Evening journal., 1908-02-17
Monday, February II, 1908.
RE FAIR no roosevelt.

TN CONSIDERING the so-called policies OF
i President Roosevelt the main point to be
horne in mind is whether the President is work
inc for what he believes to be the ultimate good
of his country and whether what he advocates is
really designed to promote the future welfare OF
the nation 1t must be assumed that President
Roosevelt is patriotic. On occasions too numer-
Gus to mention he has proved his patriotism. lie
has shown that he is a lover of his country.
Reared in afhuence, and everything needful for
his education and development at his beck and
call surrounded by men of position and riches,
the natural sympathes OF the President would be
with the so-called wealthier classes. But his ed
ucation and the pnckings of his conscience
broadened his viewpoint, and early in lie he
seems to have set for himself the formula OF equal
and exact justice for all men.
This development having been marked in his
career it began to assert itself when he was call
ed to the high position which he now fills The
idea of Justice grew upon him. He investigated
the business conditions of his country. lie was
familiar with the lesson of Wall street He lis
tened and learned He sorted the good from the
bad The result was that he adopted the policy
of commanding, so far as he was able to COM
mand, exact obedience to the law, whether such
obediece affected rich man poor man. He
insisted on business honesty and integrity.
We do not fancy that Mr. Roosevelt would
assert that the policies that have been linked with
his name aSe original with him. He could claim
ence to the law.
The course pursued by the President brought
upon his head the condemnation of certain in
fuential men who have endeavored to portray
Roosevelt as the rough rider Of prosperity, assai-
ing all business destroying the railroads. Sim
lister motives have been attributed to him.
And yet in nearly every utterance that the
President has made this question most en-
phatic has been his declaration that he has made
and will make no war upon capital as such or
upon honest and legitimate business. He has
pointed out that what he has advocated has been
for the protection of business and not for its de-
struction. What candid man, when he looks at
the matter fairly and squarely, can say that the
policies advocated by the President are not right
and just for the best interests of the country?
And are they not necessary to prevent the
country sooner or later from falling into the
hands of a financial oigarchy?
History tells but one tale of republics That
is their growth and rise to fame and riches and
the final control by wealth-absorbed oligarchy
unless the people carefully guard their own in
terests and see that social justice is melted out
TO all classes of citizens. President Roosevelt
learns from history. He sees the tendencies of
the times and he has simply taken courageous
stand to prevent, if he can, America from being
smitten with the troubles that have afflicted other
nations in the past That is as we take it. the
keynote OF all his deliverances upon these ques-
tons.
Firmly convinced that he is right it is but
natural that he should desire to see the admin
istraton continue the lines he has laid down
1t is only human nature that he should wish his
successor in the presidential chair to believe as
he believes regarding the larger and more inn
portant questions that have lately been brought
forward for consideration in this country.
OF course the battle will be fierce All the re-
sources of the opponents of the President have
sought to break down the force Of the Presidents
position He is pictured as a panic breeder"
as "demagogue," as adjective user" and in
every way that cruel malice can devise he has
been pillored before the country. But we be-
lieve the President has touched the hearts and
minds Of the people. There are evidences every
where that they believe he is right, that the path
he has pursued in the larger view is the proper
path.
Here in Delaware we believe that the senti-
ment IN support OF him and his ideas is as strong
as it is elsewhere. The people Of Delaware know
justice when they see it. They know sincere
man when he stands in the light They know
patriotic man and a server Of his country. and
they know despite sometimes Just criticism of
his methods Or some of the acts of the President
that he is courageous and patriotic that his eve
rests solely upon the future good and welfare of
the United States. They admire the President
and mistaken is their confidence in him.