Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-09-24

Ihave been devoted with splendid eft.
lfect to the uplift of men. And, be-
cause of his large ability he has
I.been given many opportunities fol
social service and he has improved
them all. Among thinking men
Straus is called the Disraeli OF
America.
The significance of the attach
ment of Straus to the progressive
movement will not be overlooked by
students of political problems. Here
and there men are deluded with the
notion that this movement is shall
low. One set of critics say 1t is fos-
tered alone by disappointed and
self-seeking politicians. Another lot
say it is a mean assault on the re-
publican party-as though the Al
pha and Omega of human endeavoI
was to establish and maintain par
ty rather than to use parties as in
struments to promote the common
veal. Still others think this whole
hullabaloo, as they term 1t, is moth
ing but selfish attempt. to defeat
Taft on one hand, or prevent Wilson
from getting the office on the other
However sincere and honest these
critics may be they have no real
broad conception of the real motive
power behind this political move
ment.
Straus is friend of both Taft
and Roosevelt. He has been favor
ed by both; he has worked under
both; he knows their purposes, their
capacities, their strength and their
ideals. His chief aim in life is to
serve his fellowmen. He Is not him
self seeking political preferment. Ev-
cry time he has accepted office it has
been urged upon him and he has en-
listed from high sense of duty and
not from desire for official or social
emolument. His brother, Isador,
went down with the Titanic. He
was one of those who stood aside in
order that women and children
might be saved. His wife refused to
leave his side and went down with
him. The sight of this aged couple
calmly facing death together forms
picture on the memory tablets of
the survivors of that disaster which
will grow brighter with passing
years. That was Straus courage,
purpose, ideals and spirit under test.
The people of New York know
Straus. Indeed, the people of the
whole country know him. And
Straus knows the significance of this
progressive movement. He has look
ed into it's depths. He has d.
vined its purposes. He sees incor-
porated in the platform social pro-
gram designed to benefit the people
of the underworld-the people who
are suffering as his own race has
suffered for two thousand years. He
sees Jane Adams and Judge Lind
sey and Governor johnson on the
firing line He feels the call to du-
ty again and joins with these peo-
pie.
Roosevelt has worked under the
observation of ,Straus for thirty
years. Straus saw vice and crime
thrive in New York under Tweed
and Croker. He saw social workers
struggling under pitiful handicaps
in the great metropolis. He saw a
police force working in league with
criminals. He himself helped organ
lie and promote reform movements.
He knows that the appointment Of
Roosevelt as president of the police
board in old Gotham was like Sheri-
dan taking command Of the disor-
ganized and retreating union army
in the Shenandoah valley. Roose-
Welt went into that fray with the
dauntless spirit of Peter the Hermit
in the crusades. At last the forces
Of Righteousness in New York had a
commander to whom fear was an
absolute stranger. No night was so
dark, no district so remote or dan
gerous, no hour SO untimely that