The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-27
AN ADDRESS AT HARVARD
The Americans Abuse Men Whom the
British Glorify.
THE PRESIDENT HlMsLLF ABUSIVE
Declares Those Who Attack Wood Are Unworthy
10 Have Their Names Coupled With His,
ncapbls OF Understandings
His Lofty Motives.
His Lofty Motives.
(By the Associated Press.)

Cambridge, Mass, June 25.-Com-
mencement at aHrvard University was of
unusual interest today because of the
presence of President Roosevelt, grad
uate of Harvard class of 1880, who re-
ceived the honorary degree of LII. D.
There were other notable guests at
the exercises, including Secretary of
State John Hay, who also received the
degree of IL D., Rev. Edward Everett
Hale. d. D., of Boston, and many grad
yates who have brought honor to their
university.
The graduation exercises were Sheld in
Sanders Theatre, where President Elliott
announced the degrees. After these
ceremonies President Roosevelt attend
ed the alumni banquet in Memorial Hall.
Hon. John D. Long, president of the
alumni association, presided and intro
duced the speakers. The list of toasts
included responses by President Elliott,
Governor Crane, President Roosevelt,
Secretary Hay Prof. Alexander Agazza
and Malcolm Donald.
President Roosevelt said in part:
do what Lord Cromer did in Egypt; when
a man returns as Lord Kitchener will
return from South Africa, they give him
a peerage and a great sum of money.
He receives tangible reward and our
Crcmers, our men of that stamp, come
back to the country, and if they are
fortunate they go back to private life
with the privilege of taking up what
u - he frsY LOFT
when they surrendered their old connec-
tions, and if they are unfortunate they
are accused of malidministration in office
Qaughter), not an accusation that hurts
them, but an accusation that brands
with infamy every man who makes 1T
and that reflects but iii on the country
in which it is made. cloud applause).
Leonard Wood rendered services to Cuba
which if performed three thousand
years ago would have made him hero
mixed up with the sun god, man who
did nothing else save to try to bring up
the standard of political and social life
in that island to clean it physically and
morally; to make justice even and fair
in it. He is a man of slender means.
He did it on his pay as an army officer
and as Governor of the island. Sixty
millions of dollars passed through his
hands and he came out having to draw
on his slender capital in order that he
might come out even when he left the
island Credit to him? Yes, in a way.
In another, no particular credit, because
he was built so that he could do nothing
else. cloud applause) He came out
having done that and having devoted
himself disinterestedly to the benefit of
the Cuban people. He has come back
here and has been attacked forsooth by
people who are not merely unworthy of
having their names coupled with his,
but who are incapable of understanding
the motives that have spurred him on
to bring honor to this republic. (Ap-
plause).
"And, Governor Taft, the head of the
Philippine Commission, a man who hav-
ing won high positions at the bar and
then served as solicitor general with all
his tastes impelling him to a judicial
career, and was appointed to the United
States bench, was asked to give up the
position in order to go to the other side
of the world to take up an infinitely
difficult and infinitely dangerous prob
lem and to do his best to solve it. He
had the honorable ambition to get upon
the Supreme court, and he knew that 1
had always hoped he would be put upon
the Supreme court, and when there was
a question of a vacancy arising l said
TO him.
Governor l think l ought to tell you
that if a vacancy comes in the Supreme
Court while it would give you an oppor-
tunity to be put in the position you
would like to have, 1 think l ought to
tell you that if such a vacancy should
occur 1 do not see how l could possibly
give it to you, for l need you where you
are
HE said to me: Mr. President, it has
alawys been my desire to be on the Su-
preme Court but if you should offer me
a judgeship now and at the same time
Congress should take entirely off my sal
airy as governor, / should go straight
back to the Philippines nevertheless, for
those people need me and expect me back
and believe l won't desert them.' Gap
plause)
He has gone back, gone as a strong
friend among weaker friends to help them
upwards along the stony and difficult
path of self-government (Applause) to
do his part and a great part, in making
the American name a symbol of honor
and of good faith in the Philippine is
lands; to govern with justice and with
that firmness that abeence of weak
ness which is only another side of JUS
tice' (Applause.)
HE has gone back to do all of that
because it is his duty as he sees it. We
are to be congratulated: We Americans,
that we have a fellow American like
Taft. (Applause.)
and now Elihu Root, who had worked
his way up from being a poor and un-
known country boy in New York, to a
position where, in a year or two, he
had the leadership of the bar of the
great city within his grasp, gave it up
made the very great pecuniary sacrifice
implied in giving it up and accepted the
position under President Mckinley OF
Secretary of War, position which fol-