The Elbert County tribune., 1906-07-12
OYSTER BAY TALK]
PRESIDENT RoosEvElr,s Ap-
DRESS TO HIS NEioHsoRs.
TAKES TEXT FROM LINCOLN
Large Audience Listens In a preneh-
ing Rainstorm.--cives an Account
OF His stewardship.-Would
Curb the Trusta-

'"b "~"sesoTms-1tveo an Account
OF His stewardship-Would
Curb the Trusts.
Oyster Bay President Roosevelt
was pleased to Justify his steward
ship in review of the year for the
beneht OF his neighbors July 4th. He
spoke In the open air and nearly all
OF his important utterances were de-
livered during a heavy downpour of
rain. When he had finished both him
self and his thousand or more audit
OTIS were drenched.
No one deserted. The rain came sud
denly and there was no shelter in
sight and when the President paused
while umbrellas were raised he re-
marked good-naturedly, Il am sorry
for you ladies', but ashamed of you
men because you are afraid you will
melt"
There was no doubt that the Presi-
dent enjoyed the downpour. When the
first shower came he allowed himself
20 be covered with a rubber cape, but
just as he had thrown 1t off 1t poured
again and this time he took the wet
ting.
To emphasize that his acts as Presi-
dent had been free from malice he
begged pardon of the dominies and
TOOK a text" illustrating his point
from Lincoln.
The sentiment of this text ran
through his entire speech and when
he said he would Curb the trusts" he
emphasized that In doing this duty he
would act without fear, favor or NAL
ice. He spoke for nearly an hour. He
was cheered on by the waving of wet
hags and cries of approval.
Mrs. Roosevelt and the children
were present at the ceremonies. The
president spoke as follows:
Mr. Chairman and you, my old
friends and neighbors. you among
whom l was brought up and with
whom l have lived for SO many years.
1t Is real and great pleasure to have
the cSance of being with you to-day
to say few words of greeting to you
and In sense to give an account of
my stewardship.
snall take as my text the words
OF Abraham Lincoln, which he spoke
In remarkable little address deliv-
cred to band of people who were
serenading him at the White House
just after his reelection to the Presi-
dency. He said, q quote from men,
ory only, In any great national trial
hereafter the men of that day as com
pared with those of this will be as
weak and as strong, as silly and as
wise, as bad and as good
I'VE have not got the same prob
lens, not as great problems as those
with which the men of Lincoln's gen
GRAFTON were brought face to face, and
yet our problems are real and great
and upon the way in which we solve
them will depend whether or not our
children have cause to feel pride or
shame as American citizens
so IL we of this generation do our
duty when face to face with our spe-
cial industrial, social and political
problems, our children and children's
children shall be the better for it,
This year, in Congress, our chief
task has been to carry the government
forward along the course l think it
must follow consistently for numoer
of years to come-that is, in the direc-
tion of seeking On behalf of the people
as a whole. through the national gov
ernment, which represents the people
as a whole, to exercise a measure OF
supervision, control and restraint over
the individuals, and especially over the
corporations. of great wealth, in so far
as the business use of that wealth
brings it within the reach of the fed.
eral government.
when it becomes necessary to curb
a great corporation, curb it. I will do
my best to help you do it. But l will
DO 1t in no spirit of anger or hatred to
the men who own or control that cor
poration, and if any seek in their turn
to do wrong to the men of means, to
do wrong to the men who own those
corporations, l will turn and fight for
them in defense of their rights just as
hard as l fight against them when
think they are doing wrong"