Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 253, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1912 — HOW HESS MEN ME THINKING NOW [ARTICLE]

HOW HESS MEN ME THINKING NOW

Indiana Lumberman Sends Letter, Instead of SSO, to Progressive Committee. A letter from J. V. Stimson, of Huntingburg, Ind., widely known as a hardwood lumberman, to the National Progressive Committee, of New York, shows the trend of political thought among the substantial business men of this stat*. The Progressive Committee wrote to Mr. Stimson and asked for a SSO campaign contribution. Instead of a contribution, Mr. Stimson sent a letter in which he said: “I don’t agree with your ideas nor with the necessity of Roosevelt being made president to save the country. I believe there are other men just a* honest, and just as earnest, and who have the people at large just as much at heart, and who have as large an interest in the welfare of the public of the United States, as Theodore Roosevelt, or any man who Is associated with the so-called Progressive ticket In politics this year. “Mr. Roosevelt was President of the United States for seven years, and during that period did not attempt any of these so-called reforms that he now advocates. He was president during a period when he had the American ppople with him more unanimously than any other man who has been president during the last 50 years, and had the public sentiment with him, which could have wielded the American Congress to his, Roosevelt’s, ideas. During none of this time did Mr. Roosevelt attempt to put into effect or force any of the now propaganda which he now declares is necessary for the perpetuation of the Union. “I believe that this country would be in one horrible fix If there was but one honest man living, and that man with no better chance* of becoming president of the United States than Roosevelt has today. I most certainly refuse to subscribe one dollar to this so-called Progressive fund, because 1 believe the country will be in better shape when placed in the hands oi men who don’t hold this opinion ol all the rest of the people, who don’t happen to agree with him. “There are honest men in all parties, in all churches, and in all places, in the country. The Progressive party has no monopoly of truth and fairness in this country, and when a man or men, so proclaim that they are the only men worthy of confidence and respect, it places them in a category of people who are at least questionable in their methods. I haven’t learned to place much store by the self-righteous or the one who attempts to drown hi* opponents with epithets."