The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-01-20
The Typewriter and the Yacht.
New York Sun.

y toin Saa.
II Senator Tiilman franked a typewriter
through the mails he shovel as strange an IL
norance OF the true nature OF the frankini
privilege as the bucolic visitor to the city who
blows out the gas. In either case tue very
nature of the act rebuts the presumption o.
an attempted fraud, for 1t would be as alb.
surd to suppose that the blowing out of the
gas was q fraud upon the hotel as TO assume
that the ranking Of large box of merchsn-
disc was with the purpose OF d%efrauding the
public revenue. The very nature Of the par
Gel thus deposited In the mails would clearly
indicate that 1t was not correspondence.
Theodore Roosevelt Is in any event In nc
position to attack Senator Tillman for the
use of public property for private purposes.
No President since the foundation OF the
Government ever used public property for
bis private benefit In q more open and au-
dacious manner than the present President.
Mr.. Roosevelt hes made the United States
Navy the plaything Of his children. With
him q public trust has always been q family
picnic; Nearly every college boat race at
New London has witnessed the use OF 8
Government ship by the President for the
use OF his family and friends at the expense
OF the Treasury OF the United States. A con-
siderable portion OF the American Navy has
by President al order paraded at the expense
OF the taxpayer in front OF the Presidents
summer cottage in order that he and bis
friends can vary the monotony of midsum.
mer by q parade OF warships and the welcome
sound OF the Presidential salute. Until Cong.
ress provided for his unofficial travels Mr..
roosevelt. In the same spirit Of economy com
PEELED railroads 10 furnish him and his
frlends with free transportation, notwith.
standing the rigid prohibition by the inter-
state laws OF any p~refereuc e 10 any
citizen. The unprecedented use of the Amer
1 HsI1 t emGassi SS IN Europe to glorify the Roose
european royal families. shocked those
Americans at home and abroad who, know
Ing the facts, beheld the dignity OF Amer
can character lowered by the insuferable
snobbery of .apipg the etiquette OF royal
courts.
When Mr.. Roosevelt went to Panama One
vessel would not suffice for his gloriicatiop.
but 1t must needs be escorted by q convoy OF
Two other warshtpS, That his appearance In
Panama Knight ;be regal in character. The
very medals which have been struck off by
faithful service bear Mr.. Roosevelts face In
relief. When before did any American Presi-
oent ever use public funds to execute q medal
primarily for his " glori1cation? The 1T
ana my people," which TOR the first time IL
American diplomacy was used by him in q
diplomatic communication, was more than @
Jest ior Mr.. Roosevelt has made the chief ser.
want OF the State It's ruler and has claimed all
the perquisites which attach TO royal power.
Four more years of this counterfeit royalty
and the republic would have been, in form
and method, q bastard monarchy.
1t Ia possible that the very nature of the
Presidential office justifies the free use OF pub
lie property for private purpo. es. The Sun is
not al present maintaining that II Is unwise
lor his Government 10 place at the service OIL
Inc president one OF its ships for his hours OF
recreation, but such a dedication of public
property to private use should be by act oil
Congress and not by the act of the President
or mis- subordinates: and as MI. Roosevelt.
misuse OF pnblic property has been wlthou,
tne Justification Of any law, bis attack upon
Mr.. T1llman for the Fuse OF a frank in the
transmission of a typewriter comes With
very poor grace. The transmission Of the
typewriter had at least the Justification thai
II was In use in the discharge OF official duty.
Inc use OF q naval vessel to witness a regatta
at New London was an VI warranted waste OF
public money.
AS Mr.. Roosevelt by his vindictIve attack
upon Senator Tillman in the matter of the
typewriter has drought before Congress the
whole question OF the misuse Of public proper
" lor private purposes, we shall be surprised
nSenator Tillman or some other member Of
CongreGs does not offer q resolution 10 In vest.
lgate the ause by Mr.. Roosevelt of public
property for private purposes.