The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-08
The Significance of Dates.

/ attempts TO deceive are sometimes maze
plain by attention to dates, and these are
| items to which the general reader is careless
in some matters of current interest dates fur
nish the keynotes to the disputed facts, and
! IL is only with the assistance of accurate
attention to dates that the jewel of truth can
/ be dug out of the bushels of chat. Let us
apply the key to some of the problems now of
more than passing interest, because our judg-
ment of men depends solutions.
| Because conditions had been long unsettled
| in Panama, ii is argued that, regardless of our
desire to dig ditch In that locality the
United States had the same right to interfere
between Colombia and Panama as it had to in
terfere between Spain and Cuba. But the
United States had frequently warned Spain
congress had given the president authority to
act. But Colombia refused to give us what we
asked; we fully recognized the sovereignty of
tCoiombia over Panama, and congress had given
the president no authority to act--President
Taft lately declared that he could not inter-
vene in Mexico without authority from con-
gress. But without authority from congress
Roosevelt telegraphed TO the military forces
already placed TO close the only road by which
| Colombia could reach PanaWa, November g.
| 1904: November Panama proclaimed her
Independence on November Roosevelt recog-
nized her independence; on November 13 her
minister received by Roosevelt, and on
Decembe Is the Roosevelt treaty was signed
by which, as he says, Il took Panama while
congress debated" Now these dates are suffi-
cient to prove conclusvely that there coll
! fusion between Roosevelt and the half dozen
| citizens of Panama who raised a flag under
! the protection Of our bayonets and made a
1fep1bNe that is still manipulated from WASH
ington.
! Take another instance On October "a 1904
Judge Parker charged that the trusts were
financing the Roosevelt campaign. On the fol-
lowing day. Mr.. Knox lately attorney general,
after long talk with Roosevelt issued a
statement that the corporations were furnish
ing money to the Democratic committee; on
f0etober 26, Roosevelt wrote his first letter to
Cortelyou, instructing him to return the con-
strihution of the Standard Oil; on October 81
Roosevelt wrote his second letter to Cortelyou
repeating the order for return in more en-
phatic terms; on the same day Roosevelt CON
-. suited" with Cortelyou, and on October 20
Roosevelt sent the telegram again ordering the
return of the money On November Roose-
welt issued his proclamation denying the Parker
charge and calling Parker liar. Do not
these dates prove the letters were written TO
PROVE lie? Did not Roosevelt know after
his consultation with Cortelyou that the money
had not been returned, and would not be re-
turned? Do not the dates prove that Roose-
lvelt knew all the time that the money was
being received? When he afterward remarked
4 mat II Hartman meant to buy him there was
lproof that he didn't deliver the goods this
showed that he knew the charge was true,
although he processes ignorance and limo
lcence even now?
|
man in America who knew exactly what the
Republican party and hoped to do it was
ITheodore Roosevelt when he took the leader
snip in the State of New York and set up his
platform and his candidates for the Saratoga
iconvention-both these and all his professions
being strictly Republican. Up to Saturday 7
IP NJ, June %. 1912, Roosevelt was Repub-
lcan processing loyalty to the party and the
reorganization; he had long lived up TO his own
statement that, My future lies with the regu-
lar organlzation.' Suddenly ne finds that or
ganlzation utterly repugnant to his political,
social and moral convictions; that party is
now, he says, more antagontstic to his views
ithan the Democratic party which he has fought
all his life: he is now in sympathy with the
progressives he once denounced and with the
Socialists in whom he long saw the enemies
| OF the republic. Why Because he was de-
MED the leadership of the party he now de-
nounces. He says the means he formerly en-
|ployed and applauded are the weapons of
thieves and robbers, and all who approve OF
such weapons and support the use OF such
means are not honest and cannot be patriots
| Put these dates in line and decide whether
Roosevelt be honest, whether it be not his de-
liberate purpose to deceive the people, whether
/ he is not hypocrite.--Florida Times-Union
| 1t was just as we'll for Governor Wilson and
| President Taft to meet now in Massachusetts
they will meet again in Washington-St
Louis Post Dispatch.
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