The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-20
President Roosevelt Leaves
Memphis for Washington.
Train Will Be Run Through on
Fast Schedule.
AT TWO RECEPTIONS.
He Addressed Assemblage of
White Persons
And Another of Negroes, Besides
Attending Banquet.

Memphis, Tenn. Nov. 2O-At midnight
President Roosevelt and party left for
Washington over the Southern railroad.
No stops will he made en- route. The
train viii reach Washington at o'clock
Friday morning.
Wednesday afternoon the president
attended and spoke at two receptions
given in honor of General Wright. one
at the auditorium by the white citizens
and the other at hall in the black sec
ton of the city by the colored people.
Later there was a colonial danes tea
at the Gayoso and the festivities closed
with an elaborate banquet at the Pea
body, at which the president delivered
set speech. Including some brief re-
marks at the breakfast. the president
spoke four times during the day. Alto
gether it was q splendid tribute to the
affection and esteem in which General
Wright is held at home. Thai Mrs.
Wright is also exceedingly popular was
made apparent by the applause which
greeted every reference to her. This was
especially marked at the auditorium
when the president referred to the fact
that his mothers brother served in the
confederate army under her father, who
was Admiral Semmes.
Mayor Williams and Governor McMll-
lin both made addresses of welcome
here and the auditorium was very en-
thusiastic when General Wright deliv-
cred his response. President Roosevelt
had not intended to Speak at this re-
ception, but the assemblage would not
be denied. He said:
Il am glad indeed to have the honor of
coming today to your beautiful city in
YOUR beautiful state to greet on behalf
of the whole country, a Tennesseean
who has rendered high and honorable
service to the whole country A Ten
nesseean of whom it can be said as it
has been said of the Greek hero:
Much has he seen and known: cities
of men.
''Himself not least. but honored of
land drunk delight of battle with his
peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy
Troy
I'VE are one people absolutely The
memories of the civil war are now herit-
ages of bonor alike for those whose
fathers wore the blue and for those
whose fathers wore the gray. There is
one curious and not inappropriate coin
cidence today-my mothers brother
served under Mrs. Wright's father in
the confederate navy.
I come here today to greet General
Wright because it has been given to hin.
to render peculiar service to the whole
countIH.
"A man can render service of the very
n1RleSt character at nome, TUT owing 10
the very nature of our system OF gov
ernment he must in his election at least
represent particularly a given party.
say in his election. at least, for after
election, if he is worth anything, he
must be a representative of the whole
country. But there are certain branches
of the public service, in which, If we are
wise and far-seeing. we will never allow
partisan politics to enter. applause
There must be no partisan politics III
the army or the navy of the United
States. All that concerns us to know
about any general or admiral about e
mighty captain by sea or by land Is
whether he IS thoroughly fit conf
mander of men and loyal to the country
as a whole. In the same way, if we al
wise, If we care for our reputation
abroad if are sensitive Of our honor
at home. we viii allow no question of
partisan politics ever to enter into the
administration of the great commands
which came under our flag as a result
of the war with Spain. Hence say that
General Wright. like Governor Taft ana
his associates. has rendered a peculiar
service to every man jealous of the
honor of the American name in what
he has done in administering the Philip
pine islands. For fourteen months 1t
has been part of my business to see how
the work there was done. 1 am not
speaking exaggeratingly, 1 am speaking
literally telling the bare, naked truth
when 1 say that never during that time
mas question of party politics entered
into even the smallest actiorD of those
in control of the Philippine islands.
Now, my fellow Americans, we can
not afford to have the honor of the ma
tion in any way smirched in connection
with our dependencies. We can not
afford to have it smirched anywhere If
we wrong ourselves here at home we
are to blame and we pay the penalty,
but If we all allow wrong in connection
with the islands. not only the islands
suffer. but an indelible stigma of shame
comes to the American name 1 am
earnestly CeSirOltS that the adr0ipiStra-
ton of the Philippines shall be put and
Kept upon such a plane of patriotic
efficiency that no change will be made
In 1t owing to any change Of party here
at home. Party feeling should of course
stop at the water line The inestimable
service rendered by Governor Wright in
She Philippine islands has been because
he has so conducted the government Of
those islands as to make it not only of
signal benefit to the islands, but of sig
nal honor to every citizen of our cOun-
try; that he has so handled himself and
has 50 handled the administration of
affairs cs to make us feel a iustifiable
confidence that thereafter the storms of
pErty DOitlcs IN the United States shall
never touch the government of the Phil
1pDine Islands, and that whatever
changes of administration there are
here in the union there shall not be a
ripple of change in the course of con-
duct IN the Philippines marked. out by
Governor Wright and his associates
Tbs man of whom that can truthfullv
be said is man entitled to honor from
his fellow eountrynen; and of Governor
Wright it can be truthfull. said''
The reception rendered by the colored
people was remarkable. General Wright
earned their undying gratitude during
the two yellow fever epidemics twenty
years ago by remaining here when most
, of the whites had fed and seeing that
the sick were cared for. The hall was
packed. galleries and pit. to the point of
suffocatiOn. and the whole spirit of the
proceedings breathed love and admira-
ton for their friend General Wright
in addressing the cclored audience,
talked chiefly of their future, telling
them o! the difficult prohlems before