The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-21
President Roosevelt Discusses
Relations With Our Neighbors.
In His Address at Jacksonville,
Florida.
TALKS OF THE CANAL.
Saws 1t VIII Be Built Rapidly
and Economically.
Raps the Faultfnders and
Weaklings Generally.

dental party arrived at 1920 this morn
ing on its arrival thousands Of cheer
ing people had gathered at the depot,
q special reception committee of 100
citizens lined up. making the passage
way through the depot to the street,
where carriages were in waiting There
were no formal exercises at the dpot
and as soon as the president and his
party were seated in carriages General
Lowell. the grand marshal, ordered the
First Florida regiment which acted as
escort to march and an imposing parade
began. The vehicle which the president
occupied was the finest landau in the
city, drawn by magnificent pair of
white horses and in the presidents car
riage were the president Governor
Broward, Mayor Nolan and Secretary
Loeb.
After the parade had passed through
the principal streets in the city the
president was taken to the Seminole
club in the principal square IN the city,
where thousands of people greeted him
with rousing cheers as he made his ap-
pearance. Mayor Nolan welcomed the
president on behalf of the city and in
troduced Governor Broward who pre-
sented the president to the multitude.
President Roosevelt spoke as follows:
The Presidents Speech.
Here in Florida, the first of the gulf
states which I have visited upon this
trip, I wish to say d special word about
the Panama canal. believe that the
canal win be of great benefit to all
our people, but most Of all to the states
of the south Atlantic, the gulf and the
Pacific slope. When completed the canal
will stand as a monument to this ma
tioni for it will be the greatest en-
gineering feat ever yet accomplished in
the world. It viii be a good thing for
the world as a whole, and for the people
of the isthmus and of the northern p0r-
tiOns of South America in particular.
Because Of our especial interest in it,
and because of the position we occupy
on this hemisphere. it is a matter Of
special pride to US that our nation, the
American nation, should have under
taken the performance Of this world
duty. A body Of the most eminent en-
2ineers in the world both Americans
and foreigners, has been summoned to
advise as to the exact type Of canal
which should be built. At no distant
date I hope to be able to announce
what their advice iss and also the ac-
tiOn taken upon their advice. Mean
while the work is already well under
way and has advanced sufficiently far
TO enable me to announce with certain
ty that it can surely be accomplished,
and probably at rather less expense
than was anticipated. But upon the
last point, as we'll as upon the question
of time, no positive statement can be
made until the report of the commission
Of engineers as to the exact type Of
canal has been received The work is
as difficult as it is important: and it
is of course inevitable that from time
to time difficulties viii occur and checks
be encountered. Whenever such is the
case the men of little faith at home
will lose that little faith, and the critics
viii act after their kind. But our peo-
PIE as whole possess not only faith
but resolution. and are of too virile
+- ha
by mere sensat atfonalfsIn. No check that
may come viii be of more than trivial
and passing consequence, will infict
any permanent damage, or cause any
serious delay. The work can be done,
is being done, and win be done What
has already been accomplished is a
guaranty as to the future.
Trouble Makers.
when any such work is under
taken there are always many mere
adveuturers who flock to where it is
going on, and many man who think
they are adventurers, but who are in
reality either weak or timid, follow in
their steps. Some of the first class
will now and then cause trouble in one
way or another. But every care will
be taken to detect any nisdeed on
their part and to punish them as soon
as the misdeed is detected. As for
the second class they will cause trouble
chiefly by losing heart, returning
AiOluEr OF WIltll6 nome, ana raising q
cry that they are not happy and that
the conditions of life are not easv. or
that the work is not being done as
they think it ought to be done Now
these men stand just as the stragglers
and laggards stand who are ever to
be found in the rear of even a vic
tOrious army. The veterans of the
civil war who are here present viii
tell you that the very rear of an
army, even when it is victorious. is
apt to look and behave as if the vic
tory We're defeat. And lust the same
Thing is true in any great enterprise
IN civil life; there are always weak
lngs who get trampled down or lose
hearts and there are always people
who listen to their complaints Thes
amount to nothing one way or the
other so far as achieving results is
concerned; and their complaints and
OutcrleS need never detain us
call your attention specifically
to the matter of health on the 18TH
mus. The climate was supDOsed 10 te
deadly. and yellow fever. Is, espeeial
was supposed to be epidemic YET
since we nave assumed control there
mas peen tar less yellow fever than
in our own country. The adnninistra-
tion Is steadily becoming better aD6
more ehective. from the hvgienic as
well as from every other, standpoint
The work of building the canal is ?
great American work in which fhf
whole American people are interested
Tt has nothing to do with y,arties n,
partisanship, and is beng carria5 ~
with absolute disregard to all merelz
political considerations; with rega rf
only to efficiency. honesty, and econ.
omy.
Exhibits big Stick"
"The digging of the canal win al
course, greatly increase our interests r.
the Caribbean sea. It win be our d15tV
TO police the canal, both in the interesi