The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-05
DUTY STANDARD.
President Roosevelt Tells Pitts
burgers 1t Is Only One
ship in America.
RESPONDS TO TOAST
At a Dinner Given by Attorney
General Knox.
Had an Audience Of 100000 at
the Park.
RESPONDS TO TOAST


the Park.
Pittsburg, Pa, July 5.-After day |
of eventful experiences President |
Roosevelt, who arrived in PittsburS I
yesterday morning as guest of the
city departed at 8 O'Clock this morning |
we'll pleased with his sojourn in the |
Smoky city.
From S:45 yesterday morning until
Ills last night the chief magistrate
was a busy man, the only cessation be-
ing a short time during the afternoon
when he enjoyed refreshing nap at
the home of H. C. F'rick, where he had
partaken of luncheon and held an in
formal reception for business men af-
terwards. From the Frick mansion the
president was driven to the Hotel
Schenley where shortly after o'clock
he was the central figure at a dinner
rendered by Attorney General p. c.
Knox to 200 of Pittsburg's prominent
business men The dinner was entirely
informal, and the only toast was at the
conclusion of the menu when Mr.. Knox
arose and said:
IT propose the toast, the one and the
only toast of the evening: Theodore
Roosevelt, President of the United
States"
Mr.. Roosevelt responded as follows:
Mr.. Knox and Gentlemen: 1 am glad
to have the chance of thanking you this
evening for the courtesy with which
you have greeted me today. l can
imagine nothing that would be more
inspiring to a public officer that would
give him better heart to try to do his
duty as it is given him to see his
duty; nothing that would make him
try to carry out his work more than
the experience 1 have had today in ad-
dressing the great audience that met
me this morning. But one thing in par
ticular pleased me about 1t, gentle
h. f<~2 kl,,< ktz0
ence whom 1 met then; that, you my
hosts and fellow guests with whom l
dine now represent all shades OF pol1tl-
cal belief as you represent all shades
of religious beliefs; that you represent
every occupation and every industry
and that you come together on this
fourth of July as American citizens and
nothing else. 1t has been said, and well
said that our political differences cease
at the waterline. That is true. but
much more than that is true. In great
{ crisis whenever the great fundamental
issues of our government are at stake,
all party differences cease. And so It
is eminently proper on the great ma
tional holidays and above all on the
Fourth of July, the day that commem-
crates the birth of the nation we should
come together not as representatives OF
one party but as Americans. as men to
whom in the last analysis all that
makes Americans nobler and greater is
dear: men who are unit in the
principles that must underlie our syS-
tenn of government. There is an I'M
mense amount of public life that has
not got anything to do with party at
all. There is an immense amount of
work to be done in public life in which
we are interested purely from the
standards of citizenship and of course
the greater, the more fundamental the
matters are the nearer they come to
being matters upon which there can be
no real party difference.
hot
sible to improve on this gathering in
any way You certainly could not i'm
prove on 1t by having any other gath
ering. but if would be allowed to paint
the lily and gild refined gold, then
should say would like to have met you
here this evening, and l would like to
have seen that meeting this morning
More and more as man meets his fel-
low Americans from different localities
1 think he is impressed by the funda-
mental kinship among them. think
gentlemen that the average American
is a pretty good fellow All that is nee
and differences that come up must
mainly spring from failure to know one
another. Some times that causes Diff
ferences among localities; some times 1t
causes differences between two groups
of men in the same locality. between
employer and employed, between the
men of the town and the men of the
country, between men OF one Occupa ton
and the men of another occupation, and
most earnestly and fervently believe
| that the best solvent for all such condi-
tions is bringing the people together, so
that one side shall get to understand
| the view point of the other. I don't
| say that will prevent all differences, bu,
am confident that it will minimize the
| causes of difference, and that it will
make the differences far less acute.
II don't believe that any considerable
| body of our people really wishes i'll of
| any other considerable body of our peo-
| pie, and when there is an appearance of
| wishing i'll I am sure that springs from
| some fundamental Misrepresentation be-
| tween the two sides, and that the best
way of removing the difference, be IN
real or assumed, is to try to get the two
| sides together and to try to make each
| approach the meeting with the honest
I purpose of looking at the matter that is
| the cause of the difference from the view
| points of both, and so. gentlemen, feel
| that meeting such as those tonight, such
| great assemblage which I had the
| honor of addressing this morning, served
one purpose purpose the most import
! people together, the bringing of them in
| contact one with the other, so that they
may realize the differences that may di-
| vide one from the other are trivial and
| the unity among US is fundamental.
Perhaps the most valuable lesson
taught by the civil war as regards our
civil life, apart from the lessons taught
in military life was that of brotherhood,
| Of unity Wherever speak of men who
have been in the great war who have
been In the civil war, such as that body
| that we passed In the course OF the pro-
cession this morning I speak of men
who have practically applied for a num-
Der of years the principles OF brother
hood and would not apply any other
1 principle. mean that all the principle
of treating a man on his word as q
man. with all proper charity for his fail
ings, but with regard primarily to what
| is real as distinguished from what his
accidental qualities and characteristics
| were. There are in this audience, there
1 are in every audience one speaks to-
men who have fought in the great war,
| the men who got down to the fighting.
to the marching, to the long wearisome