East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-09-12
Pendleton. Sept. IL, 1910.

Pendleton, Sept. ~, 1910.
To the Editor:
Whether or not men agree with the
attitude of Theodore Roosevelt upon
many of the multitudinous subjects
which he discusses, II must be admit
ted that In his now famed speech
delivered at osawatomie, Kansas, on
August 81, he has formulated a plat
form upon which the patriotic cleo
torate can unite in the approaching
elections. The planks Of the plat
form are not original. but the fact
that he is the spectacular figure of our
age gives him the center OF the stage,
his utterances command attention and
serve to crystalize public sentiment as
nothing else can do. 1t may be in
teresting to note what the seventeen
planks. couched in concrete language
are. To my mind they represent the
sentiment of the American firesides,
the thought and hope OF the average
man. They are as follows: 1. Com
plete and effective publicity Of cor
porate affairs; 2. Prohibition OF the
use Of corporate funds for political
purposes; g. Government supervision
OF the capitalization of all corpora
tlons doing an interstate business;
4 Franchises given only for lin
tied time, and with compensation to
the public; 5. The same supervision
over combinations that control the
necessaries of life. such as meat, oil
and coal. as over public service cor
porations; 6. Directors of corpora
tions to be held personally RESPONSE
BILE IL corporations break the law: Z
Combinations in industry are neces-
sary, but they should be controlled
in the interest Of public welfare; g.
An expert tariff commission; 3. A
graduated income tax on big fortunes,
with a graduated inheritance tax;
10. A scientific revision of our H.
nancial system so as to prevent those
recurring panics from which other
countries are free: II. A sufficient
army and navy to insure information
al respect. 10. Conservation Of ma
tional resources; 13. Extension or
the work of the department OF agri-
culture and agricultural colleges to
cover not merely agricultural
crops, but all the interests OF
agricultural life; IA. The regulation
of the terms and conditions Of labor
as well as the use of wealth in the
public interest; 15. Suppression OF
mob violence; 16. National and state
efficiency; II. The direct primary,
associated with the corrupt practices
act, with the recall.
Colonel Roosevelt is pleased to style
the propaganda which he institutes
upon these principles the New Ma
tionalism. Its name is unimportant.
The vital fact is that thereby the ex-
president, as a private citizen, aligns
himself with the common people in
their contest with the forces Of priv
ilege. The issue is now clean-cut, and
the battle is on until government by
the people. is restored and political
decency re-established in every state
in the union.
Roosevelt Is a republican, and this
letter | hope will be read with the
recollection that the writer Is o re-
publican. The contest in oregon Is
within the ranks of that party. AS
view it the recent assembly held in
Portland under the auspices of the
state republican committee must be
rebuked by every supporter of popu-
lar government, and every opponent
of corporate interference with the po-
litical affairs of state and union. The