The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-09-13
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT IN THE SOUTH
His speech At Knoxville. T.un.

President Roosevelt spoke to 10000
persons al Knoxville. Tenn. who stood
Whhe drenching shower poured down
upon them.
lie said
My Felow-Citizens and Countrymen.
wish to thank you for having come ont
IN this weather. Somebody asked me
when 1t was raining so hard whether |
would come here anyway | told them
l guessed if you could stand it |
could lApplause.
Il want 10 say how much appreciate
your having come out to see me, and
take 1t that your National Gaurdsmen
are not fair-weather soldiers.
1T has been an inspiration to come
through Last Tennessee today as have
am sorry FOR my sake that the rain
should have come at this particular mo-
ment, but you needed il. and am glad
you have got it. Applause
lesterday | spent the time going
over the great battleiields of Chickamau
ga and Chattanooga. partly within the
boundaries OF your own State and partly
within the boundaries of my mothers
state OF GeOrgia. Now. | come here.
along the upper waters of the Tennessee
20 tAe seat Oi the first community settled
/ 10y people OF our stock on the waters
which flow into the Gulf of Mexico. 1t
was six years before the outbreak of the
revolutionary War that the first little
settlement out of which grew the great
state OF tennessee was founded Ii was
mere IN this region that the mounted rifle
men gathered under the leadership of
SEWER. the shaft i'm memory of whom
you see there-gathered To go across the
mountains and strike a Kings Mountain
the decisive blow which in the end freed
the Southern States in the Revolutionary
War. Applause.
Right from the beginning the Ten
nesseeans shows themselves to be typical
Americans in the way in which they
proved their ability to contend in time
oi peace Great has been TenDessee's
share in the leadership of the country.
alAe Ia war and peace. Applause
My leliow-countrymen while Won
nave been great agricultural State.
wnlle you are now rapidly becoming in
thls section one OF the greatest industrial
centers OF the entire country. You have
acted throughout with credit. Though
II is great to produce rhe works of man.
IT Is greater still To produce man him
self. Applause
IL Is great thing TO have a factory
a mine. railroad, but greatest of all l.
10 nave the high average of citizenship
- eN' 'oihuiuhAAN tuAl you nave. the
men with the power TO produce the gen
tier virtues aud the rougher virtues as
needs be.
Tennessee has won her place-the ty-
peal IennesSeean stands IA embodying
so much. We are glad to call him the
typical American because the Tennessee
an has never shrunk from the roughness
OF lille. The men who first came here on
the headwaters of the tributaries of the
Tennessee river built their little palisad |
ed forts. They did not come here in search |
oi ease. They came here because this /
great, rich and beautiful Territory open
ed to them the chance of victory worth
having il they proved themselves men |
enough To wrest that victory from the |
throes of savage men and savage nature
Il would preach 70 no man for whom |
cared the snap of my finger life ofease
The man who works is the man to be en- /
We'd. Applause lie may work in |
one way or he may work in an
other. | care not the way in which he
works II his work is worth doing and is
well done. Applause
Now shall try to take no longer-I
won melt myself-your umbrellas are
IN the way lapplause and cries of Go
ahead. Pat them down, and
all will say is | am very much
Obliged to you for coming out. ! hone
you are one-half as glad to see me as
am to see you. Applause.