Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-03

established, we have become extended
and increased the span of the arch OF
our structure, and must undertake to
eGuate the widely different concerns
of individuals and communities anti
thetieal as to race, traditions and
modes of life and antipodal as to To-
cation on the face of the earth.
Dwelling on the unwisdom of imma-
turely acquiring colonies is fatuous,
the national duty is neither TO help
those colonies for their exploitation
nor to cast them off to avoid the bur-
den of their responsibilities. The ques-
lions involved are no more matters
to be narrowed through the mill of
politics than is the policy of the Pan
anna canal something to be stamped
either as Republican or Democratic.
These questions are fruitful of trou-
BILE and perturbation, and the primary
requisites of the man or men who
must deal with them is an abundant
knowledge of the people of the outly-
ing domain. That Mr.. Taft is possess
ed of this knowledge as is no other
man in the country, is hardly to be
denied; granted that he has had eX-
traordinary opportunities, he has
shown himself able to improve these
opportunities in manner which
it is not extravagent to say will be
his broadcast claim SO far to enduring
fame when the acute visual distor-
ton Of the present and opportune
shall have given place to the lnexor-
able perspective OF history in which
the relative values of public deeds to
public duties are completely clarified
and announced to posterity. The mis-
cry and misfortune which an ignorant
or obstinate administrator, no matter
how high the ethical standard of his
motives, could entail upon our wards
of the Pacific and Caribbean are APP
palling to contemplate; were his adj
ministration to be at fault in any 9th
er particular, in those things Mr..
Taft's record shows him to be entire
ly dependable"
A paragraph that shows the healthy
optimism of the late Mr.. Cleveland in
his closing days, is quoted in full:
For a, time there were those who
feared that there was an obliquity in
the standard of our civic morality
which marked a degeneracy not to be
averted, and greed, disintegrity and
malfeasance strobe unabashed
through the courses of our official
functions But we have lived to real
ize that it was merely an excrescence
of the times, that it was something
transitory, like unto the slough of a
wound, and that it's prevalence and
persistency were needed to arouse the
opposition necessary to its final oblit-
GRAFTON. So, it seems to me, as I re
view the last half century, that from
the mental vision l may draw this
certain conclusion: We as individuals
and citizens are better than we were,
and are rising steadily to planes high
er than we have yet known. 1t is true
in one way that the evil men do lives
after them and the good is too often
inferred with the bones," but that sur
vival is more in effect than in popular
consciousness"
Whatever results may attend the
publication Of this document so i'm
portant in the present campaign, the
article will bring out one point in the
character Of the late statesman he
had the courage to rise above parti
sanship in pointing out the rocks upon
which the party is drifting through its
reputation of the principles Of its
| founders