The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-14
President Roosevelt Addresses
the National Congress.
introduced an Innovation by
Reading His Speech.
IMPORTANCE OF HOME.
Says Nation Would Be in
Bad Way Without 1t.
Points Out Cardinal Duties of
Husband and Wife.

Washington, March 14.-An address
by President Roosevelt was the feature
of the evening session of the National
Congress of Mothers now holding its
trienniaI convention at the METROPOLITAN
M. E. church. There was an immense
crowd at the church composed largely
of women. and when Mr.. Roosevelt ac-
companied by Secretary Loeb arrived
he was given a cordial reception.
He read his speech, but now and then
interjected some extemporaneous re-
marks when he wished to emphasize a
point. The president spoke as follows.
In our modern industrial civilization
there are many and grave dangers to
counterbalance the splendors and the
trlumphs. 1t is not good thing to see
cities grow at disproportionafe sneed
relatively to the country; for the small
land owners, the men who own their
little homes, and therefore to a very
large extent the men who till farms, the
men of the soil, have hitherto made
the foundation of lasting national life
in every state; and, if the foundation
becomes either too weak or too narrow,
the superstructure, no matter how at
tractive, is in imminent danger of fall
ing.
But far more important than the
question of the occupation of our citi-
zens is the question of how their family
life is conducted. No matter what that
occupation may be, as long as there is
a real home and as long as those who
make up that home do their duty to
one another, to their neighbors and to
the state, it is of minor consequence
whether the mans trade is piled in the
country or the city, whether it calls
for the work of the hands or for the
work of the head.
But the nation is in bad way If
there is no real home, if the family is
not of the right kind; if the man is not
a good husband and father. if he is
brutal or cowardly or selfish, if the
woman has lost her sense of duty, if
she is sunk in Vapid seIf-indulgence or
has let her nature be twisted so that
she prefers a sterile seudo-intellectu-
atty to that great and beautiful devel-
Opment of character which comes only
to those whose lives know the fullness
of duty done, of effort made and self
sacrifice undergone
In the last analysis the welfare of the
state depends absolutely upon whether
or not the average family, the average
man and woman and their children
represent the kind of citizenship fit for
the foundation of a great nation; and
II we fail to appreciate this we fail to
appreciate the root morality upon
which all healthy civilization is based
No piled-up wealth, no splendor of
material growth, no brilhance of artis-
tic development, will permanently avail
any people unless its home life is
healthy, unless the average man posses
SeS honesty, courage, common sense and
decency, unless he works hard and is
wiling at need to fight hard. and unless
good mother, able and willing to per-
form the first and greatest duty of wo-
manhood, able and willing to bear and
to bring up as they should be brought
up, healthy children. sound in body,
mind and character, and numerous
enough so that the race shall increase
and not decrease.
There are certain old truths which
mil Io f7sfTo 1O47c- &c r 4
dures, and which no amount of progress
can alter. One of these is the truth
that the primary duty of the husband
is to be the home maker, the bread
winner for his wife and children, and
that the primary duty of the woman is
to be the helpmeet, the housewife, and
mother. The woman should have am
pie educational advantages; but save in
exceptional cases the man must be, and
she need not be, and generally ought
not to be, trained for q lifelong career
as the family breadwinner; and, there
fore, after certain point the training of
the two must normally be different be-
cause the duties of the two are nor
mally different. This does not mean in
equality of function, but it does mean |
that normally there must be dissimilar-
ity of function. One the whole, think
the duty of the woman the more i'm
portant, the more difficult, and the
more honorable of the two; on the whole
1 respect the woman who does her duty
even more than 1 respect the man who
does his.
No ordinary work done by man is
either as hard or as responsible as the
work of a woman who is bringing up |
family of small children; for upon her
time and strength demands are made !
not only every hour of the day but
often every hour of the night She may
have to get up night after night to take |
care of a sick child, and yet must by
day continue to do all her household du- |
are scant she must usually enjoy even
her rare holidays taking her whole
brood of children with her. The birth !
pangs make all men the debtors of all
women. Above all our sympathy and
regard are due to the struggling wives |
among those whom Abraham Lincoln |
called the plain people, and whom he |
so loved and trusted; for the lives OF
these women are often led on the lonely |
heights of quiet, self-sa crificing heroism- !
Just as the happiest and most honor |
a BILE and most useful task that can be |
set any man is to earn enough for the |
support of his wife and family, for the |
up and starting in life of his !
so the most important, the |
most honorable and desirable task |
which can be set any woman is to be |
a good and wise mother in home |
marked by Self-reSpect and mutual for |
bearance, by Willingness to perform !
duty, and by refusal TO sink into self |
or avoid that which entails |
effort and seIf-sacrifce. OF course there |
are exceptional men and exceptional
women who can do and ought to do |
much more than this, who can lead and |
ought to lead great careers of outside |
usefulness in addition to-not as sub |
for-their home work; but / |
am not speaking of exceptions; 1 am |
speaking of the primary duties, 7 am
speaking of the average citizens, the |
average men and women who make up |
the nation.
Inasmuch as I am speaking to an as
of mothers I shall have Moth |
ing whatever to say in praise of an
easy life Yours is the work which is |
never ended. No mother has an easy |
time, and most mothers have very hard |
times; and yet what true mother would |
,o,-+,-. L ~ ~----.o,sar,oo of iOU and SorroTy