Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-04
q THE OTTUMWA COURIER

velt's visit to the southland has done
err confederate states, it would be
strange indeed if the hospitable south
e1ners did not take him into their
hearts as they did into their homes.
Everyone who sees him and hears
him is impressed with his strong per-
sonality, his courage to speak his con-
yictions, and his desire to see every
one enjoy the advantages of the
square deal" Without these cfarac-
teristics he would have found it hard
to visit Booker Washington's school,
and pay the attention he did to the
negroes in the south without being
harshly criticised. But he did these
things and no southern voice was rails
ed against him. He is respected for
his fairness. AS indicative of the es-
TEEN in which the southern people hold
him and of the good effect his visit
had upon them as a class, the follow
ing editorial from the Birmingham,
(Ala.) News is interesting:
"* His visit to the south has
been more remarkable than that of
ANY other President since the civil
war. He had a keen desire to meet
the southern people. to understand
them better and to have them know
him better and appreciate his motives
and ambitions better. He felt that he
was misunderstood by good many
people in the south, and he wanted
them to see him, to hear him speak,
and to realize that he was doing his
best to be president of the whole
country and to serve all the people.
Through the Presidents pleasing
personality, through his courage and
candor, through his words of gratitude
to the southern people for their hos
pitable reception of the President of
the United State, through his vigor-
GUS and well-timed speeches in which
he stood as an advocate of character
and courage, honesty of purpose and
national unity, regard for law and
condemnation and punishment of
wrong doing. education at home and
in the scholastic President made
friends everywhere. He made no enc
mics. His addresses were all in good
taste and breathed the spirit of the
American patriot.
There can be no doubt that the
visit of President Roosevelt will do
good. 1t has helped to stamp out the
traces of sectionalism which still ex-
list in small degree and has done much
to stimulate national pride and ma
tional unity. The President is broad
Ier than his party. He has no axe to
grind and one note upon which he
dwelled throughout his southern tour
was that which he SO frequently
sounded, that he is an American and
that when he became President his
duty as well as his desire was to serve
the American people regardless of po-
litical creed.
President Roosevelt has become a
broader man and a more sincere pa
triot during the last few years. He
sees things in a clearer light and he
appreciates the admiration of the
southern as well as the northern peo-
pie, the western as we'll as the east
ern, for a man who has the courage
of his convictions and who is not
blinded or dominated by partisanry.
In New Orleans, a city for which he
had done much, he received most
remarkable ovation. In Richmond, the
capital of the confederacy he was hon
ored with a great outpouring of the
people. In Atlanta, Mobile and Mont
somery he made friends on all sides
and in Birmingham, he was almost
swept off his feet with the surging
multitude that cheered him to the
echo"