Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-11-27


United States Icing tho scene of II
most ordinary. commonplace. ovory
day gambling game, and yet that Ia
Just what has happened. The action
OF tho President in distributing fed.
eral patronage BY dipping coins and
by drawing of lots Is deplorable and
disgusting. but worst of all Ia the
humiliation with which every decent
and high minded citizen of this coun.
try must be possessed because of the
incident.
The undignliied manner and
utter disregard OF conventionall-
ties shown By The President on
many occasions, has been claimed
by many OF his friends to be
one of the reasons that he has auch
II strong hold on tho people. but It
Is q moral certainty that this latest
miserable trick OF hia viii cndcar him
to no one. Picture If you can. any
OF our presidents. from Washington
down. doing such thing as dipping
n coin in the White House to decide
who should receive certain public
pap. Not even the rough md ready
Jackson would have so far forgotten
himself; the wcalsilng Pisrce would
have shlrkod from such disgusting
act. and even the common and coarse
johnson would have beon above II.
I'eyond al poradventurc. Roosevelt
has at hast .ovcrstepped the broad
path which he has laid out for him.
self. and u is a certainty TINT his
action on Monday will bring upon his
head tho severest sort of dcnuncia.
t!on7-and II should II was an act
no way worthy of tho chief execu.
two of this land Of ours. II II hap.
pens that we have II President who
has no respect for himself, he has
no right to forget that hc owes
worry large amount OF respect to the
people who put him in the Office
which he occupies. The present
President has forgotten that h. Is In
every sense of the word public
servant, but instead believes that tho
people arc HIS servants. an idea that
seems 10 prevail at all times within
him. Roosevelt as an individual. has
tho right to do as no plenses. even
break the laws, which no did OH Mon.
day, Ii he is willing to to suffer tho at.
tondant penalties, but he has no right
as the FIRST man OF tho land" TO
stoop to the action he performed on
Monday and by so doing, lower the
dignity very materially of tho ONCE
which no occupies and likewise pull
down from high standard. nm cleyat-
I'd moral tone. which should permca,e
every official net OF tho President.
The III effects OF the Presidents &c.
ton cannot be estimated or even
measured. Nearly every child in tho
will now believe that he has
The right to toss coins to settle every
point in dlspute because President
did IT,; every club. every promoter
Of some Samtding schcmo VIII find
In tho example the President has SGT
an inspiration to PROV bolder. Tho
President openly violated the lottery
law of the United states by drawing
lots for the federal patronage, which
he had at, his disposal. Webster's
dictionary explicitly states that u lot
tery--and that Ia what the law abno-
lutely forbida---" Is @ game of chance:
a drawing OF lots.' Surely that is
Just what the President did. Nice
thing to have tho highest officer In
the land openly violating tho laws
OF tho nation which he swore to main.
tain and protect. IS 1t not Gives
you decidedly slckenlng feeling,
mingled with sense of deep MORT.
hcation. that It is the misfortune of
this country 10 have such rattle
Drained man In the White House.
does It potg
Teddy. the coin clipper. Nice title
for tho President OF this land Of ours?
Nice example and splendid inspiration