The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-08
Voice Of the People.
The Presidents Gridiron Speech.

The Presidents Gridiron Speech.
Edltor Of The Times-D ispatch:
4 I cannot understand why rho Times
Dispatch reprlmands President Roose-
welt ,,, Tor saying. at the now celebrated
a t1d club dinner, to Messrs.. Nor
would be the result of their. schemes
for dlscrediting him and the, few lead
he 1,,.' !, R1epn.b,licana who stand by him
knows that this country 10 now In the
midst me Of q crisis which, if 1t turns to-
SIoosI she'd ef01 believes H thst p pHin
speaking among Responsible men Is the
wa, way to get ut the difficulty. and the
sphere of activity, is decidedly or the
Same view
Any student Of the course Of events
to SEQ that the reckless and brutal
spirit Of great capitalists. as manifested
IN the contempt Of law. of public opr-
ion and the public veal: in their scan
OF the public expense; In their effort
to dominate the counsels of political
pnrties-.witness tn, name Of ono Of the
}mlttee Of tho Democratic party in
virginia---is tending directly to more
dangerous state OF things Tho masses
and they aro determined that this
country shall bo and remain. land
every nn hnrn shall hnyG 5ae
| It for the solo benefit OF privileged
class.
Having travelled in tho crowded LAY
coaches OF the trains which run be-
tween Richmond and Boston in the last
five. Weeks. think am Justified In
saving there isn spirit OF unrest among
party bounds and treat with contcinpt
the reputed wisdom or dummy party
hacks. ,whicl, 'auEurs III for the men or
saw this IS nns or that the the
ends; which It seeks are. propcr It
would De we'll, however. for conserva-
M 81 thRs n tat
conditions are, what they are. When
our great civil war was at the very
door doc resneetabe neWspapers and lead
lc1ared as late as March 4, 1861. that
Charleston. Mercury insisted at that
ever occur between North and South
would be fought out in the poets cor
lner of that most winely read iourrn'
1t went on demanding the impossible
garchy until the very tramp of hostile
armies could have been heard on the
borders Of Virginia before l.. blinded
editors. saw and admitted that war was
1.-THE only result OF their policy How
sad was the result thousands and tens
OF thousands Of loyal men and women
seats OF semi observation-disclosures and wo-
. men whose fathers We're once wealthy
There are worse than negro slave
holders In this land to-dav. md their
power and wealth date back to nrlvi-
gleges granted them and their fathers
under the stress Of those irving war
times They demanded move in the
name OF their ,nmolested freedom than
la !,
of the South and the results of their.
continued success would be just ms
fatal for our repnblic and to the neople
who COMPOSE It's rank and f',el%ns
~ upon the Southern States for all
time. ! have the greatest resnect for
pronerty RIGHTS. md would be the last
to limit the Incentives to the accumu-.
latfon of wealth; vet wealth must boar
Its burdens: It must resnect the law
which safeguards It: and It must Oft
granted and maintained il order to
tho BODY polite. 4, 3Ni s.si r HF33rf,ss!tE
Tt. therefore. behooves public men
{ tremely rich of the danger which GER
thinlY lies ahend, not only for them,
but for all. It IS also the duty Of the
people generally to see clearly and
speak plainl'- to oil classes Of men We
must rise above class interest and per
. SOIfS1l HNVuNlAEcs we would save lthe
Democracy which has been planted IN
this fair country by. our fathers Viz
ginia, has a chance now at the parting
OF the waNs. the breakine-,ln of n =
ana outworn policies. to play the role
Of a great community and recallHto the
minds of the nation the times when
i Virginans broke the bonds Of tradition
land stepped into positions OF leadership
not only for their country but for hu-
4 manitY everywhere.
lst5 Looking at the ma tier thus, have
been disappointed at the turn Of the
4, discussion as led by The Timns-Dis-
! patch: at its lightsome fun-makine in
the place of serious warning to the
men who are responsible for so many
made the very name OF America a
stencil in the nostrils of right-thinking
i Europeans,
WILLIAM r. DODD.
Randolph Macon Va.
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