Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-09-28
NOT AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY.

President Roosevelt is not an un-
known quantity to the American
people. He is personally we'll known
to q vast number of voters in every
part of the country. In New York he
is familiar to the sight of great ma
jority of the people Of that great city.
Throughout his own state the same is
true. In Boston he is as much at
home as in New York. for Harvard is
his alma mater. Throughout New
England he is recognized as the repre-
sentative and exponent of the ideals
which have ruled the cradle of Ameri-
can liberty from the landing of the
pilgrim fathers.
And this native of the Empire state.
this graduate from the famous New
England university, is even more
fervently admired and beloved in the
west-the far west-and the middle
west, than he is in the east. And this
intensity of feeling for Roosevelt in
the west unswayed By sectional bias.
as it is. is but the national feeling of
a young, virile people; people who
recognize a man when thsy see him
Dnring tie Mckinley campaign of
1900 Roose velt, as candidate for vice
president, visited almost every western
state and territory. He spoke to i'm
r-Ic frion6s hv
thousands by his straightfor ward, self
controlled, dignified utterances, and
his manly, generous personality.
Toward the end of the campaign the
national committee was overwhelmed
by requests for speeches by Roosevelt
in all parts of the country. 1t was a
physical impossibility for him to ac-
cept one fourth of the engagements to
speak that were urged upon him.
In Chicago, where, on his return
from the west. he addressed great
crowd at the Coliseum, he was re-
ceived with the utmost exhibition Of
enthusiasm. His speech was calm,
forceful, logical and convincing, a
contrast to the frantic efforts Of ordi-
nary speakers.
Contrary to the expectations of
people who had derived their ideas
from the comic supplements. and other
pictorial atrocities of the yellow
press, Mr.. Roosevelt's utterances
were characterized by steadfast ad.
herence to the main questions at issue
in the campaign, and whatever he
said bore the stamp OF original
thought, broad experience and study,
and the most conscientious sense OF
responsibility. There was no rant
ing, no personal abuse, no wild state
ments or strange imaginines in any
of Mr.. Roosevelt's speeches. and there
was no posing. He stood before his
great audiences digniied, collected
and amply able to take care of himself
An American gentleman. In lang
uage. in bearing, in all that he said
and did. there was what made friends
for him of all who came within the
sound of his voice.
President Roosevelt has visited the
Pacific coast since his assumption of
the presidency, and there. as we'll rs
throughout his journey from and back
to the capital, the people rose to greet
him with unmatched enthusiasm. He
met and talked with hundreds Of his
fellow citizens. in every occupation,
in every stage and state of society
from the cowboy TO college president.
He saw and spoke to and was cheered
by thousands upon thousands of men,
women and children. President Roose-
velt is no stranger to the people OF
the United States. He knows them.
They know him. And they under
stand each other.