The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-14

pf Theodore Roosevelt. the man, b
n political opponent OF Roosevelt, ii
politician or statesman, had but lit
chance perhaps of being heard In til
babel OF voices"
He spoke OF lis personal liking r,
the President, anil said that althoug
after tho mnnncf of strong men, "
President had pronounced virtues an
Elaring faults of character, he nevt
had abused him nor had grown hys
terical in admiration OF him but II
had supported him when he was rigf
and fought him tooth ana nail" whe
lie was wrong He believed that WA
The way the President wanted to b
treated.
Only Democratic Ideas.
Mr.. Clark spoke of the claim tia
President Roosevelt was better tina
Ills party, which fact" he estimated
easily could be without running an.
imminent danger of being Translates
after the manner OF Elijah in chario
of fire BY reason OF his goodness" But
he said, whatever the Presidents vir
tues or faults, he was not n Democrat
Occasionally. he said. the President
very much to the delight Of Democrat
and the confusion of Republicans, zap
propriates or absorbs. borrows O
seizes a Democratic idea. and from hi
high point of vantage urges 1t will
tremendous force;' for, lie said, the
one scriptural Injunction. ''Whatsoeve,
thy hand findeth TO do, do it with thy
might"
1t was the heavy hand or "big stick
of the President. he declared, that had
driven so many Republicans ''pell-mell
into the cave of Adullam, where there
IS weeping and wailing and gnashing of
.,
he added. so far as he has advocated
Democratic ideas, so far as he has
mauled wicked Republicans with his
mailed fist or bumped them with his
big stick, he has deserved the unstinted
praise of all lovers of our country"
stlll Dispenser of Pie.
No one knew, continued Mr.. Clark,
whether or not the President was
great man. He quoted from an old
saying. count no man happy till he is
dead" and said 1t was a safe and sane
rule to pronounce no man great until
he was in his grave. I'VE have not the
perception necessary to fix his status
in history" he said, "and 1t is sheer
folly to attempt It." Individually. he
wished the President we'll until March |
4. 1909, when he hoped that the Pres !
ident would Quit forever, for no Pres
ident will ever be elected to third |
term till the republic is on its last /
legs. The Republicans" he declared,
grew red in the face lauding the Pres
ident to the skies. for he Is still the |
dispenserin- chief OF pie. A Republican
statesman bcreft of pie" said he. was
"a spectacle to make the angels weep.
but" lie said when he saw Republi- |
cans trying to apotheosize him by mere
zip service ii seemed to him the lady |
doth protest too much.'"
Referring to the last campaign. Mr..
Clark charged that "sundry Republican
representatives" sought and obtained |
from the President Certificates of Re- |
publican good character" TO help them
pull through. SO doubtful We're the
Republican managers of result said
Mr. Clark, that the President was in
duced to write 1.-The famous letter" to
my Dear Watson" which, he said, was
blanket Endorsement of all Republic
can candidates for Congress except
the unfortunate Mr.. Wadsworth." Not
withstanding that letter. he said. the
Republican majority in the House had
heen reduced from ia to ffty-fve.
He depicted Speaker Cannon. to-
whom he referred as "Uncle joe
studying the returns and repeating the
sad exclamation of Pyrrhus, King of
Epirus, when surveying hard won
field. he said: Another such victory, and
we are undone."
Even He Cannot snvc Them.
Addressing himself still further to
the Republicans. Mr.. Clark exclaimed:
"And the signs of the times indicate
that even the ready letter. writer in the
White House cannot write enough let
tiers between this and the first Tues
day after the first Monday in November
to give you another majority in this
House"
He predicted that on March 4. 1909,
n Democratic President would be in
augurated, backed by such Demo-
cratic majority in this House as will
induce even Republican Senate to
enact into law the peoples will"
Charge Panic to Republicans.
Mr.. Clark laid tho recent financial
disturbance at the door OF the Repub-
iicans. Mr.. Hepburn. he said. had
treated the money stringency lightly
when he intimated sit was not much
OF a panic. anyway"
Mr.. Clark said reciting the bank
failures, ~IeceiSerships for railroads.
closing down of mills. the men out of
employment. 1--WE are asked to dis
credit the evidences of our senses and
to believe that this was not much OF a
panic" He wished 1t We're true. but, ne
declared 1t was not He quoted from
an utterance of former Secretary of the |
Treasury Shaw that the money strin- |
gency of 1907 was the worst the world
ever had witnessed, but, he said, Mr..
Shaw might truthfully have added: 1T
IS a Republican panic and gives tho lie
direct to the Republican platform
declaration OF 1904, that a Republican
tariff is always followed by business
prosperity and q Democratic tariff ty
business adversely. That fake is ex-
ploded.'
Prepare for Confidence Game.
Mr.. Clark criticized the recent bond |
issue, and said that the issuance Of |
bonds in 4 time of peace was the idcn-
tical thing for which the Republicans
"pillomed Democratic President be-
fore high heaven" No doubt, he said.
the Republicans We're preparing "fcrt
another stupendous confidence game on |
the people" by promising tariff re-
vision in their next platform, without
indicating whether the revision was
to be up or down.
The Republicans, he charged, had
won In 1895 "by q jugsle on the flnan-
cial question" and added that 'their
solemn pledge to promote an inter-