Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-04-14
PHONE No. &c
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

NO sooner mad Americas greatest
living citizen reached the confines OF
civilization, after spending a year in
the wilds of Africa, than hypercritical
and inimical press began to sheer at and
deride him. This has been done in the
face of the fact that he is the most ex-
traordinary exemplar of the modern
man who does things and does them
well. Suppose he is ambitious, his am
bilious endeavors have been seasoned
with the most exalted patriotism and
the highest regard for the welfare of
his fellowman. Yet, there are some
who still doubt or affect to doubt his in
tegrity, and even some who scorn his
greatness of mind and achievements.
These doubters and scorners are to be
pitied for their narrowness. Their at
tempted derogation of Theodore Roose-
welt Is disgusting to intelligent Ameri-
cans and will be laughed at by thought
full and intelligent men throughout the
civilized world. His fame as a great
and good man had even reached the
African jungle long before his entry
there. Now, that he has traversed the
Ozark Continent he has left an impress
there that will live for years to come.
And we do not doubt but that he has
today a more complete knowledge of
what Africa is and what it should be
than any other living man.
While some Democratic journals are
seeking to detract from the character.
ability and patriotic purposes of Colonel
Roosevelt, the patriarch of the Demo-
cratic journalists has just paid him a
very high tribute. In another column
we publish an editorial from the pen of
Henry Watterson, the brilliant editor
of the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Seemingly it is the purpose of Colonel
Watterson to make conspicuous an i'm
aginary disposition on the part of the
Republican party to give a false inter
probation to the spirit and letter of the
Constitution, especially as manifested
IN the administration of ex-President
Roosevelt. While doing this, Colonel
Watterson discloses his belief that
the only remedy for the reign of hy-
pocrisy, cant and graft which makes
our professional politics. is to place at
the head of the government a man who
will give q liberal rather than a strict
construction to the Constitution, "a
strong man having the courage to take
all the bulls of corruption by the horns.
and regardless of obsolete legal re-
straints, to shake the life out of them
And Colonel Watterson says, 'if thew
want in the White House a President
who, disregarding the letter of the law.
will substitute his own Interpretation
of the written law" and accomplish
the desired reforms, Theodore Roose-
welt is the man.
Granted that President Roosevelt did
interpret the Constitution in a measure
to suit himself, this was done to accom-
plish great needed reforms and has been
ratified by the people. 1t will be noted
that two Democratic Presidents, who
were strict constructionists, disregard !
ed their own Interpretation of the Con- |
stitution for the purpose of effectine
what they believed was for the public
good Mr.. Jefferson did this in the
purchase of Louisiana, so declaring at
the time, and resting his act upon the
belief that the people would ratify his
admitted violation of the Constitution.
as he viewed it. Andrew jackson, the
greatest and best Democrat the country
has produced, defied Congress and vio-
lated the Constitution when he removed
the government deposits from the
United States Banks. He was after
wards sustained by his party and the
people in that act.
But to return to Colonel Roosevelt.
He has been received with popular ac-
claim and approval by the people of all
the countries he has visited since he
emerged from the wilds of Africa. The
people of other lands not only recog-
nize him as the greatest American citi- [