Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-09

And yet, ignoring these facts written
indelibly in our history within the
past four years. the Democratic plat
form demands that laws covering
legislation already enacted shall be
drawn and especially that there shall
be a law against corporation con-
tributions to campaign funds.
The trouble with Mr. Bryan is. that
he carries his headlight in the rear,
never sees a precipice until he tumbles
over it, never sees q hole until he falls
into it, never sees blunder until it is
too late for him to repair it, never sees
fact until after he has passed 1t.
He is like the old farmer who in OK
planning his mangled hand to his
physician. said. You see. | backed
up them ere cattle a leetle, wrapped
the chain around the log. slipped the
link through and looked around for a
toggle, but couldn't just find it, and
so | put my finger in for minute; but
them ere cattle had no sooner started
than I seed / had made a blasted
mistake"
A little thinking upon the part of
Mr.. Bryan would save him from a
thousand irretrivable mistakes.
And now the Republican party
enters upon another era Of political
progress and achievement
Theodore Roosevelt has set high the
standard of business morality and
respect for the law, and at a time
when we were in state of confusion.
confronted with questions as grave
and momentouS as were ever thrust
upon patriotic people; and DIS
Lincoln fitted into his providential
task and Mckinley measured up to the
summit of his Heaven imposed re-
sponsbilitv. 50 Theodore Roosevelt
appeared like John the Baptist. rule,
shaggy, abrupt impetuous. I'M
equivocal and uncompromising. crying
in the wilderness of our political per-
plexities. "Preparo ye the way of the
Lord Make straight TIif paths. Now
is the axe laid to the root Of the tree. "
And as the result of his intensity ard
high daring, we arc occupying a plane
of commercial and political honesty
and square dealing hitherto unknown.
Today we confront another era,
namely the maintenance. development
and cystalzation into law of that which
welt. The chief function of the next
administration is to complete and per-
feet the machinery by which the
RooSeveltian standards may be pre-
served. by which the law breakers
may be instantly restrained and
punished. but which shall operate with
sufficient accuracy and despatch as to
constitute no peril to the legitimate
business interests of the country.
And the question naturally arose
months ago, where are we to find
such leader,-a man with compre-
hensive and frictionlesS brain. with
eye undmmed by selfish ambition
with convictions unswayed by fear,
with courage to adopt the supreme
measures of public good and with a
hand strong to grasp the helm of the
Ship of State and guide it upon an
unsailed sea of commercial probity
and prosperity
In response to that question. in
voluntarily the eyes of the nation
were turned upon the man Of destiny
a man already heard from. who had
been commissioned by the anxious and
alert Mckinley in the crucial DAYS
following the Spanish American war,
to establish stable government in the
Philippines and who responding to
the call reduced chaos to order. up
reared the columns of democracy upon
the ruins Of despotism. established the
free school system and an unsullied
judiciary, all crowned with the glory
of western civilization; man called
into the cabinet of President Roose-
welt and appointed Secretary of war
and who in the execution of his pre-
progatives put his hand upon troubled
Cuba. quelled the restless and revolu-
tlonary spirit OF the people and pre-
vented the disruption and destruction
of that infant republic: who grasped
with firm hand the problem of the
Panama Canal and has accomplished
what the great French Republic failed
to do. miracle of modern engineer
ing. the opening of new highway
into new era of American COM
merc1al supremacy: and who little
later was entrusted with the re-
sponsihilities of establishing more
amicable relations between this
government and Japan, which mission
resulted in aboishing the immigrat ton
of Ccolie labor into this country and a,
more permanent bond Of friendship be-
tween the two nations; a man of ripe
scholarship, judicial mind, wide travel.
conVersant with world wide affairs,
rooted and grounded in the arduous
greatness of things achieved, and with
all. an exhalted patriot and stainless
citizen,-a man who in the order of
Providence appeared at the right time
upon the scene, has been nomi-