Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-08-16
CUTTING THE CORNERS
A Republican Statesman With a
Changeable Record.
WILL ROOSEVELT DO NEXT

WdAI WILL RUUSEV ELI Do NEXT
A Few of His meIc
like Nature and Infnit Variety.
He Keeps Cannon and Other Re-
publican Statesmen Guessing as to
Where They Are At.
With the president plunging into the
congressional campaign as general
manager, so as "tO secure a congress
of his own" a lively campaign andprob-
ably something spectacular is certain.
At present the president stands pat on
the tariff, but who can tell what will
happen? He may, If the cxigencies of
the require a change Of front,
throw over the stand patters and stand
for tariff revision or ever free trade.
Senator Dryden assures the people Of
his state that "the mental attitude Of
President Roosevelt toward public
questions of our day is Il fine blending
Of a broad and courageous progressive
pass with a wise and steady conserva-
tism that is altogether admirable"
Senator Dryden is in q tight place
himself, with the hounds of reform on
his trail, and knows full we'll the short
corners a Republican statesman is
bound to cut in these p~erilous times.
He evidently sees in President Roose-
welt qualities that he is envious of, for
what trust and corporation representa-
tive, not to say life insurance presi-
dent, would not like to be able to ap-
pear progressive and conservative at
the same time-progressive to the peo-
pie on one side and conservative to
the trusts and corporations on the
other; M day issuing orders for the
vigorous prosecution of the trust Of
fcials, another day ordering the at
torney general not to press the crimi-
nal charge against John D. Rookie
Teller which had been commenced at
Cleveland; on n side appealing to
the Republican voters to subscribe a
dollar each to the campaign fund, on
the other side having Wall street
fguratively scraped with a small tooth
comb for campaign contributions?
One day he assures President Com
pers Of the American Federation Of
Labor that the eight hour law has
been constantly and vigorously enforc-
ed and the next day issues an order for
the enforcement of that obsolete law.
One day he speaks of President Mon
roe as a failure" as one well fitted
to act as a presidential igurehead," as
'too much to the taste of the Jacobin-
ical Republicans" of France, and Oh
the next day he declares that the one
grand purpose Of his administration is
to uphold the glorious Monroe doctrine.
One day he d%enounces the pension
grabbing congressman and their sup
porters'' and the "vicious special leg
islation, sure, in the end, to bring
about the breaking down Of some of
the most important principles OF u
government and the next day he
issues an executive order, without au-
thority of law, imposing upon the
treasury an annual expenditure Of
more than $4,000 ,OOO. One day he
favors free trade and %denounces a
protective tariff as "vicious in theory
and harmful in practice" and the next
day he declares for the stand pat the
DRY. One day he stands for reciprocity
and the next day against it.
Always he cries for peace in one
breath and for the big stick and war
in the next. One day he speaks of the
religious system of the Quakers as
"a direct incentive to crime and wrong
DOING denounces their "vaunted pol
icy Of peace" and declares that the
colony Of Pennsylvania was con
temptible, supine and selfish" and the
next day ne says that the Quakers are
righteous, peaceful and virtuous."
One day he speaks of the negroes as
"a perfectly stupid race" and the next
day he closes the p%ostoffice at Indian
ola contrary to law because the people
Of that town object to a negro as post
master, invites the negro Booker
Washington to dinner and says that
"the door of hope for equality with
white men and women must be kept
OpCu " lHC LCSlo' ohS Not w
nounces political corruption, and the
next he refuses to compel Cortelyou
and Bliss to return to the insul-
ance companies the money stolen from
the widows and orphans Of their pol
icy holders and used as a corruption
fund to place him in the White House.
One day he denounces the railroads
for violating the law against rebating,
and the next day he appoints Paul
Morton, a notorious rebater, to a place
in his cabinet and discharges from the
public service Harmon and Judson for
proposing to prosecute Morton and his
pals.
This is the man who IS going to con-
duct the congressional campaign this
year. The chameleon and the kaleido-
scope are surely in politics. There will
be "infinite variety" at least. In the
performance.
The Open Door In China.
Republican, statesmen have been Ia