Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-18
ALL MEN PAY TRiBUTE
TO THE FALLEN LEADER

Editor Press-Dear Sir: The sad in
cident that has just happened melts the
hearts of all Progressives. Their re-
vered leader, that hero. battle SCARED
for the cause Of right. honesty and
justice, lies with bullet in his breast
from wOuld-be assassin's hand We
know him, we love him. and may ne
be spared TO lead us on in the great
cause
Not only Progressives.. but all fair
minded people are forgetting party
lines, and are having their hearts rent
with sympathy and anxiety. Taft. VIII
son and La Toilette are showing their
admiration for the hero: they know he
Is every inch a man, dearly beloved
W. X. Hearst, though a Democrat. says:
The harm is not alone to that indus
trious man, of whose career this anC
future generations may be proud, but
TO our country" Forgetting all diff
ferences, w. J. Bryan is over-anNious
about the colonel, whom at heart he
admireS and even loves m ORE than any
opponent he ever had. During Mr.
Roosevelts administration frequentl,
ala these two great men converse ana
often did the cOmmoner have a word
Of praise for MIR. Roosevelt When
Mr.. Bryan. from Chicago in June wa
eulogiZing Colonel Roosevelt. savina.
that notwithstanding all patronage. all
machines, all bosses, Roosevelt had a
clear majority, and that though beaten
by the bosses he could and would ap-
peal to the only judges. the people. the
commoner was just echoing what was
truly in his heart.
Friends this sad event, no doubt, was
encouraged by harsh, untrue criticisms
OF Roosevelt, the most beloved. vet the
most abused man in our history. We
should watch our words All men in
the race are honest. good men: then
why picture any one as dishonest. .
renegade, a demon? We know il is
not true. Perhaps we would be first
10 eulOgiZe him if he should die. SUCH
vicious words light incite some weak
mind to dastardly deed If we wish
to comment, We should show the good
points of our own platform or man, anJ
show where the other though hon
estly, may have failed. not forgettin =.
however, to show records for all our
assertions We assert too much with
out giving proper authority
Often I have heard slanderous accu-
sations Of Roosevelt by his opponents.
hut not once would they. produce actual
proof or concede him a single good
trait. Friends, all this touches me. ana
deeply. to have one 7 have learned to
admire and even love put down IS
vicious. If I know my soul J am hon
est about this. Honesty. justice. right
were implanted in my heart when !
was an infant by my mother. and 1 be-
Heve no one can say, either in Texas
or here, that I have not tried to make
those part Of my life After keepfn q
up with Roosevelt closely for the pagt
Is years, if he were 50 dishonest or
vicious I should have seen little II
it. Though a Texan. and Democrat.
J began at once to admire him White
he was police commissioner Of Nee,
York / saw rottenness crumble Under
his coura geous hand as never before.
and saw the poor unfortunate have :,
champion. In all this he battled
against strong bosses and entrenched
vice. I have kept up with all his ac-
tons since. As president I saw him
battling for good measures not against
Democrats, but against his own party
bosses. I believe I know this man.
Let me say, some people. being prA-
JUDGED, have failed to learn this cour-
ageous, good man. They do not know
the battles he has fought for right and
justice. They do not give him credit
for the inspiration he has given his
country for the past - years. nor 10
they think that we are away ahead
as result Of ROosevelt's having lived
Ihey do not think that most Of this
progressive wave now sweeping over
the country is the result Of a Roose-
Welt as president. Friends, that man
more than any other person save nv
mother, has inspired me to a better
ife-to live coura geousIy. honestly and
justly. Could I desert him? Nav all
give him credit for the good things he
has done, for the ideals he has i'm
planted in the hearts of his country
zen. L L. MASSEY