Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-09-07
GOV. ROOSEVELT
Begins Western Tour With a
Rousing Speech at Detroit.
Vice Presidential Candidate Greeted
With Roars Of Applause
BY Great Crowd RooseyeIt's Puintrd
Object Lesson.

Detroit, Mich, Sept 6.-The initial
meeting of Gov. RoOsevelts Western
tour which was held in the big assem-
bly, room Of the Detroit Light Guard
armory, tonight. was all that the gov
crnor's most ardent partisans could
have desired in point of attendance and
| enthusiasm. The floor and galleries of
the great hall were crowded. The vice
Presidential candidate received a ire
mendously enthusiastic greeting as he
made his way up through one Of the
aisles
a large proportion of the audience
stood upon chairs and yelled frantic
ally for Teddy Brig. General Henry
NJ Dufiicld, who was introduced as one
Of the leaders in the Santiago cam
| paign. presided.
| When the governor arose to speak
the great crowd stood en- masse, and
some time.
/ The governors speech occupied
! about an hour in delivery and was
/ listened to throughout with thoughtful
attention and the telling sarcasity and
witty points We're quickly caught and
Iapplaudcd.
Governor Roosevelt gave the audience
an object lesson when he asserted that
our soldiers in the Philippines had less
to fear from any body Of armed ban
dits in that country than they had to
fear from the principles Of the Kansas
I city platform. and the success Of the
/ Democratic ticket. He said in part:
In this campaign the issue Of over
4 shaduwing Importance Is whether we
shall continue Dir abandon the govern
mental policy which has brought this
I country TO the highest pitch Of pros
perity al home. and which has kept the
national honor unstained. both at home
F, and abroad. To deliberately undo the
/ work would be to dishOnor the nation
al reputation and to throw US into
dreadful industrial chaos. The Kansas
/ City platform commits our opponents
| to a policy which means material dis
aster and moral disgrace; which means
a violent panic in the business world.
and therefore widespread and pro
longed misery among all our people
which further means upsetting the
courts. the violation Of the nations
faith in financial matters, and the IN
worthy abandonment Of our duty
! abroad.
If you think l am using strong lam
! guage. let me read you from Mr.. Carl
Schurtz's speech in Chicago. Sept. 5th,
1896, in which he says;
And at what price will the ulti
mate result be gained in case Of Mr..
| Bryan's election? At the price of the
most violent and destructive crisis on
record, such crisis as can only be
brought on by a sudden subversiOn Of
the standard Of values and Of the whole
| business credit At the price of indef-
mite business paralysis and distress.
At the price Of the ruthless spoilation
Of the savings accumulated by the toll
ing masses. At the price Of robbine
our war veterans Of half the value Of
their pensions. AT the price Of greatly
increasing the number of unemployed
| by discOuTa ginG enterprise. and Of cur
failing the value Of wages Of those re-
| naming at work At the price Of the
respect Of the world for our intelligence
and practical sense. And worse, far
worse. than all this, at the price of
something that has never been forfeited
since this republic was born-at the
price If the greatest good a nation can
| possess and for the preservation OF
which it should shed its last drop of
blood-at the price of our national
honor. For this nation. SO rich and
powerful. would stand before the
world as a wanton. reckless repudiat-
or, as nothing better than a fraudu-
lent bankrupt This will be the cast
Of the experiment Are you willing to
pay this price,
Fellow citizens. it is grave matter,
a matter Of vital import to the exist
ence Of this nation. The public man
who teach such moral principles to the
people. ducate the people for the con-
tempt and adherence of mankind. The
nation that accepts such moral prin-
ciples cannot live. 1t will rot to death
in the loathsome stew Of its own cor
ruption. If the nation adopting such
moral principles be this republic. it will
deal death blow to the credit of dem
ocratic Institutions. from which the
cause Of free government will not re-
cover for centuries.
We have a right to insist upon both
wisdom and sincerity in the leaders Of
any party who appeal for popular con-
| fidence Now. let US see if we can trust
the wisdom Of our present opponents.
by comparing their prophecies in '96
with the actual events since.
! In 1896. Mr.. Bryan insisted that
| Plutocracy was on one side and De-
mocracy on the other (speech Of Oct0-
Der 17th) and that if he was beaten
THE wageworker could not prosper
Well. as a matter of fact, the wage
worker. during the past four years,
| has prospered as never before: and the
same is true Of all our citizens. On
Sept 18th Of that year. Mr.. Bryan
said: If we are defeated in this cam
paign there is nothing before the peO-
pie but four years more of hard times
and greater agitation. That state
ment carries with it its own reply.
Have the last four years been easier Or
harder than the three years preceding
| You know well enough that they have
been infinitely better; and it is the Re
publican party which has restored
prosperity for it has secured the con
ditions which gave free play TO enter
prise and thrift. Mr. Bryan continued
| in the same speech: Do you think We
have drained the cup of sorrow To it's
| Continued on page 80