The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-17

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burden. Under the lead of the presi-
dent, the republican party has grappled
with the new problem, born of the new
conditions. 1t has been no light task.
Dangerous extremes threatened on
either hand. On the one side were the
radicals of reaction who resisted any
change at all; on the other side were
the radicals of destruction. who wished
to change everything. These two
forms of radicals are as far apart at
the outset as the poles, but, when car
ried out, they lead alike to revolution.
Between these two extremes the re-
publican president and the republican
congress were compelled to steer, and,
while they advanced steadily, soberly
and effectively, they were obliged TO
repel the radical assaults on either
hand.
Yet Notwithstanding all these diff
ficulties, much has been accomplished.
The response of the people to the poll
cies urged by the president, has been
so emphatic that it has been made
clear, once for ALL that government of
mated by money and financial interests
and that the political party which per-
mits itself to be ruled by them is
thereby doomed to defeat.
The policy of the republican party in
dealing with these new and formidable
questions, which have taken concrete
form in enormous combinations of
in, 10
porations, has been formulated and de-
termined. That policy is to use gov
eminent regulation and supervision for
the control of corporations and COM
binations, SO that these great and nee
essary instruments of commerce and
business may be preserved as useful
servants and not destroyed because
gerOus masters.
This policy is the absolute opposite
of government ownership and all like
measures, advocated by our opponents,
which tend directly to socialism and
to all it's attendant miseries and evils.
1t is in pursuance of the policy, shap-
ed and settled during the past few
years, ludI Ola laws nave UcSH CulOl
ed and new ones enacted.
Nothing is more destructive to the
respect for law-the chief bulwark of
civilized soeiety-than to place laws
upon the statute books in order merely
to still public clamor and satisfy the
people, but which it is never intended
to enforce. The worst laws imagin-
oH@ to
rust, unused, because, if enforced, they
might interfere with vested abuses or
curb the rich and powerful.
The president has enforced the laws
as he found them on the statute books.
For this performance Of his sworn du-
ty he has been bitterly attacked. 1t
was to be expected. Vested abuses
and profitable wrongs cry out loudly
when their intrenchments are carried
and some one is sure to be hurt when
the bayonets of the law are pushed
home. In the great American electo-
rate money has few votes, but it can
command many voices and cause many
birds to sing. The result is that the
president is the best abused and the
today. He has been more abused
than any president except Washington,
Lincoln and Grant. fIe possesses the
love and confidence of the American
people to a degree never equaled ex-
cept by Lincoln and Washington. May
it not be said, in sober truth, that the
fearless performance of a sworn duty
&c, with ifc inc
ward?
But the work has not ceased with
the enforcement of existing laws. A
republican congress and a republican
president have placed new laws upon
the statute books, designed to carry
out the republican policy of govern
ment regulation in safe, reason
able and effective manner. The Elk
ms law. aimed at preferential rebates.
which have been the curse of our
transportation and our business; the
railroad rate law, which made the
supervision of railroads more effec-
tive and the pure food law. which
has been in the highest degree bene-
ficent to the masses of our people,
are all monuments of the policy and
the labors of the republican party.
The president who has led his par
ty and the people in this great work
retires. by his own determination
from his high office on the 4th Of
March next. His refusal of renomin-
alton, dictated by the Hottest motives
and by noble loyalty to American
traditions, is final and irrevenable
Any one who attempts to use his
name as a candidate for the presi-
dency impugus DO tn his sincerity and
his good faith, two of the presidents
greatest and most onspicuous quail
tiles. upon which no shadow has ev-
er been cast. That man is no friend
to Theodore Roosevelt and does not
cherish his name and fame who now.
from any motive. seeks to urge him as
candidate for the great office which
he has finally declined. The presi-
dent has refused what his country
men would gladly have given him:
he says what he means and means
what he says, and his party and his
country will respect his wishes as
they honor his high character and