Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-30

Little Veola Stuart, the charming
daughter of Mr. and Mrs William C.l
Stuart, who reside at 716 East Second
street, was the fortunate recipient of
the great man S smiles and expressions
of gratitude.
Senator Waterman Introduces Him.
President Roosevelt talked with Sec
rotary Shaw and Major Lacey for
short time, and when quiet had been
restored Senator H. l.. Waterman,
chairman OF the reception committee !
arose and addressed the audience brief
ly in an introductory speech. He said: |
Ladies and gentlemen-The citi-
zens of Ottumwa and vicinity, without
regard to creed or political utilization,
by their presence here tonight clear
ly show beyond the mere respect for
the high Office, their sincere regard for
the chief executive of the nation. They
admire him for his sterling character,
his great ability, his honesty, and con
sistency, as shown in the performance
of every duty. 1t is my privilege to
introduce to you the President of the
United States, Theodore Roosevelt"
the President arose and stepped to
the front of the platform, but when
he raised his hand for silence the in
slant quieting of the vast assemblage
testified to his hold upon the people
and their regard for him.
President Roosevelt's Speech.
Before he began to talk he paused
and looked out upon the sea of up
turned faces and again his counte-
nance expanded into that ''glad-to-see-
you" smile which has endeared him
to the hearts of so many people dur
| ing his public life and which signifies
at once his sincere joy and his open
character. He spoke for only short
time and was often interrupted by the
applauding thousands. Always he
maintained his good nature and show
| ed beyond doubt that he was enjoy
! ing the occasion as much as the most
| interested auditor. His address was
as follows:
Mr. Senator and you, my fellow
citizens: 1t is indeed a privilege to
have the chance of addressing you
this evening and have enjoyed great
ly my trip through Iowa today. AS |
began to speak at o'clock this morn
ing and as / have met about every
man, woman and child within a rea-
| sonable radius Of the railway | will
not detain you long.
Eulooizes Old Soldiers.
/ 81 wish to say, in greeting to YOU
all and in expressing my acknowledge
ment of the magnificent reception you
! have rendered me here, that / know
YOU will not object to my saying a
! special word of greeting to the men
OF the Grand Army OF the Republic,
/ because the rest of us owe the fact
4 that there is a President OF this coun-
1 try, to what they did. And they teach
US a lesson, not merely of war but also
of peace, for, mighty as was the tri-
umph they won in the years that
4 closed at Appomattox, mighty also
4 was the deed when the army disband.
ed and the brave boys in blue went
back to their counting rooms, their
shops, their farms, and each took up
the work he had abandoned when
President Lincoln called for arms
: (Applause.)
Tribute to Ottunwa.
, ~ am speaking in one of the chic
, manufacturing cities of Iowa and t.
!, that rich agricultural country whic!
takes in practically the entire prosper
Gus and happy state. congratulate
you upon your prosperity and upo'
your WeII-beins." tApplaGse.o
something can be done-I think
may say, has been done-by law, tt
create and preserve that condition o
), well being, and more can be done b.
honest and faithful administration o
. the Jaw But most OF all such well-be
ing depends upon the character OF thu
average man. tApplause.)
sit was just SO in the war. 4ol
needed uniforms, needed good guns
; needed training, but you didn't wait
If there was any man who hadn't tn
: stuff in him, you couldn't get it out Q
: him. and we won because the averag
man in blue had the sturdy constitu
: Etion,, the courage, iron will, and daunt
: less resolution These characteristic
. moved them to enlist, and they say
Z them through the war
"And here we are in this great stat
! which was built up, not merely by tn
) soil or the climate, but because of tn
I right kind of men and women, VIII
' were not afraid of work and were nc
Il seeking to lead life of ease and er
: joyment, but rather to play their part
y we'll in the world.
: 81 have drawn more than one lesso
> from your careers and now allow me t
! draw another. You, when you left
;, ; life of ease, left your home and dea
y ones, and went down to spend the bes
:, years of your youth marching undo
u the hot sun of southern summer :
: you for whom at noon the blanket wa
$ too neavy, and if recruit you droI
, lped it, but at midnight you found thu
two blankets We're not near enough
. (Here the speaker was interrupted b
v the hearty laughter of his intereste
: warrior auditors and he dropped I'll
: thread of his speech to point to an oil
l. man upon whose lapel rested the co
y per button of the g. A. R., and to ado
p. You rem ember. I've been there myse
= Ours was only a little war 1t was NJ
y big job, but we did IT'D
70 And as you look back over yol
Is past lives, of what years are you prou
the years of ease and pleasant pro
perity? No. The years of effort al
s. toll, and when you risked your live