Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-08-28

'PSNidl 10 the Mali, printed NeSter-
lay evening, under yesterdays date.
says:
Theodore Roosevelt for third
'erm. ACKNOWLEDGING Endorsement
II the presidents Cape Cod speech :
a guarded admission that MIR. Taft
the only reasonable alternative in
light If Mr.. Roosevelt refuses nom
nation. determined insistence up
IN law enforcement and profound
belief in the possibility of achieving
he ideals OF Democracy marked the
Jews expressed by William Mercer
ovens Dawson. governor of West
Virginia. who came to Denver the
nther day.
If law enforcement Is national
'ecessity, then II should be a ma
lonal policy" this governor said
frankly President Roosevelt wants
20 do what the nation wants TO do.
and il seems 10 be surely the convic-
ton OF the country that no man is
so we'll equipped for the great task
as he Is. The policy Theodore Roose-
welt has adopted Is the policy the
whole union indorses. and Theodore
Roosevelt seems the man to carry II
through
But take this point. The Cane
Cod speech will be cabled all over
the world. And the world will he
reasonable in inferring from tho
tone of that speech that the law eva
sion of trusts and corporations and
capitalists is so widespread here that
the law enforcement or an insIstent
character has become a national ne
cessity, while. as a matter OF hard
fact America Is just as iaw-abIding
as any other country. And the pres-
ident's speech may lead the world
to think that America Us a very law
less place"
STRUCK A NATIONAL NOTE
Well. said Governor Dawson
what OF that? II we are just as
good as other countries now. we are
not as good as we aspire TO he and
II III pursuing our ideals we are not
AFRAID 10 speak the truth. why
should we care for misunderstand-
ing world? The president struck a
national note in This Cape Cod
speech, and the nation will indorse
IT, We can only be truly free peo-
pie while we have liberty. and we
can only have liberty while it is reg
ulated by law"
But, suppose the law is finnlcal
or fanciful. or fanatical: surprising
u is our laws as we should If We
want 10 it be enforced or respect
cd2"
IT is not the business OF a state
governor or state attorney. or q
city executive or a district attorney
10 say whether a law Is reasonable
or wise. II is his business TO obey
the will of the people by enforcing
th" law And if that law is bad. then
ih" impossibility of executing II in
The courts will very soon bring about
its repeal There are too many di-
minitive cars i'm office I'm this conn.
try, and they must learn that the
Ia" is the expression of the will OF
the people. and the people are SUI
prcme. II the corporations and the
trusts and the big men will obey
the laws they will have nothing TO
trouble about, and. when President
Roosevelt declares for law enforce
meni as a national policy. he is MAX
ing such courageous declaration as
the people expect him TO make. And
although you say that America is
just as honest and law abiding as
other countries. 81 still seems 10 mo
that we do not respect temper OF the
country are then what preserve our
own true self-respect."
But n the laws are too theoret-
ical2"
THE PEOPLE MUST DETERMINE
The quality and character Of all
laws must be determined by the peo-
pie and the courts and not By any
executive whose business Il IS TO en-
force them. was The uncompromis-
ing reply 1T Is one Of the safe
guards of our liberties that the ex-