Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-03-10
END OF THE SEVEN YEARS WAR

From the State Journal March 3.
Theodore Roosevelt retires as presi-
dent tomorrow. Ths nation will
breate in relief when President Taft
takes his post And this is the feel
ing of one who idolizes Roosevelt
There is yet too deep pail over
the conflict to see in clear light all
the actors in the last seven years
battle. The strife has been Titanic.
The figures have been colossal. We
are prone to think that heroes and
men of great mould lived in the past ;
that those of our age are of less
spirit and stature. But where are
men who marshalled mightieI forces
or to whose blows the foundations of
the world have so trembled, than
Hartman, or the Rockefeller chiefs,
or Roosevelt. The fierce conflict
through which the nation has passed
has held the eyes of two continents.
Far away China and Australia and
Europe have felt its Iremors and have
been shaken by the commercial spasms
of the strife. Without question the
passing panic is a result and that
panic spreads its shadow over England
and Germany and all the centeTs of
the business world.
Roosevelt has waged war. It has
been righteous war. But with Taft
the battle will be over and we will
have passed into period of recon
struction.
RooseveIt's work was to check the
country in it's blind ambition to be-
come merely the dominating,
domineering dictator in the COM
mercial world. How ten years ago
the press and the platform rang with
he praises OF the captains o. industry.
Roosevelt struck at this worship of
wealth in which he saw danger to
the welfare of the vast masses of men !;
and power and comfort to the few.
We had grown to have abject fear of
interference with the course of trade.
The men of wealth knew this and
grew insolent knowing that blow at
them rebounded in commercial panic
on the millions below.
Roosevelt had the rare courage to
strike at this evil. " hen be turned
MS gun upon the citadel of trade and
demanded surrender and would not
parly, there were friends and enemies
who believed it buster. But the
enemies he had foug t and the friends
who hao followed him into other
battles knew what it meant, When
from those grim guns belched not
smoke and noise but deadly shot there
rose a shrek of rage and pain which
has not died yet. Tt is the very traits
that his enemies condemn that are
the virtues of the man, his daring,
his impetuousity. his swiftness to
strike wherever opposed. the buster
and noise by which he rallied the
public to his side. and the big stick
with which he struck at his foes
though innocent men were mingled
with the guilty. War is no time for
soft words or soft blows.
And this has been no sham war,
noe is the word figure of speech. 1t
has left its trail of blood and actual
dead men, and poverty and ruin. Who
can count the victims of commercial
depression and panic2 But back of
Roosevelt today stand more men who
will give their lives and their worldly
success to back up his crusade than
there were when he entered his term
as president. His followers are
determined that the things he has
established must stand.
1t is in the faith that William H.
Taft, though of calmer spirit, is no
less resolute and that be will permit
no step backward that the people
welcome tho uau ara