Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-03
BATTLE CREEK
. SPEECH BITTER
ROOSEVELT TAKES PRESIDENT
WILSON TO TASK ON HIS
LEADING POLICIES.

Washington, d. c., Oct. 2.-The most
bitter arraignment of the Wilson ad
ministration in the present campaign
came from ex-President Roosevelt a.
! Battle Greek, Mich, where he charged
that Mr.. Wilson's weak foreign poll
cies has disgraced the United States
in the eyes Of the world; that the
Adamson law has been passed partly
from fear and partly for political to
vor,'' and that the president Is teach
ing "the drugging of our souls with the
narcotic of meaningless phrasemong
ering."
He referred to President Wilson al
man Of words" and to the republi
can presidential candidates as "a man
of Deeds"
Speaking to the thousands Of per
sons packed into circus tent. Colonel
Roosevelt charged that President vii
son sacrificed the national honor OF
the United States" because he feared
to pay the price for upholding It. He
characterized President Wilson's
European and Mexican policies az
"cowardly" and as following the lines
of least resistance"
II have been asked whot would
have done II l had been president
when the Lusitania was torpedoed!'
shouted the speaker. II would in
stantly have taken possession of every
German ship interned in this country
and then I would have said: Now. we
will discuss, not what we will give,
but what we will give back
This utterance received wild ap-
plause.
"MiseaIied Eight Hour Legislation"
Further on in his speech, he said:
I ask you to test the character and
courage of Mr.. Hughes and Mr.. VIII
son Of comparing their attitudes as
regards the demands OF the railway
brotherhoods. which eliminated re-
Gently in the miscalled eight hour leg.
islation at Washington.
II equally abhor both the white ter
ror and the red terror, and will stand
as stoutly against one as against the
other. We have seen in this country
few things more discreditable to our
representatives and more ominous for
the future OF the nation than the spec.
tacle Of the president and congress
of the United States being required to
pass . certain bill before a certain
hour at the dictatfon of certain men
who sat in the gallery with their
watches in their hands threatening
ruin and disaster to the nation III
there was the smallest failure to sat
isfy their demands.
II believe in labor unions. believe
in the eight hour day as the general
"a ovsN oh At
recognize that special needs must be
met in special industries; and that In
all such cases there must be very care
full consideration Of all the conditions
before final action 10 taken.
1.-THE case at issue is pre-eminently
one that comes in the category of
those that can be settled only after
careful investigation and full consid-
GRAFTON of the many conflicting ele-
ments. l believe in the eight hour day
on moral and sociological grounds as
being the ideal toward which We
should strive. believe In wages being
lust as high in any business as IL COM
patible with square treatment to the
other parties in interest. But IL the
is to intervene in order
10 secure shorter hours and better
wages 1t must do so only after full
and not merely under the
iuress of threats.
There must be one law to be ap.
Piled to these cases and to be yielded
o by all alike. To yield to the threats
II great organized body Of workers
s just as evil and cowardly thing In
public man as to yield to the influ-
,nce of representatives Of great organ. !
zed capital, and in the long run Just !,
IS dangerous to the country"
Roosevelts closing words were q
lea for Hughes's election. Il appeal
o my fellow citizens that they elect
Mr.. Hughes and repudiate Mr.. Wilson /
because only by so doing can they
ave America from the faint of gross
'elflshness."