The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-02-05
IT'S UP TO YOU MR.. VOTER---
ROOSEVELT OR THE TRUSTS?

Special Correspondence to The Press
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. g.
Sullen silence or covert sneers
were the reception which met the
Roosevelt message among republi.
cans on Capitol hill. The men
whose opinions count-senators
like Aldrich, Hale, Gallinger, Kean
and Speaker Cannon and Repre-
sentatives Payne, Dalzell and Taw.
ney, were silent or evasive. They
dared not air their genuine views
will the country stand for
that?" asked very prominent man
when he had secured assurances
that his name would not be used
1--WE have had an idea up here
that T. r. Is about all in"
This questioning comment is sig
nificantly typical. Not even the
house and senate leaders feel per
fectly sure. They have believed
the thing they have greatly wanted
to be true, and have acted on that
belief. But they are nervous
They really want to know.
Will the country stand fol
Roosevelt? or has the public mind
been sufficiently poisoned by the
literature which the Standard Oil
has circulated? Has the system
won in it's effort to make the poor
man think that it was Roosevelt
who made the panic? or does the
poor man think the panic was
made by the system? Will Roose-
velt's voice be heard as 1t has in
the past seven years? Will the
voters answer as they have an.
swered regularly in the past?
This is the query which Is the
most conspicuous result of Roose.
velt's message-the query that
stands out in the minds of the re.
publicans in charge of congress.
There is no doubt as to what they
think of Roosevelt and all his mes
sages. They hate him-hate mag
nified by fear. Members from the
West are more disposed to talk
to say pleasant things. They feel
that Roosevelt is still strong with
their constituents.
Democrats are naturally pleased
They feel that the message puts
the republicans in hole. 1t augurs
an open split between the White
louise and the republican party
leaders.
But the eastern republicans, the
responsible house and senate lead
ers-the men who have the ma
chinery of legislation completely in
their hands-their attitude Is an
effort to conceal their fears, and a
hope that the effect of the message
on the country will justify them in
their reactionary course and war
rant their continued efforts to dis
credit Roosevelt and throw his
policies into the ditch.
Here are some expressions on
the message today:
Senator Jonathan Bourne: at is
a wonderful state paper. and l pre-.
dict it will result in the nomination
and election of Theodore ROose.
welt. This Is inevitable. This
statement will make 1t evident to
the people that Roosevelt is the
only man who is a demonstration
of these policies; any other man
would be an experiment or theory
Senator Flint, of California:
"All right; rather drastic just at
this time, but perhaps all right.
Looks to me as if anyone but a
Roosevelt man would have "a hard
time to get elected"
Senator Beveridge, of Indiana !:
1T is great appeal for the move.
ment OF the times. The president
utteres the spirit of the people.
Two years ago | named this move
ment the mo~al regeneration OF
American business. That is just
what it is and ii will go on until
its work is done. The American
people are going to end abuses
which the whole world admits ex-
ist among us. The English people
did the same thing long ago. Ii is
a fighting message"
Senator Borah, of Idaho. "a
powerful document; complete an
swer to the philosophy of the re-
dictionaries.
Senator LaFollette of Wiscon
sin; ut is the finest statement OF
the case of the people the presi
dent has ever uttered. In manner
and in matter it is the greatest
state paper of the administration
1t contains the subject matter
which must be built into the re
publican platform"
Senator JEFF Davis, OF Arkansas
Il move that 10000 extra copies OF
this message be printed. 1t is the
best democratic document that
ever emanated from a republican
source"
Representative VIM. E. Hum.
phrey. of Washington: The presi
dent has struck the nail on the
head at an opportune time. | ap
prove the message. Conditions
called for it,
Representative julius Kahn. OF
San Francisco: The president is
right; maybe not in ell details and