The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-11
Portions of Gov. RoOsevelt'S
Address in Chicago.
SUBJECT, 1.-THE STRENUOUS LIFE"
Points ON Duty Devoived Upon People OF
the United staiesto Attempt ISOLATION of
Problsms Involved In Acquisition of
New Observation-Disclosures Those Con-
rressmen Who Have Opposed lie sislstion
Aiming to Improve Army and Navy.

men met around the banquet table than
the enc which met tonight under the
auspices Of the Hamilton Club. TO cele-
6rate ApPomattox Day and to greet Gov.
Theodore Roosevelt. of New York. who
mad come from Albany as the guest, of
honor of the club. The enthusissf1 Sss
extended in generous measure TO the 9TH
er speakers OF the evening. but the great
er part of IL was given TO the Governor
when ne rose to make his address on THE
Strenuous Life"
Ihe nail was a mass OF waving hand
kerehiefs and napkins, and the cheers
that greeted him a 5 ne rose prevented the
speaker for many minutes from beginning
ms speech 1t was a greeting such as one
man docs not receive more than once or
twice in a lifetime
The boxes of the Auditorium. in which
the banquet was held, as well rs the
seats in the hall back of the banquet
moor, were filled with a large throng. who
mad come to look on, and 20 listen to the
speeches., and these. as vel as the men,
bers OF the Hamilton Club and their in
Vlted guests, joined in the welcome that
Tor a few minutes seemed to oyerpower
the Governor.
Fully six hundred were around the BAN
quet tables when President Cody. of the
cIuo, who presided. raped for order. and
IN short, but felicitous address introduc-
ed the guest Of the evening. Gov. Roose-
welt said, in part:
Cannot Avoid New Responsibilities.
we cannot avoid meeting great issues.
All that We can determine for OURSELVES is
Nhether we shall meet them well or I'll.
Last year we could not help being brought
race 10 lace with the problem of war with
spain. All we could decide was whether
we should shrink like towards from the
contest, or enter into 1t as beseemed a
brave end high-spirited people; and, once
IN, Whether failure or success shorld
crown our banners.
so 1t is now. We cannot avoid the
responsibilities that confront us in Ha-
wall. Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philip
pines. All we can decide is whether we
snail meet them in a way that will re-
dound to the national credit, or whether
We shall make Of our dealings with these
new problems a dark and shameful page
in our history. To refuse to deal with
them at all merely amounts to dealing
with them badly. We have a given prob
lem to solve. If we undertake the solu-
ton, there is, Of course, always danger
that we may not solve it Alright But to
refuse to undertake the solution simply
renders it certain that we cannot possibly
solve ii Alright
we cannot sit huddled within our bor-
ders and avow ourselves merely an as
semblage Of well-to-do hucksters, who
care nothing for what happens beyond
Such policy would defeat even its own
end, for as the nations grow TO have
ever wider and wider interests and are
brought into closer and closer contact, if
we are 10 hold our own in the struggle
for naval and commercial supremacy, we
must build up our power without our own
borders. We must build the isthmian
canal, and we must grasp the points of
vantage which will enable us to have our
say in deciding the destiny of the oceans
Of the East and the West.
A Legacy of Duty.
so much FOR the commercial side. From
the standpoint of International honor
the argument is even stronger. The guns
that thundered eff Manila and Santiago
left US echoes of glory, but they also left
us legacy of duty. If we drove out a
tyranny only to make room
for savage anarchy, We had better not
have begun the task at all. It Is worse
perform and can leave to their fates the
islands we have conquered. Such a course
would be the COURSE Of infamy. It would
be followed at oree by utter chaos in the
wretched islands themselves. Some
stronger, msnlier power would have to
step in and do the work: and we would
have shown ourselves weaklings, unable
to carry to successful completion the Ia
bors that great and high-spirited nations
are eager TO undertake.
''The work must be done. We cannot
escape cur responsibility. and If we are
worth our salt, we shall be glad of the
chance to do the WoTk-glad Of the chance
to show ourselves equal to one of the
great tasks set modern civilization |
But let as not deceive ourselves as TO
the Importance of the task. Let us not
be misled by vainglory into underesti- |
mating the strain it will put on our pow
ers. Above all, let US, as We value our own
face the responsibilities with |
proper seriousness, courage. and high |
resolve. We must demand the highest |
order of integrity and ability in our pub !
lie men VINO are 10 grapple with these !
new problems. We must hold 70 a Flgid |
accountability those public servants who |
show unfaithfuiness TO the interests of |
the nation or inability TO rise 10 the high |
eyel Of the new demands upon our
strength and our resources.
Men Who Wrought Evil.
Gov. Roosevelt, speaking Of the need |
for a larger and stronger army. paid |
tribute. first TO those who had built and |
we're building up the navy 10 its present |
efficiency, and TO the officers who have /
accomplished such great results. And |
then he said:
"Be just to those who built up the navy, |
ha CF IA fss4. 90 - 1
keep in mind those who opposed |
rs building up. Read the Congressional /
Record. Find out the Senators and Con- /
yressmen who opposed the grants for |
building the new ships, who opposed the |
purchase OF armoT. without which the /
ships were worthless; who opposed any |
adequate maintenance for the Navy De |
partment, and Etroye TO cut down the !
number Of men necessary 10 man our /
1eets.
''The men who did these things were /
one and all working 10 bring Disaster on /
the country. They have no share in the |
glory Of Manila. In the honor Of Santiago.
They have no cause 20 feel proud OF the |
galor OF our sea Captains, OF the renown |
1f our flag. Their motives may or may /
not have been good, but their acts were |
heavily fraught with evil They aid IN 4
spite OF their sinister opposition"
Before Gov. Roosevelt delivered his sd- /
iress Gen. John G. Black. Of Chicago.
spoke on Grant" and eulogized the grssf /
son nmancer In warm and happy manner. 1
He said.
Ges. Riaek's EaIosy on Grant.
"A very human man: Of many weak |
1esses; Of wide experience: OF many for |
tunes; trying ali depths and all heights; /
litter by his very frailties for his great |
ask, for thereby he knew his fellow-men:
1f tender heart, yet Of sdamantine will |
hat ruled the heart: d0cile in council. |
yet tneKorable In execution: OF clean /
speech and spotiess fidelity long silent /
10 the public. yet gifted in converse with /
ais friends; nsrciiess foe: a gentle con-
Iueror. his fame viii grow as more and |
more We realize the tremendous era In /
which be worked and IN which he was, |
Nith one exception, the greatest actor. /
commander. cOnqusrOr. preseryer. pro- |
Iector, President. Grant"
His remarks were greeted with much /
applause. Congres-man Evan Settle. OF |
Kentucky, followed with an address unon 1