Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-11-24
GUARDING LIFE
OF PRESIDENT
Legislation Cannot Ward OF the Dan.
ger Of Accident to Our Chief
Executive.
ROOSEVELT DEVOID OF FEAR
Fifty-Ninth Congress Not Apt to Ad-
NIT Arizona and New Mexico to
Statehood.
ROOSEVELT DEVOID OF FEAR

Washington, Nov 23.--It is true that
President Roosevelt is more carefully
guarded than was any other president
of the United States. He does not
move anywhere without there are Sec
ret service men watching every point
to see that no attempt is made upon
his life. 1t is doubtful, however. if
he has ever received as many threat
is a well known fact that he has new
er been the recipient of as much
abuse as either Cleveland or McKin-
ley.
Fanatics have not been as plentiful
during the prosperous times while
Roosevelt has been president as they
were during the sullen days of the
last term Of Cleveland. Yet more care
is taken to protect President Roose-
welt than any of the others The Sec
ret service men are more alert now
than they were in the Cleveland or
Mckinley administrations. But close
" as President Roosevelt is guarded.
the dangers that he has undergone
since he has been president nave not
been those which a law could ward
on.
He has been subject to more risks
than other presidents, but they have
been of an accidental kind which can
not be avoided by the most stringent
legislation. After his return from
New Orleans it became known that
he had a very narrow escape while
on the West Virginia, and might have
been killed at that time Once when
returning from New York his train
narrowly escaped being wrecked.
Once when out horseback riding ip
the suburbs of Washington he was
thrown from his horse, and barely es.
capped broken neck. Returning from
Oyster Bay on election day his car
riage narrowly escaped being damned
between two street cars, and the &C.
cident might have been serious. At
different times when travelling about
the country he has been rather close
ly pressed by big crowds and big
crowds are always dangerous.
1t will be noticed that none of these
escapes of the present executive could
te avoided by the strictest kind of a
law to protect the president. 1t is
rot TO be expected that the President
Of the United States will confine him
self to the White house and go no
where else. At least no one will ex-
pect it of Theodore Roosevelt. You
could not pass a law that would keep
him from going aboard the West Vir.
ginia, or going to an election or horse
back riding, or visiting any part of
the country. He is absolutely devoid
of the sense of danger and has not
the slightest fear of being killed eth
Ell in an accident or by assassination.
cite a few OF these events &c
show that legislation would not prove
efflcacious in saving the president
from accident, and it is doubtful if the
law could save him from the assas-
sins bullet, provided the assassin was
willing to sacrifice his own life to
kill the chief executive. The escape
OF an assassin is almost impossible
the way the president is now guarded
and in fact an attack upon him would
be almost sure to fail because there
never was time when keen men
were SO alert as they are now to see
that cranks and doubtful characters DO
not reach mis- presence.
A Shy at Deserters.
Inspector General Burton of the
army takes shy at deserters and
points out how much has been done
by the United States government for
the regular army soldier in order to
make his life pleasant and agreeable
Th0 i, nI,~
ious quarters. His barracks are airy
and plenty of space is allotted to
him; he has spring beds, mattresses
pillows, sheets and pillow cases; his
quarters are furnished with baths and
similar necessities of the most mod.
ern manufacture; he is provided with
spacious reading rooms and plenty of
newspapers and books; he is better
i. clothed and better fed than ever be.
fore; in some of the large posts he
Is provided with swimming tanks and
gymnasiums equipped for athletic pur.
poses; schools for the uneducated sol.
der are provided. and in every way
the best thought of the army Off.
Ger to make the soldiers life comfort.
able has been used and yet the sol.
der is dissatisfied and deserts.
1t is not because of the abolition
| Of the canteen. for the question OF
getting drinks in the post does not
worry the soldier There are always
} plenty of low groggeries nearby where
! he can buy liquor and vice with very
little difficulty. and that is what the
abolition of the canteen has driven
the solder to seek who wants to drink,
But the canteen can not be restored
and If assertions are to be corrected
. 1t will have to be by some other
! method than has as yet been suggest.
ed.
General Burton points out all the
advantages that have been given the
soldier. and suggests the Withholding
, OF portion Of the pay as having q
tendency to prevent assertions. He
, may be right in this. but it is doubt.
ful ii congress will take the initia.
tive and withhold the pay of the sol.
der. even to correct assertions.
When congress closed its last term
1t seemed to be foregone conclusion
that two states would be admitted
early In the Fffty-ninth congress. No
one doubted that Oklahoma and In.
dian Territory would be united and
admitted as one state. and it seemed
almost sure that Arizona and New
|