Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-25
Ex-President Hot on the
Trail of Political
Grafters.
AS HE STARTS WEST
Promises the "0Id Guard" in
New York All the Fight 1t
Wants This Fall.

Buffalo, N. 80 aug. Zo--A uSO-
dore Roosevelt. in short speech be-
fore the Ellicott club, whose guest
Roosevelt was at breakfast this
morning, made a plea for the punish
ment Of crooked and grating pub
lie officials and the election OF hon
est ones in their places. A big
crowd was at the station when the
train pulled out shortly after 1880,
and cheered Roosevelt, who stood on
the rear platform and waved his hat.
Honesty Above Party.
IN his early morning speech Roose-
welt said among other things:
"I believe IN party government, but
the moment q question Of honesty is
involved / recognize no party distinc-
-tion. II make any distinction, it is
that It is a little more my business to
hunt out Of public life a crook who
claims to belong to my party than IL
he claims to belong to another. In
order to do that, you must keep your
eyes fixed, not upon the social and
financial status Of the man, but upon
the mans conduct, good or evil.
Warrants Distrust.
"Dfstrust above all other men the
man who will inveigh against crooked
ness only if he finds it connected with
somebody not connected with his own
party. Distrust the financier who can
not see crookedness among f1nanciers,
but only among labor leaders, and dis
trust the labor leader who can see
crookedness only when it is by the big
hnancier. Attack a man because he is
crooked. II he is poor and crooked, at
tack him; if he is a rich man and
crooked, attack him.
Rather Attack Rich.
PERSONALLY, l would attack a rich
man who is crooked just little strong,
er, because crookedness is just a trifie
more infamous in him; but l would at
tack the other man very strongly"
Roosevelt continued on this line, car
rying his attack on crookedness from
the individual to the corporations.
And the Locomotive Won.
At Dunkirk a big crowd assembled,
but the noise of a locomotive prevent
ed Roosevelt making a speech. Five
thousand greeted Roosevelt on the ar
rival of the train at Erie. He spoke
briefly, chiefly regarding pure water
in the Great Lakes cities.
Sounds Another Challenge.
Utica, n. Y, Aug. 25.-Colonel Theo-
dore Roosevelt sounded another war
blast challenge to battle last night and
it is to be a finish battle between him
and the "old guard of the republican
party in New York state.
Having been drawn into the fight, as
he says, against his will, he has deter
mined to pursue it to the end, win or
lose
Mr.. Roosevelt's attitude was indi-
Gated more clearly than at any time
before by a statement, which follows:
They will have all the fight they
want. 1 am only going to the conven-
tion because l, feel that the public in
terests of the people of New York
demand that the republican party be
given a chance to stand squarely and
uncompromisingly for clean, decent,
monest politics.
No Chance for Pence.
81 go to that convention to make
the speech exactly as it had been plan
ned originally and while 1 hope there
will be enough good sense to prevent
any one opposing the principles for
which l shall stand, yet if they do op-
pose them, then it is their own affair,
and so far as I am concerned the is
sue shall be absolutely clean cut"
Colonel Roosevelt left for the west
last night and will arrive in Chicago
today.
The colonel said he was going into
the New York fight with his eyes open
and with full realization of the fact
that he might not be successful He
said he felt that on account of the at
titude of members Of the organization
he was at perfect liberty to carry on
uncompromising warfare.
Doubt the Outcome.
Some Of Colonel Roosevelt's closest
friends in the state have told him
that they were doubtful as to the out
come, and he has replied that he him
self felt that even though he should
be successful in the state convention at
Saratoga and such a platform as he
desired should be adopted, the result
of the election would be in grave
doubt. The colonel has told his friends
that he did not feel sure that the
Roosevelt-Hughes forces would re-
ceive unqualified support from the or
ganization at the polls
Colonel Roosevelt's Endorsement of