Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-15
ROOSEVELT in LETTER
SAYS TAFT is MAN
Continued from page /.

such disgust, such feeling of rovol',
in the minds of quiet people, as TEN
porarily to restore the other to pow
er.
To permit the direction of our pub
lie affairs to fall alternately into the
hands of revolutionists and reaction
aries of the extreme radicals of unrest
and of the bigoted conservatives who
recognize no wrongs to remedy, would
merely mean that the nation had en-
barked on feverish course OF VIC
lent oscillation which would be
fraught with great temporary trouble
and would produce no adequate good
in the end
True Reformer Conservative
The true friend of reform. the true
foe of abuses, is the man who stead
lily perseveres in righting wrongs, in
worring against abuses, bur whose
character and training are such that
he never promises what he cannot
rcl form; that he always a lilrle more
titan makes good what he does prom
isn and that <; lie steadily advancing
he never permits himself to be led in
IN foolish excuses which wo Id dam
In M Taft We have a mal WHO
combines all NJ these qualities to Il
degree which no other man in our
public life since the civil war has
surpassed. To a flaming hatred Of in
justice, to a scorn Of all that is base
and mean to a heart sympathy with
the oppressed, he unites entire disin
terestedness. courage both moral and
physical Of the very highest type, and
kindly generosity that all Of his fell
low countrymen are in very truth his
friends and brothers, that their inter-
est and law abiding business man, can
tiles are to be spent with lavish free
dom in their service
Honest Men Safe With Taft.
The honest men of means, the hon
est and lawahiding business man, can
feel safe in his hands because of the
very fact that the dishonest man of
great wealth, the man who swindles
or robs his fellows, would not so
much as dare to defend his evil doing
in Mr.. Taft's presence.
The honest Wageworker, the honest
laboring man, the honest farmer, the
honest mechanic or small trader, or
man of small means, can feel that in a
peculiar sense Mr.. Taft will be his
representative because of the very
fact that he has the same scorn for
the demagogue that he has for thu
corruptionist and that he would front
threats of personal violence from Il
mob with the unquailing and lofty in
difference with which he would front
the bitter anger of the wealthiest and
most powerful corporations.
No slightest Tinge of Weakness.
Broad though his sympathies are,
there is in him not the slightest tinge
of weakness. No consideration of per-
sonal interest, any more than of fear
for his personal safety, could make
him swerve a hairs breath from the
course which he regards as right and
in the interest Of the whole people
| l have naturally peculiar interest
in the success of Mr.. Taft and in see
ing him backed by majority in both
houses of congress which will heart
| lily support his policies. For the last
ten years, while | have been Cover.
nor of New York and president, have
been thrown into the closest intimacy
with him, and he and have on every
! essential point, stood in heartiest
agreement, shoulder to shoulder.
Have the Same Views.
We have the same views as tc
what is demanded by the national in
terest and honor, both within oul
own borders and as regards the rela
tions of this nation with other nations
There is no fight for decency and fair
dealing which I have waged in whicr
| have not had his heartiest and most
effective sympathy, and support, am
the policies for which l stand are his
policies as much as mine.
1t is not possible in the space Of
this letter to discuss all the many
and infinitely varied questions of mo
ment with which MI. Taft would have
to deal; let him be judged by what he
has himself done and by what the
administration, in which he has play
ed so conspicuous a part, has done
But to illustrate just what his atti
tude is, let me touch on two matters
how prominent in the public mind.
Will Treat Railroads Justly.
! Mr. Taft can be trusted to exac
justice from the railroads for the very
reason that he can be trusted to d;
| justice to the railroads. The railroad
are the chief instruments of interstate
commerce in the country, and the!
can neither be held to proper &C
countability On the one hand nor Civ
en- proper protection on the other
save by the affirmative action of thu
federal government
The law as laid down by the fedora
courts clearly shows that the state
have not and cannot devise laws ado
quate to meet the problems caused
by the great growth of the railroad
doing an interstate commerce bus
ness, for more than four-ffths of tn
business of the railroads is interstate
and, under the constitution Of tn
United States, only the federal gov
eminent can exercise control there
over. 1t is absolutely necessary tina
this control should be affirmative an
thorough-going.
Need Closer Federal Supervision.
All interstate business carried O.
by the great corporations should, i
the interests of the whole people, :
: far more closely supervised than a