The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-10-02
BATTLE CREEK, Mich, Oct. l.

Speaking to more than 10000 persons,
who were packed in the big circus tent
here Saturday. Col. Theodore Roose,,
welt aSsailed the administration record
of President Wilson and urged the
election of Charles E. Hughes.
When the former President entered
the tent to make his first Michigan
speech On behalf of the Republican
candidate for President he was given
an enthusiastic ovation. Col. Roose-
velt swept Michigan in the preslden-
.tial election four years ago.
Policy of Vacillation.
Col. Roosevelt declared that Presl-
dent Wilson's chief policy was the
policy of yacillation He declared the
President. in ':15 messages. letters and
speeches" made from December g.,
1914. 70 February 10. 1916 took IL diff
ferent positions about preparedness
and the measures necessary 10 secure
it, and each Of these IL positions con-
tradicted from one to six OF the otn'
erS."
The European policy of President
Wilson. particularly in the Lusitania
case, was referred to us Illuminating
and ignoblr.'
The Mexican record of the executive
was called ''ruinCuS TO Mexico, dishon-
the standpoint of humanity.
Discussing the AdaMSon railroad
wage-fxing bill. Col. Roosevelt charged
that President Wilson. in urging pass
age Of the measure BY Congress. took
his orders from that one OF the parties
which he most feared.
Duty in lusitania Case.
''I haze been asked what | would
have done ii had been President
when the LuSitania was torpedoeo'
shouted the speaker. Il would IN
stantly have taken possession of every
German ship interned in this country
and then would have said: Now We
will discuss. not what we will give.
but what we will give back
This, utterance received wild ap-
plause.
When h. began his attack on the
Adamson wase.ftxing bill Col. RooSe-
veit declared that an increase Of wages
and not the cight-hour day was the
real issue.
I ask you 70 test the character ami
courage Of Mr.. Hughes and Mr.. Wilson
by comparing their attitudes as re-
CARDS the demands OF the Raj way
Brotherhoods, which eliminated re-
Gently in the miscattcd eiSht-hour leS-
islation az Washington.
During the last eighteen years. coy
erins the period when was Cover
nor. and President, | have hitherto
on every important issue supported
the Rrot he-hoodS. | am very proud
OF the TACT that ] am an honorary
member OF the Brotherhoods. have
publicly stated that during the Ten
years when held high public Office.
! found myself. on the whole. IN closer
agreement with the BrOtherhoodS Lhan
whether of business men. professional
men. or labor men: with the possible
exception Of the members OF the sur
gical and medical profession, in so
far as they can be said TO be organlG,
. ed. But it is the duty OF every go3d
American, and especially every Soui
public servant. in each question taa;
arises touching the relations OF l2o%r
and capital TO judge that particular
question SQuarelr on its merit.
equally abhor both the White Terror
and the Red Terror. and will stand
as stoutly against one, as AGAINST the
other W. have seen in this country
few things more discreditab!c TO our
representatives and more discredlt-
able to our representatives ana more
ominous for the future OF the nation
that the spectacle of the President ;lnH
Congress Of the United States beng
required TO pass a certain Dill before
a certain hour 1T the dictation OF Ger
tain men who sat In the gallery win
their watches in their hand threaten
ing ruin and disaster to thc.nation II
there was the smallest failure 10 sat
isfy their demands.
Stood For Right.
AS President deall AT various
times with both corporations and Ia
Dor unions. In every case accor0lno
to the best OF my ability | stood IN tit-
Yor Of the corporation or union that
was doing right. and against the cor
poration Of union that was DONG
wrong. For example. | stood against
the Western Federation OF Miners at
one time. lust as I stood against The
richest and most powerful corpora
t;ons Of Wall Street al other times:
am therefore not asking any puohc
servant 70 take q stand which | 1uy-
self did not take when | was in public
Office. In particular | ask you 10 re-
member the Anthracite Coal Strike
because the menace that strike con-
tanned was even greater than the E'ei'-
ace Of a general tie-up OF the trans
portation systelcS Of the country: for
it meant the possibility of actual death
by cold to- hundreds Of thousands ot
our people. Ar that time the great
and wealthy mine owners. backed by
the heads Of the wealthiest and most
powerful Industrial and railroad cor
porations in the country, refused to
arbitrate. The men struck. Winter
was approaching. and fell disaster
threatened all the Eastern half of our
country. The representatives OF the
mine owners in response to my rr-
quest insisted that there. was nothing
TO arbitrate: and through their coun-
sci also insisted that | had no power
under the constitution 10 act, and THAI
the public could not interfere through
the representatives of the public with
the way in which they managed their
business. L took the opposite view.
held that where the public necessity
was National and imperative. it De-
. came the duty Of the chief OF the ma
tion to act. | held that in any such
gigantic controversy between labor
and capital as 10 threaten the welfare
Of the nation, there were three parties
IN interest. viz: the capitalists. h"
workingmen, and finally the people 3s
a whole; and that where the public
nsed was vital, the need must control.