Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-09-05
PRESIDENT WELCOMED,
A Great Crowd at the Stati 0 N
~ Mondav

from Thompson's Point where ne hat
spent Sunday, the guest of Hon. Leslie
Shaw, secretary Of the treasury.
At 10 10, the hour appointed, the trair
bearing the president and party drew
up to the depot, where there were 200(
people awaiting his arrival. AS the
train stopped, boquets of flowers were
presented to the executive by two
young ladies, and many flags were
waved. The president seemed much
pleased at this thoughtful action.
Ex-Gov. Stewart introduced Mr.. Roose.
welt with few well chosen words
After the demonstration ceased the
president spoke few words of thanks
and greeting, referring to the fact of its
being labor day. He said in part:
Governor, and you my fellow citizens
| am glad to have the chance of saying
a word here to the citizens of Vermont
on Labor Day. And before | address
myself specifically to you will you
pardon me in expressing in a word my
acknowledgement of the greeting OF
the veterans of the great civil war, and
my good wishes toward the men who
served in the Spanish war and the nat
ional guardsmen here. (Applause)
The veterans who served in the civil
war gave THE supreme lesson to the
people of our country, both in the way
that when the need was they fought,
and in the lives of labor and effort that
they have led since. When the war was
ended they came back to civil life to do
their part as every honest American
worthy of the name must do their part
by working in private live for himself
and his family, and no less, also, by
association with his fellows for the COM
mon good. [Applause)
There is no holiday which should be
more typically American, no holiday
which should make our people think
more seriously of their privileges, their
rights and their duties than this holiday
of Labor Dav. The material side of our
civilization is very important, but it is
important because of the men who stand
behind it, exactly as in battle the impor-
tant thing is not the gun but the man
behind the gun, so in our civil life it Is
the man in the shop, the man on the
farm, the man in the factory, upon whom
for well or for i'll our whole civilization
ultima ely depends, and it is accordingly
a oman is able TO secure his rights
and Furthermore as he remembers and
performs his duties, it is according to
these two facts that our civilization does
or does not make progress. Right and
duty, a mans right. the rights that he is
bound to see that he receives, and the
duties which he is no less bound to
remember, these he observes. 1t is not
an easy task always for a man to re-
member his duties. still less Is it an easy
task for him always to do them, but he
must keep them in mind, he must strive
faithfully to perform them or he becomes
but a poor citizen. Every man in our
country who fails TO work shows himself
to be but poor citizen. No man in this
country who does not at least pull his
own weight can amount TO anything.
The man who is only a passenger, who
is not trying to do his share, has no
proper place in our body polite. CHEERS
and applause) and it makes no difference
what the mans social position is. what
his wealth or poverty is, if he does moth
ing, if he fails to take advantage of his
opportunities such as his opportunities
are. then no matter which end of the
social scale he is at he is a cumberer on
the earth's surface his presence means
burden and not benefit to the rest of
us.
On the other hand the man who
works faithfully, conscientiously, what
ever the line of his work Is, if it is hon
orable work, is benefit to the whole
country. And the great test to apply, o
my friends and fellow citizens, is not as
to what work the man is engaged in, but
as to the spirit in which he does it. If
he is a square and an honest man, if he
tries to do his best by himself and his
family, and yet remembers his duty to
his neighbor, then, whether he be capt.
taist or wage worker, he is good clti-
zen. If he comes short in either respect.
if he shirks his work, or If he employs
his power Inadvertently or with utter
disregard and carelesSness of the rights
of others, be he rich or be he poor, he is
a bad citizen and has forfeited all right
to the respect of his fellow countrymen.
The law of successful national life is
the law of work. Play when the chance
comes, and shen you do play, play hard,
but do not make of the play a business.
Get all the enjoyment you legitimately
can, by all means, but remember that
that can only be an interlude. a holiday,
and do not let it interfere with the serious
work of life. And let US remember that
while the conditions of a social life
change while in the eXternals, there
come such changes as TO necessitate
different attitude of ours toward some of
those conditions, yet fundamentally the
great basic principles through which
success or failure comes have not
changed. Our complex and industrial
civilization means that we cannot rely
as we formerly could upon such simple
methods as suffice while men are brought
close together with their relations mex
tricably interviewer. We must meet the
new conditions when necessary, meet
them by legislation; If legislation cannot
serve, then meet them by combination
among ourselves, as you here bearing
the banners in this procession have met
them. (Applause.)
Much of great good can come by such
associations, something can be done
through wise legislation, but do not for
get, gentlemen, In the last resort you
cannot find substitute for mans own
energy, resourcefulness, skill, courage
and honesty. Work through association
in combination with your fellows, but do