The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-03-04
(Scripps News Association.)

w olN, IL " AshoA vi
Theodore Roosevelt was today
transformed from President by
chance into President by choice;
from President through an assass-
ms bullet into President through
! the ballots of the people.
7 Under the shadow of the gray
domed Capitol gazing into the
placid marble features of Green
ough's statue of the first Presi-
dent, the twenty-siXth President OF
the United States swore faithfully
to execute the laws and to preserve
protect, and defend the Constitu-
ton.
Once before he mad taken this
solemn obligation; then, at the
death-bed of his martyred prede-
cessor, surrounded by a small COM
pany of tear-dimmed friends and
counsellors; today, in the presence
of a cheering host of fifty thousand
people. Then he had ridden many
lonely miles over storm-swept
mountain roadside reach the tragic
scene of his elevation; today he
was escorted along the nations
grandest avenue from the White
House to the home of Congress be-
tween two densely packed lines OF
his countrymen gathered from ev-
cry quarter to cheer him and wish
him Godspeed in the coming four
years. Then he had said, with
choking voice, 1T shall be my aim
to continue absolutely unbroken
the policies of President Mckinley
for the peace, prosperity, and
honor of our beloved country"
Today he left it for his fellow-cit-
liens, who had honored him with a
greater majority than ever before
given, to judge whether or not he
had redeemed that pledge.
When he entered the White
House the youngest President in
his country's history, besides the
vast responsibilities of his office,
he received as a heritage Mckin-
ley's dearest ambition to become
more and more with the years the
President of all the people. Today
there were represented in the
throngs that had journeyed hither
to greet President Roosevelt men
from the North, South, East, and
West, and from distant islands OF
the seas; from the Philippines,
from Porto Rico, from Hawaii
from every land where floats the
emblem of the Republic. In the
great parade there rode Governors
of States, both North and South.
Filipinos who had fought under the
flag of Aguinaldo today carried the
arms of Uncle Sam and stepped
proudly beneath the Stars and
Stripes. Blanketed Indians from
the virile plains We'd with silk
hated gentry from the effete East
in sounding the praises of this
cowboy-author soldier statesman,
The Presidents old rancher friends,
with lariat and chaparejos and
wiry bronchOs, made strange con-
trast to the backed, pouter-
chested young men from the naval
military schools. Rough Riders
from San Juan Hill, volunteers
from Santiago. jackies from Manila
bay shared the plaudits of the
multitude with modest, everyday
soldiers, for whom the title Regu-
lar is distinction quite enough.
Political clubs from the East and
West, militiamen from North and
South, blue-clad veterans Of the
sixties, heroes of the Spanish
American war, miners from Penn
sylvauia, the entire legislature of
the State of Tennessee, the Presi-
dents neighbors from Oyster Bay
all contributed to the national
character of the splendid pageant.
Who shall say that for today at
least Theodore Roosevelt was not
President of all the people?
The Colonel of the Rough Riders
has written of his crowded hour in
Cuba. Today he showed his for