glow
Ing tribute to his cabinet, which
wound UP with the sentiment. land
the greatest Of these is Root" But
let me read first what the president
did say of the junior member of that
mutual admiration society. 1 find it
In the American Review of Reviews
from the pen of Walter Wellman:
Ordinarily the president of the
United States is not to be interviewed,
but there are exceptions to all rules
When asked President Roosevelt for
an expression of his opinion of the
character and public service Of -Elihu
Root. who within a few weeks is to
retire from the secretaryship of war,
the president replied:
Il am very glad to do that. In John
Hay L. have a great secretary of state.
In Philander Knox have great at
torney general. In the other cabinet
posts 7 have great men. Ehhu Root
could take any of those places and fill
IL well as the man who is now
there And. in addition. he is what
probably none of those gentlemen
Elihu Root is the ablest man I have
known in our governmental service
will go further, he is the greatest man
that has appeared in the public life of
any country in any position, on either
side of the ocean, in my time
This is praise, indeed" adds Well
man.
Well what of it? have never heard
that Secretary Root has denied the soft
Impeachment. Praise indeed. Yes.
and what praise in return could be adj
equate in repayment In this worSer
ful mutual admiration society of me
too Teddy and me too Lihu." is the re-
turn rhapsody of Mr.. Roots perora ton
at all extravagant considered from the
standpoint of repayment. of course
Is it any wonder that he was the
man selected by the candidate to Lay
It on strong?" man of ability. too.
Mr.. Root. he had defended the Tweed
Ring. Why not defend the Republican
party in its hour of non action, passi-
witty negation and mere obstruction.
Indeed he and the president have
minds so much alike that they have
been suspected of unconscious identity
of cerebration." of thinking the same
thoughts in the same words.
Quotes From Root.
1 have heard that in October, 1902
Mr. Root made a political speech iii
Cooper Union in New York in which he
used this language:
IF a tariff law has on the whole
worked we'll and if business has pros
perez unCeG II ana Is prOSp6rlnS, IL IS
better to endure some slight inconveni-
ences and inequalities for a time than
TO incur the uncertainty and disturb
ance of business which necessarily re-
suits from the process of making
changes The mere fact that a differ
ent rate of duty would be better than
the rate fixed in the statute does not
settle the question whether the change
should be made now or should be de-
ferred. Every tariff deals with duties
on a vast number of articles and i'll
wolves a vast number of interest often
conflicting, and whenever the law is
taken up in congress for consideration
with reference to one change every
schedule in that law is going to find
some one urging a change in that
schedule. and all the business interests
of the country are going to be left dur
ing long continued discussion in
state of uncertainty as to what will be
the outcome of duties upon the things
they are producing, and therefore in
uncertainty as to what competition
from abroad they will be obliged to
meet
And 1 have heard that the president
I'm his political tour through the west
in the spring of 1903 made "A speech in
which he used this language: If a tar
fff law has on the whole worked well
and If business has prospered under 1t |
and is prospering it may be better to
endure some Inconvenience for time
than by making changes to risk caus-
ing disturbance and perhaps paralyze
try. The fact that the change in j !
given rate of duty may be thought de- |
sirable does not settle the question |
whether it is adviSa BILE to make the /
change Immediately. Every tariff deals |
with duties on thousands of articles /
arranged in hundreds of paragraphs 1
and many schedules. These duties at |
feet a vast number Of interests which /
are often conflicting If necessary for |
our welfare. then of course congress |
must consider the question of chang !
ing the law as whole or changing l
any given rates of duty but we must
remember that whenever a single /
schedule is considered some interest 1
will appear to demand a change in al |
when it comes to upsetting the
schedules generally the effect upon the
community would be ruinous."
Two Speeches Read Like One.
Verify two souls with but a single /
thought; two speeches that read like /
one. And that single thought, so har-
mOniously expressed, is not to force /
single special interest to take its lips /
from the public breast for fear the
public finding them unnecessary might /
shake them all off.
1t is not therefore to be wondered at |
that the peroration of the greatest of i
these was sort of dedication of him
who had dubbed him Greatest of
self appreciation It was only alter
egotism after all. What a magnificent |
piece of humor is this unbounded adul-
alton of our fellow citizen in the |
White House by the chief of these"
& How humorous to praise so highly
our fellow citizen in the White House,
who in the long line of great men
who have filled the seat he now oc-
cupies has himself found only about
three in his opinion worthy of any
thing like unstinted praise-George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and |
himself.
Verify. the ether humorists will
have to retire from business
THE chief of these is Mr.. Root
The temporary chairman said, speak