The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-08-17

PRESIDENT SPOKE TO MINERS


Wilkesbarre. Pa. speciai.-From
every section of the anthracite region
miners and temeprance workers came
here. thousands arriving on the early
trains, and before daylight crowds Of
people with lunch boxes and umbrei-
las had camped oat In advantageous
spots 10 await the arrival Of President
Roosevelt.
The Catholic Total Abstinence Union
delegates transacted bat little business
this morning. and al noon the ten
thousand uniformed cadets and soldiers
OF the two regiments OF the order pa
raded. This parade ended in time for
the regiments TO line the streets and
keep back the great crowds. Before
the Presidents train came To full
stop a great shout went from the cnor-
nous crowd assembled at the station,
which increased into roar as the
President stepped briskiy from the
train. The President was met by the
local reception committee, which In
cluded Father Curran and John Mitch
ell. The streets along the route from
the station to the SusQuehanna river.
where the speakers stand was erected
were lined with a solid mass of people
Many of them had been standing at
IdNolI loI Houi H' lfSi-
dents reception as he was rapidly driy-
en- over the route was tremendous
one. The President appeared to be cx-
tremely pleased al the demonstration
and kept bowling to the right and left
The crowd at the speakers stand was
so noisy that it took several minutes to
quiet the enthusiasm and permit the
exercise to begin. Those who spoke
were President Roosevelt. Cardinal
Gibbons. President Mitchell, Mayor
kirkdall and Father Curran.
John Mitchell. in introducing the
President, made a long defence of trade
uniOnism. The President then spoke as
follows:
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
am particularly glad to speak to
this audience of miners and their wives
and children and especially TO speak
under the auspices of this great tenn
perance society. In our country the
happiness Of al 1.-The rest Of our people
depends most of all upon the welfare
fthe wage worker and the welfare of
the farmer. If we can secure the well
fare of these two classes We can be
reasonably certain that the community
as whole will prosper. And we must
securing the welfare alike of wage
worker and of farmer, as of everybody
else, must be the man himself.
The only effective way to helm any
body is to help him help himself. There
are exceptional times when any one of
us needs outside help, and then it
should be given freely; but normally
each one of us must depend upon his
own exertiOns for his own success.
Something can be done by wise legisla
ton and by wise and honest admins
tration of the laws: that is, something
can be done by our action taken in our
collective capacity through the. State
and nation.
INDIVIDUAL MAN PARAMOUNT.
Something more can be done by com
bination and organization among our
selves in our private capacities as Citi
zens, so long, as this combination or
organization is managed with wisdom
and integrity, with instance upon the
rights Of those benefited and yet with
just regard for the rights of others.
But in the last analysis the factor
most influential in determining any
mans success must ever be the sum
of that mans own qualities, of his
knowledge, foresight. thrift and cour-
age. Whatever 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 to him. but to the whole com
munity.
No one society can do more to help
the Wage-wOrker than such temper
ance society as that which | am now
addressing. 1t is of incalculable CON
sequence to the man himself that he
sh ould be sober and temperate and it
is of even more consequence to his wife
and his children; for it is a hard and
cruel fact that in this life Of ours the
sins of the man are often visited most
heavily upon these whose welfare
should be his one special care
THE DRUNKARD'S FAMILY.
For the drunkard. for the man who
loses his job because he cannot control
or will not control his desire for liquor
and for vicious pleasure. we have a
feeling Of anger and contempt mixed
with our pity; but for his unfortunate
wife and little ones we feel only pity.
and that of the deepest and tenderst
kind
Everything possible should be done
to encourage the growth of that spirit
Of self-respect, self-restraint. self-re-
lance. which, if it only grows enough.
is certain to make all those in whom it
shows itself move steadily upward to-
ward the highest standard Of American
citizenship. 1t is a proud and respon-
s;ble privilege to be citizens of this
great self-governing nation: and each
of us needs to keep steadily before his
eyes the fact that he is wholly unfit tn
take part in the work of governing
others unless he can first govern him
self He must stand up manfully for
his own rights: he must respect the
rights of others: he must obey the law.
and be must Try to live up 10 those
rules Of righteousness which are above
and behind all laws.
This applies just as much to the man
of great wealth as to the man of small
means; to the capitalist as to the wage
worker. And as one practical point
let me urge that in tn eevent OF any
difficulty, especially il it is what Is
known as a labor trouble. both sides
should show themselves willing to
meet, willing to consult. and anxious
each to treat the other reasonably and
fairly, each to look at the others side
Of the case and to do the other justice.
If only this course could be generally
followed, the chance of industrial dis
aster would be minimized.