The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-09-13
TEDDY
TALKS TO
FIREMEN
Delivers a Characteristic Ad.
dress On Labor
Before a GatheringOf Railroad
Employees at Chattanooga

Following is the address of Pres
dent Roosevelt, delivered in the An
ditorium here today, before the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Firemen:
The last time / ever saw General
Sherman | dined at his house, and Wa
got to talking over the capacity OF
different types of soldiers, and the
general happened to say that if ever
there were another war. and he were
to have a command, he would endeav
or to get as many railroad men as
possible under him. asked why and
he said because, on account of their
profession, they develop certain qual.
tiles which are essential i'm soldier.
In the first place, they are accustomed
to taking risks. There are a great
many men who are naturally brave.
but who, being entirely unaccustomed
to risks, are at first appalled, by them.
They are accustomed to enduring
3 hoi hShipS' NuVy are dOtuSlOHltu W dtl
on their own responsibility; they are
accustomed to irregular hours Oaugh-
ter and applause), on their own in.
itiativo, and yet they are accustomed
to obeying orders quick. (ApplauseJ }
There is nothing more soul-harrow-
ing for a man in time of war, or for a
man engaged in a difficult job in time
OF peace, than to give an order and
have the gentleman addressed say
What? The railroad man has got to
learn that when an order is issued.
there may be but fraction of a sec.
old In which to obey IT, He has got TO
learn that orders are to be obeyed. and
on the other hand, that there will come
plenty of crises in which there will be
no orders to be obeyed, and he will
have to act for himself Now. these
aie qualities that go to the very es.
scnte of good soldiership, and am
net surprised at what General sher.
man said. ! am not surprised that you
would make good soldiers would
be ashamed of you II you did not
q aughter and applause).
Raising the Rough Riders.
In raising my own regiment, which
was raised mainly in the southwest,
partly in the territory in which Mr..
Sargent himself served as a soldier
at one time-in Arizona got mum.
Der OF railroad men. OF course. the
first requisite was that a man should
know how to shoot and how to ride.
We were raising the regiment I'm a
hurry and we did not have time 10
teach him either. He had to know
how TO handle a horse. and how TO
handle rife to start with, but given
the possession of those two qualities,
| found that there was no group of
our citizens from whom better men
could be drawn TO do a soldiers work
In a tight place and at all times than
the railroad men. (Applause.)
But, gentlemen, the period of war
is but a fractional part of the life Of
our republic. and | earnestly hone
and believe that II will be an even
smaller part in the future than II has
been In the past. Your work in time
OF peace especially attracted me TO
you aud made me anxious 10 come
down here to see you, and / am glad
TO speak TO you. not for what I can
tell you, but for the lesson II seems 10
me can be gained by all of our people
from what you have done. CAP
plause.)
AT the opening of the Twentieth
century we face conditions vastly
changed from what they were in tho
country and throughout the world
century ago. Our complex Industrial
civilization, under which progress has
been so rapid. and in which the
changes for good have been so great.
has also inevitably seen the growth
Of certain tendencies that are not for
good and we. In consequence. as n
people, like the rest of civilized man
Kind find set before us for solution
during the coming century problems
which need the best thought OF all Of
us, and the most earnest desire OF all
to solve them well II we expect 10
work out a solution satisfactory 20
our people-a solution for the advan-
,age OF the nation. In facing these
problems, il must be a comfort 10
very well-wisher of the nation 20 see
Shat has been done by your organiza.
ion.
A Believer in Organized Labor
Il believe emphatically In organized
labor (Cheers and applause) be.
ieye In organization Of wage workers.
Organization is one OF the laws OF our
social and economic development at
his time. But | feel that we must
always keep before our minds the fact
hat there Is nothing sacred in the
name itself To call an organization an
organization does not make IL a good
one The worth Of an organization
depends upon its being handled VITA
courage, the skin. the wisdom. the
spirit OF fair dealing as between man
md man. and the wise selfrestraint
which ! am glad TO be able 10 say
1our brotherhood has shown.
Law Of Successful American Life.
.lYnn facn Annth nna a....... L. IL