Rock Island Argus., 1896-02-24
WASHINGTON DAY.
Celebrations Thereofvvere Varied
In Character.
RoosIvELTTALKs TO CH1CAeoAHs.

Tho New York Reformer Hews to the Line
Of Ills Opinions without Fear or Favor
some Things That He Doesn't Like to
ece-The Press Comes In For Criticism
--"Isat' Shea Demonstration and Its
Lesson-Other Commemorations.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2L-Theodorc Roosevelts
speeches in this city-which were the fea.
ture OF the occasion on washington's
birthday-were not models Of eloquence,
but plain practical talks, especially the one
at the Auditorium on the Enforcement
of the Law" in which he made George
Washington his model for every phase OF
his subject. Right hero IL may be stated
that probably never in lis history has the
day been 50 ''variously" celebrated, prob.
ably because never before have 10 many
important subjects been up at the same
time. Here 1t was enforcement OF the
law and municipal corruption that was
discussed. At Philadelphia an import
ant meeting was held to further the
movement to bring about the impossible
ity Of war between this country and Great
Britain. At Washington city Republi.
cans celebrated tho fortieth university Of
the party's founding.
Ought Not 20 Need Argument.
AT Detroit the Michigan Society Of the
Sons OF tho Revolution celebrated and
Don Dickinson talkcd 'jingo" with n
hint ut the Venezuela question. But
there was u courage Of conviction in the
way Roosevelt handled the subjects hero
that made the Chicago celebration the
most notable ono OF the day. lie remarked
mt the beginning Of his speech: There is
certain difficulty in speaking to such n
foast M The Enforcement of Law be.
cause it ought not to, though it does, re.
quirc an argument to bc advanced in its
favor. Applause and aries of ..good."l
IL II discrcdit to us rs people that
thcro actually can be room for argument
as TO whether tho law of the land should
or should not DO enforced " Applause.
When he said the average legislator
thought IL n safe thing to advocate any
law. thinking that 1t would not b. en-
forced, tharc wcrr cries of good"
sympathy for the Law -Breakcr.
Here he Remarked: "And in speaking
OF the enforcement Of law I want to pro-
tcst as cmphatically as I can. In the name
ot decent citizens, against the habit that
has grown up of maudlin symphathy for
the law-brcakcr. Applause and cries of
"Goodr'l There Is n riot. Tho
officers, after submitting to almost Infinite
provocation, finally enforce order and put
down the mob. What happens? Is thcrc
any sympathy for the soldiers or for the
policcp Not bit. The sympathy Is for
tho rioters. And usually the papers tccm
with tales Of how such and such person
was In the crowd, just To- look on, and got
sh I h., xx-ea \ L.
shot. don't care whether he was there to
look ON or not. lGrcnt applausc.l His
mere prcscncr added to the strength OF the
mob"
Another of the Current Fads
In the same way there are large num-
bcr of people who apparently do not mind
any form Of killing except judicial killing.
a little incident, literally true,
happened To mo once while was in Wash.
ington. There was u young woman who
used to come around and take the exam
ination in tho civil service commission
and always failed. and she was from Ken.
tucky; and two kcntuckisns there, man
named kincald and u man named Toby.
had had u Disagreement ard kincaid had
killed Toby. He had shot him, perfectly
cold-bloodcdly. Aad the trial was going
on about two rooms from where the com
mission rooms were. She was In one day
and said: i am going TO sec the trial of
poor Mr. kncaid'
what Was the Matter with Toby.
81 said: Poor Mr.. kinoaid! / hope
they will hang him. She was appalled, ut
such brutality. What, hang Mr.. Kin.
caidy hm 81 sorry for Mr.. kincaid.' I
SAID: Yes, but was sorry for Mr.. Toby.
Arc you not sorry for himy She said:
Yes, was sorry for MIR. Toby. but Mr..
Toby Is dead Great laughter and ap-
plausc The story Is literally true, word
for word, and it reflects not unfairly the
mental attitude of good number of our
citizens when any law breaker of any kind
falls into the clutches of the law he has
dcfcd