The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-11
The President breaches
Temperance and Thrift.
HE SPEAKS TO MIN NERS
And to Delegates of the Catholic Total
Abstinence Union. His Address
is Followed by Brief Talk
From Cardinal Gibbons.
Thousands Present.
(By the Associated Press }

Wnkesbarre, Pa, Aug. 10.-From
every section Of the anthracite region,
miners and temperance workers came
here today, thousands arriving on the
early trains. and before daylight
crowds of people with lunch boxes and
umbrellas mad camped out in advan-
tageous points TO await the arrival of
President Roosevelt.
The Catholic Total Abstinence I'm
ion delegates transacted but little bus
mess this morning and at noon the ten
thousand uniformed cadets and SOL
diers of the two regiments of the or
der paraded. This parade ended III
time for the regiments to line the
streets and keep back the great
crowds Before the Presidents train
came to a full stop, q great shout went
from the enormous crowd assembled
in the station which increased into q
roar as the President stepped briskly
from the train. The President was
met by the local reception committee
which included Father Curran and
John Mitchell.
The streets along the route from the
station to the Susquehannna river
where the speakers stand was erect
ed were lined with a solid mass of
people. Many of them had been stand
ing a favorite places for hours. The
Presidents reception as he was rapidly
driven over the route was tremen-
dous one.
The President appeared to be eX-
tremely pleased ct the demonstration
and Kept bowing 70 the right and left
The crowd al t11c speakers stand was
so noisy that ii took several minutes
to quiet the enthusiasm and permit
the exercises to begin. Those spoke
were President Roosevelt. Cardinal
Gibbons. President Mitchell, Mayor
kirkcdale ;Bd Father Curran.
John Mitchell in introducing thu
President made long defense OF trade
unioniSm.
Mr.. Roosevelt began his speech by
saying:
/ am particularly glad to speak 20
this atudience of MINERS and their
wives and children, and especially 10
speak under the auspecies of this great
temperance society. In our country
the happiness of all the rest Of our
people depends most of all upon the
welfare OF the wage-wOrker and the
welfare of the farmer If we can
secure the welfare of these two classes
we can be reasonably certain that the
community as a whole viii prosper.
And we must never forget that the
chief factor in securing the welfare
alike of Wage-Worker and of farmer,
as Of everybody else, must be the man
himself
The only effective way to help anv-
body is to help him help himsef. There
are exceptional times wnen any one
of us needs outside help, and then
it should be given freely: but normal
ly each one of US must depend upon
his own exertions for his own success
Something can be done by wise legis-
lation and by wise and honest admin
istration Of the laws; that is, some
thing can be done by our action TAX
in our collective capacity through the
State and the Nation.
Something more can be done by
combination and organization among
ourselves in our private capacities as
citizens, SO long as this combination
or organization is managed with WIS
dom and integrity, with insistence up
on the rights of those benefited and
yet with just regard for the rights |
of others.
But in the last analysis the factor |
most influential i'm determining any !
mans own qualities, if his knowledge, |
foresight, thrift, and courage. WHAT |
ever tends to increase his self-respect |
whatever tends to help him overcome |
the temptations with which all of us |
are surrounded is of benefit not only |
No one society can do more TO nelp |
the wage-worker than such a temper !
ance society as that which / am now |
1t is of incalculabie con- |
sequence to the man himself that he |
should be sober and temperate, and ii |
is of even more consequence to his /
wife and his children; for ii is u hard
and cruel fate that in this life of ours
the sins of the man are often visited
most heavily upon those whose vel |
fare should be his one special care.
For the drunkard, for the man who
loses his lob because he can not con- |
troll his desire for liquor and for vi
cious pleasure. we have a feeling of
anger and contempt mixed with our
pity; but for the unfortunate wife and
little ones we feel only pity, and that
Of the deepest and tenderest kind.
Everything possible should be done
to encourage the growth OF that splr-
it of self respect, self-restraint, self
reliance. which Il il only grows enough
is certain to make all those in whom
it shows itself move steadily upward
toward the highest standard of Am
erican citizenship. 1t is a proud and
responsible privilege to be citizens Of
this great governing Nation; and
each of US needs TO keep steadily ne
fore his ewes the fact that he is who'll
ly unfit 10 take part IN the work OF
governing others unless he can first
govern himself He must stand up
manfuIly for his own rights; he must
respect the rights of others; he must
obey the law, and he must try to