Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-19
ASSERTS PRESIDENT
BROKE HIS PLEDGES
Roosevelt, in Louisville Ad-
dress, Charges He Followed
Course of Dishonor.''
"NO PROTECTION ABROAD

| LOUISVILLE, Ky, October 19.-As
serting that for three years there had
| been mo protection of our citizens
abroad" Theodore Roosevelt in an adj
dress here last night behalf of
| Charles e. Hughes, republican nomi-
nee for President, assailed the course of
| President Wilson in dealing with Mex
| leo, and his conduct of the country's
| foreign affairs.
| ut combined lofty promise and COM
sisted of words which were nullified by
deeds,' he said, in summing up his
view of the Presidents course.
| Entering Kentucky in the forenoon,
Col. Roosevelt delivered more than a
dozen rear platform addresses before
-, PREACHING Louisville. On his arrival here
he was met at the railroad station by
a large crowd which escorted him to
| Phoenix Hill Park, about two miles
away, where he spoke. Many persons,
unable to effect an entrance. were
turned away.
Col. Roosevelt digressed from his set
address to attack the passage of the
Adamson law as action under duress ::
IL surrender to force" He assailed
! President Wilson for an alleged failure
to use all the powers of his office to
secure an investigation through gov
ornamental agencies of the merits of
the controversy, prior to the enactment
| of any legislation.
Cites Andrew Jackson as Authority.
Col. Roosevelt spoke In part as fol-
| lows:
! At the outset of my speech 1 wish to
point out as l have elsewhere pointed
i out, that the doctrine now often adj
vanced as to the improperly of criti-
cising the President, without any re-
gard as to whether the criticism is or
| is not lust has no warrant either in
| history or on grounds of public mo-
rality Andrew Jackson in message
! to the Senate on April Is, 1884, put the
| case exactly as it should be put. He
| said:
The President is accountable at the
| bar of public opinion for every act OF
| his administration. Subject only to the
| restraints of truth and justice, the free
people of the United States have the
undoubted right, as individuals or col
ilectively orally or in writing, at such
times and in such language and form
as they may think proper, to discuss
his official conduct and express and
promulgate their opinions concerning
it
Mr. Wilson's promises before cleo
ton, both those made in MS own
/ speeches, and those made IN the plat
form have been so well-nigh invariably
broken that the brea king of them has
L become a subject for jest even among
his own friends. 1t is impossible 70
study Mr.. Wilson'S prediction prom
ises and poSt-election performances,
it is impossible to compare the dlamet-
rically opposed attitudes he mas as
sumed at different times on almost
every public question; II IS lhpossio Or
to ,ompare what he says in one set OF
/ speeches with what he says in another
/ set, without feeling that what this
| congressional supporter OF his salo OF
/ his platform applies also to his
speeches.
1 Sacredness of Public Promises.
4 Now. | do not regard such action on
the part of Mr.. Wilson and his fol-
4 lowers and the cynical frankneSs with
which they avow it, IS a matter for
/ lest. | doubt if it is possible more
| effectively to undermine public moral
l ity in this country than by accustom-
iug. the people to regard promises made
i'm politics with cynical amusement
as intended only for purposes of decep-
! ton \ high-minded man regards a
promise made on the stump by a can
didate for office, promise intended to
secure the support of those to whom
il is made as a pledge which it is as
irnpera lively necessary to redeem as
if it were made in private life to a
4 private individual and it's subsequent
formulation in one case can only be
justified by conditions substantially
like those which would justify it in the
other case. An honorable man Will
scorn an untruth on the stump just as
much as off the stump. An honorable
L man will break promise made pub
licly in a political campaign just as
reluctantly as he will break a prom
Use made to another man in private
life An honorable man keeps faith in
public life no less than in private life.
Attthe outset of this war Nh. Wilson
had one of two courses to follow. He
could by deeds stand up for our own
rights against every one, and cham
MON the rights of the weak against
I the strong in all cases; or else Ne could
submit to our being wronged by every
one. and acquiesce tamely when wrongs
were committed by the strong against
the weak, even although We had cove
nanted that such wrongs should not be
committed.
FOLLOWED Course of Dishonor."
The first was the course of honor, OF
Temporary risk and of permanent
safety He did not follow it. The sec
lond was the course of diShonor, OF
| o.