The Colorado statesman., 1906-07-07
OYSTER BAY TALK
PRESIDENT ROOSEV ELT'S AD-
DRESS TO HIS NEIGHBoRS.
TAKES TEXT FROM LINCOLN
Large Audience Listens in Drench-
ing Rainstorm.-Gives an Account
of His Stewardship.-Woul
Curb the Trusts.

Oyster Bay President Roosevelt
was pleased to justify his steward
ship in a review of the year for the
benefit 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
ors 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, 81 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
% be covered with a rubber cape, but
just as he had thrown 1t off it 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 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 mall
Ice. He spoke for nearly an hour. He
was cheered on by the waving of wet
flags 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 | have lived for so many years.
IL is a real and great pleasure to have
the chance of being with you to-day
10 say few words of greeting to you
and In sense to give an account of
my stewardship.
Il shall take as my text the words
or 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 mem
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
we 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 If 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 | think it
must follow consistently for a number
of years to come-that is, in the direc.
ton of seeking on behalf of the people
as 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
great corporation, curb it. I will do
INV best to help you do it. But will
do it 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"