The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-07-20

TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT. PRESIDENT

GRAND MARA1S, MINNESO'
TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT. PRESIDENT.
just a word with you, Mr., President.
On the 4tk of March, 1909, you will be
out of a job. Much as we wish you
would hold on, you have said you will
not, and we will take your word for
it. Now, what are you going to do?
You have no cabbages to 60 back to;
you are not sufficiently lady-llke to be
a college president; as partner in
law firm or the head Of financial lnsti.
tuition you would be out of place and
simply capitalizing your name. There
are only few bears left, and the cowboy
is "reminiscences, and you are too use
full man to fool away time in trip
around the world that will keep. But
you must do something, and We, the
people, who gave you the opportunity to
serve us, have q right, now that you
have served us SO we'll, to suggest, with
courteous insistence, that you continue
to be useful to us, the people.
Now, there is just one job ready to
your hand, largely of your making, that
you are peculiarly fitted to fill. That
job is as boss and head pusher on the
Panama canal. The title that the job
carries with 1t is of no consequence. The
canal has to be dug, and We, the people,
have right to ask that somebody be at
the head Of 1T in whose horse sense and
integrity We have absolute confidence.
Under that specification you are 1t.
The preliminary engineering has been
done; it's now question of moving dirt;
OF overcoming obstacles, and of making
everybody on the job pull together. You
can do that. and We know it. There is
another thing that you can do. You
can, by your mere presence, stihe the
b wis of the malcontents and chronic
kickers.
If you say the workers are we'll housed
and fed, We will believe that they are,
statements to the contrary notwith-
standing Of disgruntled incompetents
who get fred and want to get even. II
you say the isthmus is not cesspool OF
vice and immortality, We will believe it,
despite the statements of some notori-
ETY. seeking sensatlonalists. If you say
the cirt is moving, We will belle We you
rather than some newspaper penny-a.
liner paid to pervert the facts.
Furthermore, We know, al well as VIC
know that tie canal will be built, that
before it is finished there will be all
sorts of charges of graft, extravagance
favoritism and incompetency. Mole
hills will be made into mountains, ane
the mares nests will be as plenty az
mosquitoes used to be. If you a1vthere
IN the capacity Of boss with capita
3D." We will say right merri]y to al
such rcmantlcists: go to; 'tisn't so
Rcoeeve]t's On the job AID forthwith
will more money be given to keep th
dirt moving.
Now, Mr.. President, you see what
reputation you have made for yourself
And you are the only man in the Unitet
States that has it. No doubt there ar,
many men just as good as you who de
serve such q reputation. but they hav,
not made it and we do not know them
You have made it and We know you
We want to see You live up to it. w,
have right to expect it of you.
We know that you are not seekin,
]aurels-a]ready your brow looks like
conservatory-bu what you need il
work, just to keep your hand in. Pan
anna will give you plenty and just the
kind you are fitted for. And when thu
job is done and you've time to wipe tn,
sweat of, get into your clean olothel
and look at yourself in the glass, 70,
will have few more wrinkles, but yo,
will have won the right to smile will
complacency and satisfaction over bi,
things we'll done. We will then con
sent that you take rest.-Duluth New
Tribune.
Tkfe az