The Mena weekly star., 1907-10-03
DOWN IHE MISSISSIPPI.
President Roosevelt Begins His Much Talked a Voyage on the
 "Father of Waters"
ADDRESSED 10000 PEOPLE AT KEOKui
Governors of Many States and tho h land Waterways Commission Greeted the President on His Arrival in tho Iowa city--Nesroes Present Colt Headed Cane.

HCauC0 SdVc.
 Keokuk, Iowa, Oct 2.-President Roosevelt began his river trip from Keokuk Tuesday morning. He arrived here at 9:10 and was met at the sta tion by the governors of Iowa, Florida Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, botf Dakotas. Oregon, Wyoming and Hi nois. and by three companies of state troops. The morning was fair. but sprinkle of rain began shortly after the presidential party started in car riages to Rand Park. where the speeches were delivered.
 Following are a few extracts from the presidents address which took q minutes to deliver:
 "A year or two ago certain repre- sentatives of labor called upon me and in the course of a very pleasant con versation told me that they regarded me as the friend of labor I ans wered that certainly was, and thai would do everything in my power foi the laboring man except anything that was wrong. I have the same answer to make to the business man. vii do everything I can do to help busi nes conditions, except anything thai is wrong. And 1t would be not merelI wrong but infamous to fail to do al that can be done to secure the punish ment of those wrongdoers whose deedt are peculiarly reprehensible because they are not committed under stress of want
 'If man does well, If he acts hon estly. he has nothing to fear from this administration. But so far as in me lies the corrupt politician. great oi small. the private citizen who trans gresses the law--be he rich or poor shall be brought before the impartia' justice of court. Perhaps I am most anxious to get at the politician who h corrupt, because he bstrays a great trust; but assuredly I shall not spare his brother corruptionist who shows himself a swindler in business life: and. according to our power, crimes of fraud and cunning shall be prose cuted as relentlessly as crimes of bru tality and physical violence.
 "The man who shirks his or heI duty occupies contemptible position You here are the sons and daughters of ease. I preach to you the life oi effort, the life that finds its highest satisfaction in doing we'll some wort that is we'll worth doing.
 "As this country grows I feel that we can not have too many highroads and that in addition to the iron high roads of our railway system we should also utilize the great river highway which have been given us by nature From a. variety of causes these high ways have in many parts of the coun try been almost abandoned. This is not healthy. Our people. and especial ly the representatives of the people ir the national congress. should give their most careful attention to this subject We should be prepared tc put the nation collectively back of the movement to improve them for the nations use"
 Following the address. which was heard by 10000 people, the president was driven to the lower lock of the government canal and boarded the steamer Mississippi for the trip south He reviewed the display of 100 pleas ure launches in the river and depart ed leading the fiotila of 20 big steam boats and launches. The governors left at noon on a special train for St Louis.
 The special excursion trains brought in great crowds just before the presf dent arrived and the city was full os strangers. Keokuk was decorated iE the most lavish manner of any occa sion in it's history and entertained the greatest crowd ever seen here. The Inland Waterways commission arrived Monday night on the steamer Maken' zie, joining the president here. Presi dent Roosevelt was presented with gold headed cane by Keokuk negroes
 The president boarded the boat at II O'Clock and left shortly before noon amidst the greatest assemblage oi boats ever seen on the Upper Missis' sippi.