The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-23
His Illusions to the Rights of the Wage Workers Elicit
 Applause
DISCUSS AT LENGTH
 NATIONAL QUESTIONS
Defines Ills Position on lsthmlan Ca nal, Cuba, Philippines and, in Fact, All Subjects That Have
 Recently Come Forward.

Hartford, Conn, August 22.-Five thou- sand men and women crowded the Coll scum here tonight to hear the address of President Roosevelt. At least two thirds of the audience were working men, and the enthusiasm manifested by them when the President alluded to the rights of the toiler, aroused the keenest inter- est Again and again during his re- marks, which were base~ on an incident of the afternoon-the presentation of a floral horseshoe by the workingmen-the President was interrupted by vociferous applause. Such side remarks as the fol- lowing: T do not care how honest man may be, if he is timid, he Is no good,' evoked prolonged laughter.
 President Roosevelt was introduced to the audience in the Coliseum by Col. Jacob J. Green. Through Senator Platt he rendered his thanks to the state for the splendid reception accorded him, and to Mayor Sullivan he made his thanks to the people of Hartford Then, turn ing to the audience, he said:
 Before beginning the speech that l had intended and still intend to make to you tonight, 1 wish to allude to an in- cident that happened this afternoon which struck me as more important than what I have to say to you. On being driven around your beautiful city l was taken through Pope park and stopped at a platform where I was presented with a great horseshoe of flowers, the gift of the workingmen of Hartford Qoud ap- plause) to the President of the United States I listened to an admirable little address by Father Sullivan. Now, in his speech he was kind enough to allude to me personally, but he laid primary stress, d he ought to lay 1t, upon the fact that 1t was a gift from the wage workers, upon whom ultimately this gov ernment depends, and he coupled the words of greeting with certain sentences in which he expressed his belief that would do all that I could to show my self a good representative of the wage workers.
 Represents Wage Workers.
 "Gentlemen. I should be utterly unfit for the position that I now occupy If failed to do all that in me lies to act as light is given me-to act so as to repre- sent the best thought and purpose of the wage-workers of the United States. Loud and continuous applause)
 Now at the outset of the twentieth century, we are facing difficult and com plex problems-problems social and eco homie, which will tax the best energies of all of us to solve right and which we can only solve at all If we approach them in a spirit not merely of common sense. hut of generous desire to act each for all and all for each; and while there are oc- casions when, through legislation and administrative action, the government which represents the people can do spe- cial service to one set of our citizens, yet think you will agree with me that In the long run the best way In which to serve any one of our citizens is to serve all alike well Qoud applause); to try 10 act in a spirit of fairness and justice to all; to give each man his rights; to sare- guard each man in his rights and so Tar as in me lies, while I hold my present position, will be true to that conception of my duty (applause) And so l have finished that which I have to say that was suggested by the very touching and nleasant incident of the afternoons ride
 NOW, I want to speak to you tonight, not on our internal problems as nation, but on some of the external problems which we have had to face during the last four years. The internal problems are the most important Keeping our household straight is our first duty; but we have other duties. Just exactly as each man Is worth his salt, he must first of all be a good husband and good father, a good bread winner, a good man of business, so as to deal with his own home relations, and yet must, in addition 10 that be a good citizen for the state at large So nation must first take care to do well It's duties within its own bor- ders, but must not make of that fact an excuse for failing to do those or It's duties the performance of which Hes without its own borders
 President Roosevelt then continued as follows
 Presidents Address.
 ..The events of the last few years have forced the American republic to take larger position in the world than ever before, and therefore more than ever be- fore to concern herself with questions of policy which effect her interests beyond her own borders. As a people, we now have duties and opportunities in the trupic east. And much depends upon the way in which we meet these duties. the way in which we take advantage of these opportunities.
 From the days of Monroe Clay and The younger Adams we, as a people, have nlyays looked with interest upon the west Indies and the isthmus connect ing the two Americas, feeling that any thing happening to those regions must he of concern to our welfare. There is now ampler reason than ever before for this feeling. The outcome of the Spanish var put us m possession of Porto Rico. and brought up into peculiar touch with (,uba: willie the successful negotiation of +he Hay-Pauncefote treaty at last cleared the way for the construction of the isth- milan canal Porto Eico. 1t is pleasure to sey may now serve as an example of ,he best methods of administratlDg our insular possessions. So excellent have heen the effects of our administration and lapislation concerning this island, that their very excellence has resulted in their being almost forgotten by those at home.
 Not a Ripple of Failure.
 .rhere Is hardly a ripple of failure on the stream of our success; and so. as Is ant to be our way. we do not think of 1t at all Yet 1t is well worth while to think of it, and it is pleasant to learn by an experience which teaches us what