Gilpin observer., 1916-05-25
ROOSEVELT A sLuFFER

In Colonel Roosevelt's address to
the Methodis.s the other evening-his
latest concio ad clerum-he apparent
ly followed the model OF Lacordaire.
For it was of him that Guizot wrote:
His history and theology were full
OF originality. Indeed they were alb
solutely original, for he invented
them as he went on. This gave to
his sermons the charms of perpetual
novelty"
To the credulous Methodists Mr..
Roosevelt made this statement: 81
was president seven and a half years.
This nation during all that time
newer for one moment permitted any
power to wrong this country or to
wrong Americans either in their per-
sons or property or to make us re-
creant to our duty to others; and
Yet during those seven and half
man in American uniform against any
foreign foe. and not one American
man, woman or child was slain by
representatives of any foreign ma
tion."
His reference was to Mexico. Very
well, turn to the Tribune index for
1904, under Mexico" We find the
entry. July 22: 1.-TWO Americans
shot" In tie year 1905. the record
for January IS is: 81. A. Sanger
Murdered" and for January %, "Ya-
quis KIN Four Americans" But the
tell-talet year is 1906. The "iasults"
to cur flag were Piled thick. Here
are some of the entries: american
Fishing Boats Seized;" American
Fishermen Jailed" American Sail
ors Charge Tortures." 1t Was in June
of 1906 that occurred the crowning
''infamy"-as Roosevelt would have
called it if it had taken place under
Wilson. Read this: "How Americans
Died at Cananea." And then, oh
shame-faced Americans, read this
Root Denie; American Troops to
Cananea!"
There had been a murderous out.
break at the Cananea mines. Several
Americans were killed. What did the
tmperiled American survivors do?
They sent to Washington. through
the. American consul at Cananea, a
telegram urgently calling for help.
Even the Mexican governor of Sonors
Was reported as asking that the Unit
ed States government send in a mill
tary force. But what happened? Why,
Secretary Root consulted the chief of
staff and the "law officer of the war
department"-thiirk X of the disgrace
OF actually looking up the law-and
decided that American troops "must
not cross the line" Imagine 1t, I'M
Gle Sam putting on a pigtail like that
when Roosevelt was PRESIDENT.
That this was a cowardly and abb
ject policy we know On the highest
authority. For it was Mr.. Roosevelt
himself who laid down the eternally
righteous principle in that Same
speech of his % the Methodists. Re-
ferring to the fact that Americans
had been killed in Mexico while VIII
son was president, he said: "If the
very first time such an incident oc-
Cured. we had acted with instant de
cision and crossed the border. not
within two or three days. but thirty
minutes afterward, had inflicted inn
mediate punishment en- the offenders
punishment of a kind which would
have shown the extreme unwisdom
OF repeating the offenses, there woult
never have been repetition of the
offense. Certain foolish pac,fists al
home undoubtedly have been lack
adaisical over the acticn but it woult
have saved hundreds Of lives"
Alas, my bre.horn, tie very first
time was when Roosevelt was presi
dent, and instead of acting with in
stant decision and crossing the Dor
der in thirty minutes, he pa'teret
with the affair like a lackadaisica
pacifist and would not send the troop
at all though they were demanded b.
the be,eagured Americans at Cananea
The great doctrine of 1916 was tramp
led upon in 1906 by the very mar
who now propounds it.-New Yorl
Post.