Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-07-10
TALKS AT BANQUET.
Sermon" by the President in Respons'

TALKS AT BANQUET.
Sermon" by the President in Response
to Toast.
Pittsburg, July AFTER q day of
eventful experiences President Roose-
Welt, who arrived In Pittsburg yester-
day morning as guest Of the city, de-
parted at o'clock this morning, well
pleased with his sojourn in the Smoky
city.
The crowd that greeted the president
along the line Of parade Friday MORN
ing and clamored to hear his address
at Schenley park is conservatively es-
timated at million people. OF this
number fully 100000 were within sound
of the presidents voice. This is be-
lieved to be the largest assemblage ever
addressed by president of the United
States.
From 3:45 yesterday morning until
11:15 last night, the chief magistrate
was busy man. the only cessation be-
ing short time during the evening,
when he enjoyed a refreshing nap at
the home of H. c. Frick, where he had
partaken OF luncheon and held an in
formal reception for business men at
forwards.
From the Prick mansion the presi-
dent was driven to the Hotel Schenley,
where shortly after o'clock he was the
central figure at q dinner rendered by
Attorney General p. G.. Knox to 200 of
Pittsburg's prominent businss men.
The dinner was entirely informal, and
the only toast was at the conclusion
of the menu, when Mr. Knox arose and
said:
I propose the toast, the one and only
toast of the evening: Theodore Roose-
Welt, president of the United States I"
cloud applause.)
Mr.. Roosevelt responded as follows:
mir. Knox and Gentlemen: l am glad
to have the chance of thanking you
this evening for the courtesy with
which you have greeted me today. 1
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, than the exper-
fence l have had today in addressing
the great audience that met me this
morning. But one thing in particular
about 1t pleased me. That was the fact
that the audience whom / met then,
that you, my hosts and fellow guests,
with whom ] dine now. represent all
shades of religious belief; that you rep
resent every occupation and every in
dustry. and that you come together on
this Fourth of July as American ctti-
zens and nothing else. 1t has been said,
and we'll said, that your political diff
ferences cease at the water line. That
is true, but much more than that Is
true In great crises, whenever the
great fundamental issues of our gov
eminent are at stake, all party differ
ences cease. And so 1t is eminently
proper that on the great national holi-
days, and above all on the Fourth of
July. the day that commentaries the
birth of the nation we should come to-
gether. not as representatives OF any
one party, but as Americans, as men
to whom, in the last analysis, all that
makes Americans nobler and greater,
is dear; as men who are unit in the
principles that must underlie our sys-
tenn of government.
There Is an immense amount in
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 citizen
ship, and of course the greater and
more fundamental the matters are, the
nearer they come to being matters
difference l feel that a meeting such
as this, and such great assemblage
as l had the honor of addressing this
morning, serve one purpose-a pur-
pose, the most important of all-the
purpose of getting our people together.
of bringing them in contact with one
the other, SO that they may realize
that the differences that divide one
from the other are trivial and that the
unity among us all is fundamental.
perhaps the most valuable lesson
taught by the civil war as regards our
civil life. apart from the lessons taught
i'm military life, was that of the brother
hood of unity. When l speak of men
who have been in the great war, who
have been in the civil war, I speak of
me who have practically applied for a
number of years the principle of
brotherhood. I mean the principle of
with all proper charity for his fail
ings, but with regard primarily for
what is real as distinguished from
what his accidental qualities and char
acteristics are.
II do not care what a mans occu-
patton is or what his standing is. II
he does his duty we'll, he is a good citi-
zen. and If he does not he is not a
good citizen. Compared with that
fundamental question. the other ques-
tons as to the particular position he
occupies in public life, social, financial,
any other Way-thoSe questions sink
into absolute .nsignificance.
II ask each man here that he prove
his truth by his endeavor: that In
whatever line he may be. that in what
ever walk of life he may be; that
whatever may be that line in which he
does his work, he try to act throughout
the rest of the year as he talks on the
Fourth of July. And now, gentlemen.
having thus shamelessy requited your
hospitality by preaching a sermon to
you, l thank you again for how you
rave treated me and bid you good
>vening." Gong. and continued ap-
)ause.)
When the president concluded his ad
lress the banqueters adjourned to the
oarlors,l where reception was held
M. shortly before midnight the presi-
dental party was driven to it's train
standing on siding at Shady Side
station, where they retired, their car
being attached to the eastern train or
the Pennsylvania railroad at about :
O'Clock in the morning, en- route te
| oyster Bay. AS the president was
leaving the hotel he shook hands with
| the porters, bellboys and other EN-.
ployes of the house and babe them
| goodby.