The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-05-08
ROOSEVELT is FEARLESS.

According to a recent press ais
patch, some radical labor union men
propose the impe achment of President
Roosevelt, because of his reference to
certain indicted labor leaders as types
of undesirable citizens.' There may
be a difference of opinion as to the
prudence and propriety OF applying
such a term to these men while they |
are awaiting trial in the Idaho courts,
but the fearlessness displayed by the
president in thus expressing his cam
did opinion will be recognized by the
public generally. 1t is custom airy
among politicians to refrain from any
act that may give offense to the labor
union vote, or any part OF 1t, but the
Roosevelt custom is to follow the
dictates of his conscience, and thew
to the line, let the chips fall where
they may The presidents action in
this matter is the subject of these SEN
sible remarks by the Yellowstone
Journal:
The American citizen who does not
draw a fuller and a freer breath and
take a brighter view of the future after
reading the presidents reply to the
communication from the Chicago labor
leader, Honore j Jackson by name, Is
hardly appreciative of the worth Of
hat great possession, American citi.
zenship. This country has never
lacked brave and conscientious net
in high places: not q of u long
line of presidents has ever proved un-
worthy Of that high trust, but since
the days of Lincoln we have never had
a president with the courage of his
convictions like unto the man nOw in
the white house. Physical courage is
fairly common among the race, but
out of a hundred men who would
cheerfully lead the most forlorn of
hopes, there might not be one who, in
the prime of life aud at the entrance
of a public career whose scope can
scarce be imagined, would have dared
to sound the challenge to an innum.
cradle host that is contained in that
brave and forceful letter. The chal.
lenge is not to battle, but to a ant
and speedy determination of the rights
of American citizenship, that ines,im'
able possession devised and granted
by the founders of this Nation to it,
sons and daughters for all time.
The president has classed certain
types of political and business activ
ity as constituting undesirable citi
zenship.' The chief culprit in minl
when he did this, was Hartman, AM
to express his conception of the sor
of thing hat Hartman had been de
tected in doing, he placed him in
group with Debs, Meyer and Hey
wood, ty pes whose pernicious activitie
if unrestrained would result Ia the eX
tinguishmeut of our citizenship. Un
forum ately, two of the example
named are under the ban Of an accuse
tiOn of murder and have not yet ha
their trial. Under these condition
there was perhaps grounds for advers
criticism Of the presidents remart
but that feeling must disappear fro'
the minds of all Intelligent men whe
the letter is read that he wrote to I'll
head of the Chicago bureau OF IL
propaga and Il to oppose law aud justi.
in the Moyer-Heywood cases. in cas-
tl,,, o,)n,niAnr nf ri viIiyafiOn ia
to lead the accused to liberty. III
letter has Deer published widely AT
doubtless will be read widely and /
effect cannot be otherwise than Who'll
some. After r%epudiating the infcren'
that his classification of Meyer al
Heywood as undesirable citizens
was to be construed al expressing
opinion of their guilt in %connecti'
with the murder of former Govern'
Steunepberg the president adds tn
suuare.toed reiteration of his opiui'
and of his right to express IT:
"But no possible outcome either
the trial or the suits can affect Il
Judgment as to the undesirability
the type of citizenship OF those who
mentioned. Messrs. Meyer, He
wood and Debs stand as represent
tives of those men who have done
much 10 discredit the labor moveme
as the worst speculative 6nanciers
most unscrupulous employers of lab
and debauchers of Legislatures ha
done to discredit honest capital
and fair dealing business men.
"They stand as the representati'
OF men who by their public utteran'
and m~auifestoes, by the utterarces
the papers they control or inspire a
by the words and deeds OF those as
ciated with or s%ubordinated to the
habitually appear as guilty of Incl
ment to or apology for bloodshed
violence.
"If this does 0 constitute un