Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-09-11
SENATOR sEvERlpeE,s SPEECH

SENATOR 7EVERlDoE's SPEECH.
Senator Beveridge among other things
said:
We are midway in an historic move |
ment for righteousness written Into law.
Shall that movement be carried out, or
wrecked? Its concrete expression is the
Roosevelt policies. Shall they be saved
or lost? Had the about-fac in both
parties who now are powerless, sue
ceeded they could not have wrecked the
movement, but only have delayed it. For
the people would have gathered headway
again until their purpose was worked
out
But extravagant schemes and emotional
agitators can wreck 1t. The Revolution
would have failed had impractical men
been in command instead of the cautious
and wise, yet daring and determined
Washington. Many a cause has gone
down at the hands OF hot-headed and
eccentric friends.
And so today, in the American peoples
mighty moral advance, thus far success
fully led by Theodore Roosevelt, the grav
est question is whether we shall place
our commanders standard in the hands
of his most trusted captain who will lead
us safely and surely along the we'll
the hands Of those who will lead us on
zig-zag marches after rash adventures
until the whole movement dissoves In the
peoples disgust and the worlds ridi-
cule.
This Is a campaign of candidates oven
more than of platform. The question is
not which candidate is most upright,
| patriotic, brave, for both are equally So
Both mean equally well towards their
country. The real question is, Which
| candidate will make the best president?
| Which is the wsest and steadest? Which
| man would you choose as administrator
| of your estate? Which would you select
| to manage your business? Which has the
best training and the most experience?
Mr.. Bryan never has handled a single
| foreign problem. He has governed no
Philippines, regenerated no Cuba, built
no canal, avoided no alien danger, saved
us from no threatened peril
Mr.. Taft has done all. 1t was his
| genius for the practical and devotion to
humanity that took Philippine chaos and
made Philippine order; took Philippine
| hate, and changed 1t, by the alchemy of
| his tact, to Philippine love. 1t was his
craftsmanship that achieved the impos-
sible, converted an Oriental people into
a voting citizenship, and laid the founda-
tions for a future which, as God wills.
may become a separate nation a glad
and patriotic part of this great republic.
1t was William II. Taft who set Cuba
| in order, established her feet in civiliza-
tions upward path; and it was he who
when SO directed by President Roosevelt
first advised with Mr.. Taft when
these children of liberty tore his work
to pieces, set up once more the blessed
rule of order and liberty and law with
a fathers patience and a statesman's wis
dom. 1t is he who is commanding the
practical work of that greatest enterprise
of human society, the building of the Pam
anna canal.
1t was he whose counsel President
Roosevelt sought at every crisis of his
historic administration; he who helped
avert war when little politicians and mar
now minds would have plunged us into
conflict. 1t was William H. Taft whom
our president, when confronted with for
eign perpleXities and with the awful
weight of our ninety millions welfare on
his heart, sought for strength and wis
dom; and it is William II. Taft more than
any man ever called to the leadership OF
the American people, who has had the
best training, the widest experience and
the wisest teaching to fit him for that
glorious but serious task.
In domestic affairs Mr.. Bryan has writ
ten not one law, administered not a single
department, advised no president-while