Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-06-10
ROOSEVELT
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After an Extensive Trip Throughout
the West the President is In
Washington Again.
ELOQUENT SPEECH AT FREEPc
Standing on an Historic Spot He Flo.
quentIy Pays Tribute to the
Memory Of Lincoln.

Bloomington, ILL.,, June 3.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt put in about the busi-
est day of his trip today from speech
standpoint, He made his
first speech at Freeport at o'clock
this morning, and when he concluded
his address here shortly after 10 to-
night he had spoken nine times. Eight
of his speeches were made 10 the open
air, and several of them In rain storms.
The hardest rain encountered today
was at Pontiac, where he dedicated a
soldiers and sailors monument. The
downpour was so heavy when his
train arrived that 1t seemed inadvis-
able for him to venture out.
81 will leave 1t to you, Mr.. Mayor"
he said to that official. ''If you say
go, we will CO."
The mayor decided that the presi-
dent should 90, and, wearing rain
coat, he braved the elements.
At Dwight the mayor. who il a
Democrat, In introducing the presi-
dent, said:
II consider you. Mr.. President. an
ideal American citizen. admire the
course you have pursued and will sup
port you for reelection"
The president, responding to the In
PRODUCTION, said:
81 am yleased with the kind words
that the mayor has said of me. Per-
haps / prize them especially, Mr..
Mayor, coming from one who is not Of
my party, but the whole thing is, my
friends, il we are good Americans
that is the platform for all Of us to
stand on. Iprize more than l can say
such words as have been uttered by
the mayor, and l assure you l shall
do my best to try to deserve them"
The president also assisted In the
opening of new hotel at Dwight. A
wire was run from the hotel TO the
rear platform of his car, and by press
ing a bulb he started the machinery in
the building,
Freeport, ILL.,, June 3.-President
Roosevelt and party reached here
from Dubuque at o'clock and imme-
diately afterwards were driven to the
site of the Lincoln-Douglas debate In
1858, where q monument commemor-
ating the event was unveiled in the
presence Of many thousands from
Freeport and vicinity. At the court
house the president was introduced
by Congressman Hit. The president
referred to the debate as an event of
Importance. He compli-
mented the Woman's Club Of Free
port, which erected the monument.
At $3.50 the party was driven to the
depot and left for Rockford.
Bearing on Nations Future.
President Roosevelt spoke as fol-
lows:
I'VE mean today to commemorate
the spot on which occurred one of
those memorable scenes in accordance
with which the future history of ma
tions is moulded. Here were spoken
words that flow through immediate
time and that will flow through that
portion of eternity recorded in the his.
tory Of our race. Here was sounded
the keynote of the struggle which
after convulsing the nation, made II
In fact what 1t had been only in name
at once united and free. II is emi-
nently fitting that this monument Civ.
en- by the women of this city In COM
memoration of the great debate that
there took place be recalled by the
man whose deeds made good the
words Of Abraham Lincoln and the
soldiers of the civil war. (Cheers and
applause).
Words and Deeds.
"The word was mighty. but had 1t
not been for the word the deeds could
not have taken place. But without
the deeds, the words would have been
the idlest breath. It is forever to the
honor of our nation that brought the
statesman that could pierce the clouds
that obscured the sight Of the keen.
est OF his fellows and could see what
the future inevitably held. And, more
over, that we had back OF the states.
man and behind him the men tC
whom 1t was given to fight the great
est war ever waged for the good ol
mankind and for the betterment oi
the world.
Memory Lives Forever.
II have but moment here.
could not resist the chance that was
offered me to stop and dedicate this
monument, for great though we ie
gard Abraham Lincoln, my country
men, the future will put him on ar
even higher pinnacle than we hav,
put him (applause). In all history
do not believe there is to be founC
an orator whose speeches will last a.
enduringly as certain of the speeches
Of Lincoln.
Next to Washington.
"And in all history. with th1 excep
on of the man who fouLdai ih,
Cpublic, | do not think thers will h.
another statesman so great and 81
single-hearted in his devotion tc th'
welfare Of the people. We cannot to-
highly honor him. The highest wa.
we can honor him is to see that ou
homage is not only words. that y
loyalty OF words we join loyalty Q
heart, and that we pay honor to tn
memory OF Abraham Lincoln by s
conducting ourselves. by SO carryin
ourselves as citizens OF this republi,
that we shall hand down undiminisf
ed to our children and to our chi
dren's children the heritage we r,
ceived from men who upheld tn