The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-10-26
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
Meets With Cordial Reception
at Raleigh.

Greeted by Great Throngs of Enthu-
siastic People Everywhere-Bring
Message to Friends In the Sou,l1-
Full Text of His Speech ut the State
Fair Thursday.
Following is the address of Presi-
dent Roosevelt delivered at the State
Fair in Raleigh last Thursday. Be-
ing introduced by Lieut.. Governor
Francis D. Winston, he said:
In some respects the address de-
livered at the fair grounds by Presi-
dent Roosevelt today was more i'm
portant than his speech at Richmond
yesterday, for he went after meat, not
after generalities He did not neg
lect to remind the thousands who
heard him, and the tens of thousands
who will read what he said, that this
is a Commonwealth that is rich in
achievement, rich in history and pa
triOtism and good deeds. He spoke
OF the wonderful forests and the need
of preserving them, and he urged that
they be saved from destruction.
Having eliminated that subject at
Richmond, President Roosevelt dwelt
at length on the question of govern
ment control of railroads, not owner
ship, but supervision to guarantee
equal rights to all of the shippers.
The President received n royal
greeting when he arose to speak. He
said:
| am glad here at the capital Of
North Carolina to have a chance to
greet SO many of the sons and daugh-
ters of your great State. North Car
Olna's part in our history has ever
been high and honorable. 1t was in
North Carolina that the Mecklenburg
Declaration ofIndepe Idence foreshad-
owed the course taken in a few short
months by the representatives of the
Thirteen Colonies assembled in Phila
delphia. North Carolina can right
fully say that she pointed us the way
which led to the formation of the new
nation. In the Revolution she did
memorable deeds: and the battle of
Kings Mountain marked the turn
ing point of the Revolutionary war
in the South. But l congratulate
you not upon your past but upon
your past, but upon your present. l
congratulate you upon the great in
dustrial activity shown in your Com
mOnwealth, an industrial activity
which, to mention but one thing, has
placed this State second only to one
other in the number of it's textile
factories. You are showing in prac-
tical fashion your realization of the
truth that there must be founda-
ton of material well-being in order
that any cummunity may make real
and rapid progress. And am happy
to say that you are in addition show
ing in practical fashion your under
standing of the great truth that this
material well-being, though necessary
as IL foundation, can only be the
foundation, and that upon it must
be raised the superstructure of a
higher life, if the Commonwealth is
to stand as it should. More and
more you are giving care and atten-
ton to education; and education
means the promotion not only of in
dustry, but of that good citizenship
which rests upon individal rights and
upon the recognition by each indi-
vidual that he has duties as we'll as
rights-in other words, of that good
citizenship which rests upon moral
integrity and intellectual freedom.
The man must be decent in his home
life, his private life, of course; but this
is not by itself enough. The man
who fails to be honest and brave both
in his political franchise and in his
private business contributes to polit-
ical and social anarchy. Self-govern-
ment is not an easy thing. Only
those communities are fit for it in
which the average individual prac-
tices the virtue of self-cOmmand, OF
self-restraint, of wise disinterested-
ness com bined with wise self-interest;
where the individual possesses COM
mon sense, honesty and courage.
And now | want to say word to
YOU on a special subject in which all
the country is concerned, but in which
North Carolina has special concern.
The preservation of the forests is
vital to the welfare of every country.
China and the Mediterranean coun-
tries offer examples Of the terrible ef-
feet of deforestation upon the physi-
cal geography, and, therefore, ulti-
mately upon the national well-being,
Of the nations. One of the most OBJ
vious duties which our generation
that are to come after us is to pre-
serve the existing forests. The prime
difference between civilized and un-
civilized peoples is that in civilized
peoples each generation works not
only for its own well-being, but for
the well-being of the generations yet
unborn, and if we permit the natural
resources of this land to be destroyed
so that we hand over to our children
a heritage diminished in value we
thereby prove our ungtness to stand
in the forefront of civilized peoples.
One of the greatest OF these herita-
oes is our forest wealth. 1t is the
upper attitudes ofthe forested noun
tains that are most valuable to the
notion as whole, especially because
of their effects upon the water supply.
Neither state nor nation can afford
to turn these mountains over to the
uurestrained greed of those who
would exploit them at the expense OF
the future. We cannot afford to wait
longer before assuming control, in
the interest of the public, OF these
forests; for if we do wait, the vested
interests of private parties in them
may become so strongly intrenched
that it may be Il most serious as well
as a most expensive task to oust
them. If the Eastern States are wise,
then from the Bay of Fundy to the
gulf we will see, within the next few
Io,,, a ,o1;ov cot on foot similar tC