The Triumphant Life of Theodore Roosevelt edited by J. Martin Miller

THE SECOND DAY 253
Theodore Roosevelt. If a man will dwell on comparison for a moment, and make a
fair comparison, if he would not indorse the policies of the Republican party, he
would not believe although he were raised from the dead. McKinlej-. Roosevelt.
The passage of the Dingley act that restored us economic prosperity. The gold
standard act that settled for all time the matter of sound currency. The short, tri-
umphant war with Spain. The Philippines and Porto Rico coming under our flag,
and freedom to Cuba. This is a record that will stand in the future second only to
the records made by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Then imported anarchy struck down our great president, when partisan strife
had almost ceased, and the world paused in wonder and in- indignation not in fear,
because, as life went from our great leader and our great president, there was a
young, active, honest, courageous man standing by the bedside, who under the con-
stitution was his successor, and he there said: "I am to he president to carry out the
policies of the Republican party and I will journey in the footsteps of William
McKinley and of Abraham Lincoln."
TELLS OF WORK ACCOMPLISHED
To your coming president great things have happened iu the last three years.
In the old world a single great policy in the generation is the exception. We have
more than that in our progressive country. I have given you the great achieve-
ments under McKinley. Under his worthy, great successor we had the consum-
mation of freedom to Cuba wrought out by superior statesmanship.
Imperialism, that was talked about under McKinley, has disappeared with grow-
ing civil government and peace in the Philippines. Aye, it has disappeared from the
face of the earth. Did I say from the face of the earth.' I will stick to it, because
the doctrinaire here and the doctrinaire there, whether it be in New York or in
Boston, draws his toga about him, saying, "I am wiser than thou." and still, after
this great question ife settled by the conscience and the intelligence of all the people,
he still cries "Wolf, wolf!" Well, under the constitution of the United States, he
has a right to.
PHILIPPINES PROMISE USEFULNESS
Let them ask. What is going to become of the Philippines? At last we have
peace. At last we have growing civil government, and as our 80,000,000 in this
twentieth century shall increase from 80,000,000 to 250,000,000, as we shall go out
with production and commerce, in the fullness of time that territorv will be useful
to the United States, whereas in the meantime we will be like a benediction to them.
The United States, great iu production and wealth. In 1S50, §300, in round
numbers, was the per capita wealth. In 19013, $1,235 was the per capita wealth. In
1S60 the wealth was measured by sixteen billions of dollars; in 1900, ninety-four bil-