The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-08-25
RoosEvELT's REASONS.
The President Makes it Clear why the
Republican Party Should Continue
in Control of the GoYernmant.


mending and congratulating that gem
tlenan upon having rendered his serv-
ices to the Republican congressional
committee for the entire campaign,
Without reg ard TO the effect his absence
may have on the canvass in his own
district, where he is a candidate for
reflections; and the president takes
occasion to set forth in characteristic
ally clear and forcible terms the rea-
sons why, in his estimation, the peo-
pie should vote to continue the Repub-
lican party in control of the govern
ment. The letter is such comprehen-
siVe and cogent review Of the situation
and of the issues upon which the pend-
ing campaign is to be conducted, that
The Chief deems it of sufficient import
anee to reproduce in substantial en-
tirety:
ssIf there were only partisan issues
involved in this contest, | should hest
tate to say anything publicly in refer
ence thereto. But I do not feel that
such is the case. On the other hand I
feel that all good citizens who have
the welfare Of America at heart should
appreciate the immense amount that
has been accomplished by the present
congress and the urgent need of keep
ing this organization in power.
with MIR. Cannon in power as
speaker the house has accomplished a
literally phenomenal amount of work.
1t has shown a courage, good sense
and patriotism that would be real
and serious misfortune for the country
to fail to recognize. To change the
leadership and organization Of the
house at this time means to bring con-
fusion on those who have been success
fully engaged in the steady working
out OF a great and comprehensive
scheme for the betterment of our social,
Industrial and civic conditions. Such
change would substitute purpose
less confusion, a violent and hurtful
oscillation between the positions of
the extreme radical and the extreme
reaetionary for the present orderly
prorgess along the lines OF carefully
thought out policy.
aThe interests Of this nation are as
varied as they are vast. Congress
must take account, not of one na5ional
need, but Of many and widely different
national needs, and speak with his
torie accuracy when I say that not in
our time has any other congress done
SO we'll in so many different fields of
endeaVor as the present congress has
done.
mo congress can do everything.
Still less can it in one session meet
every need. With its first session the
present congress, in addition to the
many tasks it actually completed, un-
dertook several tasks which I firmly
believe it will bring to completion in
its second session next winter Among
these Ishope and believe that the bills
to prohibit political contributions by
corporations, and to lower the duties
on imports from the Philippines, each
of which had been passed by one
house, will be enacted into laws. I
hope, and have reason to believe, that
favorable action will be taken upon
the bill limiting the number of hours
of employment of railway employees.
These and one or two other measures,
the enactment of which I have reason
to hope for, are important.
stBut far more important are the
measures which have actually been
passed, and as to these measures wish
to reiterate that they are not import
ant in a merely partisan sense, but
are important because they subserye
the welfare Of our people as a whole,
Of our nation as an entirety. They
are important because those who en-
acted them into law thereby showed
themselves to be fit representative of
all good Americans.
TN affairs outside of our country,
our great work has been beginning
TO dig the Panama Canal. The acqui-
sition of the canal strip was due to the
Initiative ofeongress; and the fact th at
the work thereon is now being done in
the most thorough and satisfactory
fashion is due to the action Of the
present congress at the session just
closed. This action rendered the work
possible, and the heartiest acknowledg-
ments are due to the far-seeing patriot.
ism OF those who thus made it possible.
The digging of the Panama Canal is the
most eolossal engineering feat OF all
ages. No task as great OF the kind
| has ever been undertaken by any other
! nation. The interests banded together
| TO oppose it were numerous and bitter.
and most of them with a peculiarly
sinister basisfo their opposition. This
sinister opposition rarely indeed ven.
lures openly to announce it's antago,
nism to the canal as such. Sometimes il
takes the form OF baseless aceus atior