The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-05-01

not to indulge in personal controversy
Il would hope that in the future
near or distant, facts would disclose
themselves, showing the injustice Of
the course he is pursuing toward me
and the merciless truth concerning
his motives and his sincerity of state
ment and purpose.
But l am presented with this diff
Guilty, | represent cause. | stanc
for wise progress in governmental at
fairs and in the improvement of the
condition of all the people that the re
publican party stands for. | am the
titular leader of that movement and
the substantial and sane Legislation
of my administration vindicates it's eX
istence and continuance.
Fights Cause of Progress.
"The cause is that of progress OF
the people in pursuit of happiness un
der constitutional government and OF
the maintenance of such a govern
ment against threatened innovations
calculated to. undermine our cherished
institutions of civil liberty regulated
by law and preserved by an independ
ent judiciary
"The supporters of this cause are
many, and they look to me to see to
lit that it is not seriously injured by
the unjust, unfounded charges against
me, and by the adroit appeals to dis
content and class hatred that Mr.
Roosevelt is now making to the pub.
lie.
"They feel that by such charges and
appeals Mr.. Roosevelt has clouded
the real and critical issues of the cam
paign and has misled great many
good and patriotic people of the coun'
try to his support, because no one has
answered them as they ought to be an
swered.
Forced Into Personal Fight.
"They think l am the only one
whose position is such as to make an
answer effective; that as the president
whose administration is attacked, as
the titular head of the republican
party whose integrity is threatened,
and as the man whose character is
aspersed, I must meet Mr.. Roosevelt's
attacks, however unpleasant may be
a personal controversy with one whom
in the past l have greatly admired
and loved, and whose present change
of attitude is the source of the saddest
disappointment.
"Mr. Roosevelt prides himself on
being a true sportsman and he likes
to take from the rules and language
of sport, maxims to be applied to life
in general. The maxim which he has
exalted above all others, to which he
has given currency the country over,
and which he himself in his conduct
of life wishes to have it thought he
exemplifies, is that every man is en-
titled to a square deal. l propose to
examine the charges he makes against
me, and to ask you whether in making
them he is giving me a square deal.
Says Roosevelt "GarbIed" Speech.
"First-in speech in Carnegie hall
lie said:
Mr.. Taft fairly defines The issue
when he says that our government is
and should be q. government OF all the
l.eople by representative part + the
This is an excellent and mod
crate description of an Oligarchy. It
defines our government as a govern
ment of all the people by a few OF
the people. Mr.. Taft, in his able
speech, has made what is probably the
best possible presentation of the case
for those who feel in this manner
"The excerpt which Mr.. Roosevelt
uses is taken from my speech at To-
ledo. 1t is garbled. | did not say
this Should be- government OF all
the people by representative part OF
the people. l said, 1T is thus apparent
that ours is government OF all the
people by representative part OF the
people, and it is.
Context Showed Meaning.
"The context shows clearly what l
meant. l had pointed out that the
government was by popular vote, that
the voters did not include the women
and children, that in number the vot-
ers were less than one-fOurth of all
the people, and that their action was
the action of their majority; so that
the government was controlled not by
all the people, but by representative
part of the people, tOwit, majority
of the adult males. ~"
Does Mr.. Roosevelt deny this fact?
Can he or any fair man maintain that
in stating such palpable truth con-
corning our government l was advo-
eating a government by an oligarchy,
or government by the few? | point
ed out the fact that this popular gov
eminent of ours is government by
the adult voting males in order to
show the necessity for constitutional
restrictions to protect the nonvoters
among the people against the possible
injustice and aggression of major
ity of the voters.
"Was it honest, was it fair in The
odore Roosevelt to seize one sentence
from a speech, to garble it and then to
give it a meaning which he knew from
the context it could not bear? Do
the just people of Massachusetts ap-
love such methods of warfare? Do
they think that in carrying it on Mr..
Roosevelt is giving to his successor a
square deal?
Unfair Charge as to Bosses.
"2. The purpose for which Mr..
Roosevelt made this excerpt and as
serted that thereby intended to de-