Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-10-23

armed ICrc5 from MS seat as pTtSl
dent, to which he had clung term
after term, and is now an exile in q
foreign land, while his country is q
stencil in the nostrils of the civilized
world. ~
The following is a warning from
Abraham Lincoln, which no man In
the campaign ought to overlook. Ad.
dressing an audience of young men
he said:
MANY great and good men suffi.
ciently qualified for any task they
should undertake may ever be found
whose ambition would aspire to moth
ling beyond seat in congress, q
gubernatoH VI a presidential chair
but such b not to the family oi
the lion or n tribe of the eagle
What think q Nese places would
satisfy a Ceasa o. Alexander, or q
Napoleon? New e
Towering genia y ises beaten
unexplored. 1t sees n 'inction in
adding story to story III e monu-
menth of fame erected to- emory
of others. 1t denies that glory
enough to serve the FOOTSTEPS of any
predecessor, however illustrious. II
thirsts and burns for distinction, and
if possible 1t will have it, whether al
the expense of emancipating slaves OF
enslaving free men.
1T Is unreasonable then to expect
that some man possessed of the loft
lest genius coupled with ambition
sufficient to push it to its utmost ex.
tent will not some time spring up
among us, and when such one does
| 1t will require the people to be united
with each other, attached to the gov.
ernment and the laws and generally
intelligent to Illustrate his designs
Distinction will be his paramount
object and although he would as will
ingly, perhaps more so, acquire it by
doing good than harm, yet that op-
portunity being passed and nothing
left in the way of building up he
would set boldly to the task of pull
ing down."
Who is the man in all American
history to whom these words more
definitely apply than to Theodore
Roosevelt?
Where is the man of towering
genius who despises a beaten path
although that path is blazed by the
father of his country and trodden by
every president from his day to this
II that man is not Theodore Roose-
welt?
Where is the man that in the
politics of this nation seeks regions
heretofore unexplored ii that man is
not Theodore Roosevelt?
Where Is the man that sees no dis
tinction I'm adding story to story on
the monuments of fame erected to
the memory of others If that man is
notg Theodore Roosevelt?
Who is the man that denies it is
glory enough to serve under any
chief if that man is not Theodore
Roosevelt?
Who is the man that scorns to
tread in the footsteps of any preed-
cessor however illustrious If that man
is not Theodore Roosevelt
Who Is the man that thirsts and
burns for distinction and, if possible,
will have it if that man is not Theo-
dore Roosevelt?
Who is the man of loftiest genius,
with ambitions sufficient to push 1t
to its utmost extent, that is to spring
up among us if that man is not Theo-
dore Roosevelt?
Who is the man to whom distinc-
tion is the paramount object If that
man is not Theodore Roosevelt?
And over and above all of these,
who is the man to whom the oppor-
tunity of acquiring further distinction
is passed in a party that had already
nnUnrnd n m, with tho nf oil
honors within its power to bestow
that now sets boldly to the task OF
pulling it down that he may immor-
taliZe his name by the erection of a
party of his own upon it's ruins If
that man is not Theodore Roosevelt? ?
To every man in these United
States who is disposed to assist Mr..
Roosevelt in his effort to destroy the
party of Lincoln and fill its place
with a party of his own / should like
to address these questions one and
all. If an answer different from that
which is forced TO my own lips can
be given to anyone of them l should
be glad to hear il.
If this cannot be done the people
of this nation have before them to-
day in the person of Theodore Roose-
welt the man OF whom Lincoln warned
them to beware and told them when
he appeared it would require them
to be united with each other, at
tached to the government and the
laws and generally intelligent to
Illustrate his designs.
Again, it is necessarily true that a
vote which will count for Roosevelt
must also count for Governor John
son for second place of honor within
the gift of the American people, and
he is the man whose checks were
crimsoned with shame when he was
compelled to announce to a waiting
world that President Taft is the most
humiliating character in American
history.
1t would burn my fingers to cast a
ballot for any man who could thus
characterize president of the United
States.
1t is not as the most humiliatlng
character in American history that
President Taft will be remembered.
Instead of this, history will assign
to him the place of a martyr betrayed
by them to bear the humiliation of
the most cruelty abused man in all
American public life.
What is it, let me ask, in present
conditions that should make anyone
wish to change precedent that Gus