The Colorado statesman., 1905-10-28
VISITS ARKANSAS
PRESIDENTS RECEPTION AND
SPEECH AT LITTLE ROCK.
HE WOULD STOP LYNCHING
Inspects Fort Root.-Blue and Cray
Unite as Guard of Honor-Twelve
White Doves Liberated Over His
Carriage.

White Doves Liberated Over His
Carriage.
Little Rock, Ark.-President Roose-
welt spent seven crowded hours in and
around Little Rock on Wednesday, and
his journey from Fort Logan H. Root,
on Big Rock, on the north side of the
Arkansas river, to the City park in
Little Rock, was marked by enthusi-
astic demonstrations of welcome on
the part of thousands of people.
At the City park the crowd that
gathered to participate in the formal
welcome was conservatively estimated
at 10000.
Gov. Jefferson Davis was the first to
greet the President when the latter left
the train at the foot of Big Rock. A
reception committee, which included
United States Senators Berry and
Clark, Mayor w. E. Lennon and twenty
other prominent citizens, united with
the governor in welcoming the chief
executive and his party.
An impressive incident followed the
Presidents exit from Fort Root. The
guard of honor, composed of twelve
Union army veterans headed by Col.
A. S. Fowler, and twelve former Con-
federates, headed by former Gov.
Daniel w. Jones, had met the presi-
Dental party and accompanied it to
the army post. They rode in pairs,
each former Confederate by the side of
a Federal army veteran.
AS the President was being escorted
to his carriage for the journey from
Fort Root to the city, he left those ac-
companying him and walked to where
the guard of honor stood. Each of the
soldiers was given a handclasp and
verbal greeting by the President, who
had remarked on approaching the
group, gentlemen, it does me good to
see the blue and the gray riding to-
gether." He called each veteran
"Comrade.'
AS the party entered the city park
under an arch bearing the inscription,
Little Rock Greets YOU" twelve white
doves were liberated in the apex Of the
arch, directly over the Presidents car
riage. This feature caused great
cheering and the President smiled his
approval.
The Presidents opening words, Eel
low Americans" produced a renewal OF
the demonstration of welcome occur
ring as he was presented. His utter
ances were followed closely by the
large audience and at intervals he had
to desist while his hearers gave vent
to their appreciation of his remarks.
When he declared that the menace
and reproach of lynch law should be
driven out of the United States there
was much earnest cheering. A large
portion of the Presidents audience was
composed of negroes, and the chief ex-
ecutive's words pertaining to 1ynching
were apparently deeply impressive
upon them.
The Presidents declaration that 'if
President is worth his salt he's the
President of the whole country"
brought forth great applause. The
Presidents speech, in part, follows:
"The worst enemy of the negro race
is the negro criminal, and above all
the criminal of the hideous type so
often hideously avenged. Every reput-
able colored man owes the duty to
himself and to his race to hunt down
that criminal. Now, as to the white
mans side:
"Now, to avenge one hideous crime
by another is to reduce the avenger to
the bestial level. Another thing which
makes this lynch law so abhorrent is
that three-fourths of the crimes for
which it is invoked are for others thar
that against the woman of the country.
Governor, you and /, and all others in
authority, owe it to our people to drive
out the reproach and the menace of
| lynch law in the United States"
r.