The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-24
Roosevelt Introduces the
Author Wagner.
GETS QUAKERESQUE
And He Who Wrote the Strenuous
Life" Commends the Work of the
Writer OF The Simple Life"
Before the Y. M.
(By the Associated Press.)

Washington, Nov. 22.-President
Roosevelt introduced the Rev. Charles
Wagner, the author, to a large au-
dience at the Lafayette Opera House
this afternoon where under the aus
pieces of the Young Mems Christian
Association he delivered lecture on
1.-The Simple Life given under the
patronage of a number of we'll known
official and society people. The au-
dience which gathered to hear the au-
thor was thoroughly representative
one of the national capital. The Presl-
dent, who is a great admirer of MI.
Wagner, was given a cordial welcome.
In presenting the lecturer the Presi-
dent commended Mr.. Wagner's book
1.-THE Simple Life as containing much
that Americans should take to heart
Mr.. Roosevelt said:
''Mr. Wagner has we'll brought out
the great fundamental truth that the
brutal arrogance of rich man VINO
looks down upon a poor man because
he is poor, and the brutal envy and
hatred felt by poor man towards
rich man merely because he is rich,
are at bottom twin manifestations OF
the same vice. They are simply diff
ferent sides of the same shield. The
arrogance that looks down in the one
case, the envy that hates in the other
are really exhibitions of the same
mean, base and unlovely spirit which
happens in one case to be in different
surroundings from what it is in the
other case. The kind of man who
would be arrogant in one case is pre-?
cisely the kind of man who would be
envious and filled with hatred in the
other. The ideal should be the just,
the generous, the predetermined man
who is as incapable of arrogance if
rich as he is of malignant envy and
hatred if poor" (Applause.)
The President spoke few words
commencing the work of the Y. M. G.
A. as trying to bring about what is
expressed in the phrase, 1.-THE Father
hood of God and the Brotherhood of
Man. He then proceeded to illus
trate by examples what he means by
a man acting individually and by a
man acting in concert with his fell
lows. The President referred to the
work of the Civic Club in New York
under the leadership of Norton God
dard, saying that "the entire club
membership of three or four thousand
men practically form a committee of
betterment in social and civic life,
each member keeping a sharp look
out over the fortunes of all his i'm
mediate neighborS, of all of those of
his neighborhood who do not come
within the ken of some other men,
Der of the club. Therefore, any case
of great restitution, of great suffering,
in the district, almost inevitably comes
TO the attention of some member of
the club, who then reports it at head
quarters, so that steps can be taken
TO alleviate the misery; and l have
reason TO believe that there has been
in consequence d very sensible general
uplifting, a general increase of happi-
ness, throughout the district If we
had sufficient number of clubs of
this kind throughout our great cities
while we would not by airy means
have solved all of the terrible prob
lens that press upon us for solution
in connection with municipal misgov-
eminent and with the overcrowding
misery. vice, disease and poverty of
great cities, yet we would have taan
a long stride forward in the right di-
rection toward their solution. So
much for the example that l use to
illustrate what | mean by work in
combination.
Roosevelt Tells Story.
"As an example of what can be
done, and should be done, by the indi-
vidual citizen | shall mention some
thing that recently occurred in this
city of Washington.
1T appears that last spring Mr..
Downey started to build a new livery
stable: his stable is next door to 4
colored Baptist church. Mr.. Downey
is white man and a Catholic. and
these neighbCrs of his colored men and
their kinshiD of that broad humanity
that should underlie all our feelings
toward one another (Applause)
Mr.. Downey started to build his
stable, and naturally wanted to have
it as big stable as possible, and built
1t right UP to the limits of his land.
That brought the wall close up against
the back of the colored Baptist church.
cutting out the light and air. The
preacher called upon him and told him
that they would like to purchase a
strip six feet broad of the ground of
Mr.. Downey, upon which he was in
tending to build, as it would be great
Inconvenience to them to lose the light
and air. That they were aware that
1t was asking a good deal of him to
cramp the building out of which he
intended to make his livelihood but
that they hoped he would do it. be-
cause of their need. After "A good
deal of thought Mr.. Downey came to
the conclusion lndl ne ought 10 grant
the request and so he notified them
that he would change the first plans
make a somewhat smaller building
and sell them the six feet of land IN
the strip adjoining their church. After
little while the preacher came
around with the trustees of his
church and said that they very much
appreciated Mr.. Downey's courtesy,
and were sorry they had bothered him
as they had, because on looking into
the affairs of the church they found
that as they were already in debt they
did not feel warranted in mourning any
further financial obligations. and so
they had to withdraw their request.
They thanked him for his kindly pur-
pose and said good bye. But Mr..