Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-02-03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1909.
DISCUSSING ROOSEVELT
Sunburg. Mimi. Feb. /. 100

Sunburg, Minn.. Feb. l, 1909.
Dear Editor, Willmar Tribune: -
A couple of weeks ago in an edi-
torial of your paper you stated in
substance something like this, THAT
President Roosevelt will retire from
the presidential chair as one Of its
most unpopular Presidents" The
country has been aware THAT the
last weeks have been marked by
controversies Of the president with
congress. Well, is this something
new? Has not the president at
somewhat frequent intervals en-
gagged in controversies with con-
gross during the longest period of
his administration? There has
been a great deal said about the
"big STICK Well, the feeling is
that the "big stick" has time and
again been properly used on con-
gress. The question may arise,
'What is the big stick?" Let US
infer that 1.-THE big stick" are the
people. 1t has been welded
through the medium of the presi-
dent. Yes, we admit that Roose-
welt is extremely unpopular with a
certain class in Washington. The
leading fault finders are chiefly in
high places. Let US bear in mind
that Washington at the height Of
his achievements was embittered
by just such critics. but we know
that Washington's fame and glory
lived after his critics and enemies
were dead. The present bone of
contention is the presidents secret
service message to congress. What
have honest congressman to fear
from the secret service? An hon.
est person, a congressman or any,
body else, should welcome such SER
vice if honestly administered. AS
the common people Of the country
have been behind the president in
the past as to important matters
that he has stood for affecting their
welfare and interests, so are the
common people behind the presi-
dent in his present fight with con-
gress. The president has stood for
and has done great work for right
eousness, and it is difficult to un-
derstand why anyone could wish to
have crippled government service
whose duty it is to detect criminals.
Unquestionably the mass Of the
people feel grateful to the presi-
dent for the stand he has taken in
their belief for honesty and the de-
lection of crime and they should
reasonably expect that their repre-
sentatives in both houses Of con-
gress would do everything they
could to assist him in his efforts.
The presidents enemies have not
succeeded so far in fastening upon
him any single act Of self assertion
contrary to the good of the country
or any sacrifice of public interest
to selfish private interest. Well,
my dear Mr.. Editor, if the above
sentiments are true, which l feel
convinced they are, how is it pos
sible that Mr.. Roosevelt will retire
| from the executive chair on Marcl,
4th next as such an unpopular pres
ident-I mean in the estimation of
the common people of the country
who comprise the mass of our pop
ulation. Respectfully Yours,
P. A. Gandrud.
Our friend, Mr.. Gandrud, labors
under the difficulty of not being
able to separate Roosevelt's recon-
mendaitons from what Roosevelt
does to force it thru. Only a hand,
full of men will quarrel with the
president for what he has done tc
encourage discussion of great pub
lie wrongs-and when you get
down to ''hard pan" that is about
all Roosevelt has accomplished
You will find in every community
some very good people, who are al.
ways criticising every thing that is
not plumb and level according tc
their measures. Most people are
willing to concede that those people
are right. But these great mora
heroes have such an exasperatine
way of championing their ideas
that they arouse the combativeness
Of those whose assistance they real.
ly need and could have if they went
at it the right way. and the result
is that they nullify their own at.
tempts at doing something. That
is what is the matter with Teddy.
He is one of the kind of people who
would use rasp on the axle of the
balance wheel of a watch to get it
to go right. And so he stands to
day without support from either