SOME CONSERVATIVE ADVICE by T. Edwin Perry
“To HELL with the CONSTITUTION…” Not exactly a Conservative remark, but these words were spoken, and they were spoken by a REPUBLICAN. Specifically, a PROGRESSIVE Republican. Specifically, it was said by the Progressive Republican that has served as the “Hero” (His Words) of John McCain, and, recently, was QUOTED in a speech made by Lt. Col. Allen West, who is campaigning to be the Congressman for District 22 in Florida. (Yeah, I don’t like bringing it up, but I have to.) That Progressive Republican is named Theodore Roosevelt.
For those who don’t know about Old Teddy, let me give you the rundown. He was elected as the second Vice President of William McKinley, a Conservative Republican President who died in office. (Trivia: His first Vice President, Garret Hobart, ALSO died in office, making McKinley & Hobart the Only President/Vice President combination to DIE while in office!) Having led his “Rough Riders” in the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba and serving as Governor of New York, Roosevelt was a popular “Man’s Man” candidate. He was fearless, he was direct, and McKinley thought he’d be a Conservative. McKinley was wrong. After McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt became the first OPENLY Progressive President of the United States.
Under McKinley’s Administration, business boomed. Fortunes were made. Unemployment fell and the Middle Class expanded. Visionaries like Carnegie, Rockefeller and JP Morgan built economic empires built on innovation and efficiency. They assembled “Trusts,” or conglomerations of various enterprises to facilitate production and efficiency, and aided in the economic growth of the nation. It was a perfect example of Free Market Capitalism doing what it was designed to do: build wealth and benefit society by providing jobs, building wealth and improving the Nation.
While McKinley fostered the Trusts and allowed the economy to grow with minimal restraint, Roosevelt targeted the Trusts, becoming the first “Trustbuster” President. He targeted successful businesses with “Antitrust” lawsuits designed to deconstruct productive companies to provide “Social Justice” to smaller companies. The fact that many of these smaller companies were often purchased or incorporated into the Trusts to the BENEFIT of their investors and employees was irrelevant. Roosevelt went after the steel, the trains and the banks with unprecedented aggression, resulting in lost revenues, stifled investment and increasing unemployment.
Roosevelt has been touted as the first “Conservationist” President, and this is true. Roosevelt sought to “Preserve” Federal Lands in their “Pristine” conditions, but the legislations that he supported tended to (surprise, surprise) stifle business, restrict production, infringe on liberties and expand the powers of Government. By infringing on the ability of industry to obtain the minerals to produce steel and lumber, construction was restricted, and prices increased due to the artificial influence of Government on the economy.
Roosevelt was “Pro-Union,” supporting Union Workers who were often already well paid, but wanted more of the profits of industry without investing from their own wallets for that reward. While some of the demands of Union Workers were reasonable (safer working conditions, for example), the majority of the demands were unreasonable and unsustainable. Roosevelt sided with striking union members, however, resulting in the quote from the beginning of this post: “To HELL with the CONSTITUTION when the PEOPLE want COAL!”
The actions of Theodore Roosevelt paved the way for even MORE Progressive Presidents to follow, including William Howard Taft, his chosen successor, who targeted the Trusts at nearly ten times the rate of his predecessor. After being embarrassed by Taft’s assault on US Steel, a Trust that was actually SUPPORTED by Roosevelt, “Great American” Teddy Roosevelt actually ran for a THIRD TERM by creating the Progressive BULL MOOSE Party, taking a position even farther to the “Left” of Taft! But that just split the vote, resulting in the election of the apparently “Moderate” Woodrow Wilson, the father of the Progressive Income Tax. (And don’t we just ALL love that little gift!)
So, back to the title of this post: SOME CONSERVATIVE ADVICE. If you are a candidate running for office and you want the support of the Tea Party Protestors and the new Conservative Movement in our country, do yourself a favor: DON’T QUOTE TEDDY ROOSEVELT! Those of us who KNOW about this “Great American” know what he was, and if he serves as an inspiration for your Political Ambitions, we know what YOU are as well: A PROGRESSIVE, and we’ve had ENOUGH of THAT!
Just a little CONSERVATIVE ADVICE…
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