The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-08-20
PRESIDENT ON HIS POLICY
Says He Will Root Out Preda.
tory Wealth and Protect
Honesty.
AT PILGRIM MONUMENT

ProvincetoD. Mass, Aug. 2O.--
President Roosevelt laid the corner
stone of the Pilgrim memorial monu-
ment here today in the presence of a
large gathering of people, among
whom were the descendants of the
Iaristocracy of New England. In his
speech President Roosevelt took up
the problems of government today
and said that we should approach
them with the same answering de-
votion to duty that moved the puri-
tan. He said:
1T Is not too much to say that the
event COMMUNICATED by the monu-
ment which we have come here to
dedicate was one of those rare events
which can in good faith be called of
world Importance. The coming
lhither of the Puritan three centuries
ago shaped the destinies OF this con-
tinent, and therefore profoundly af-
Elected the destiny of the whole world.
Men of other races, the French man
and the Spaniard, the Dutchman. the
German. the Scotchman, and the
Swede, made settlements within what
is now the United States, during the
colonial period of our history and be-
fore the Declaration of Independence;
and since then there has been an
Ieler-swelling immigration from Ire
land and from the mainland of
Europe; but ii was the Englishman
who settled in Virginia and the Eng
llishman who settled In Massachusetts,
who did most in shaping the lines of
our national development.
I'VE can not as a nation be too pro-
foundry grateful for the fact that the
Puritan has stamped his influence SO
deeply on our national life.
I'VE have Travelled far since his
day. That liberty OF conscience
which he demanded for himself, we
now realize must be as freely ae-
corded to others as it is resolutely in
sisted upon for ourselves The SPLEEN
did qualities which he left to his chill
tdren,rwe ether Americans who ara
not of Puritan blood also claim as
our heritage. You. sons of the Puri-
tans, and we, who are descended
from races whom the Purtans would
have deemed alien-we are all Ameri-
cans together. We all feel the same
ipride in the genesis. in the history, of
our people; and therefore this shrine
of Puritanism Is one at which We all
gather to pay homage. no matter
from what country our ancestors
sprang.
| Our Danger.
I'VE have gained some things that
the Puritan had Motive of this gen.
eration, we of the twentieth century,
here in this great republic; but we
are also in danger of losing certain
things which the Puritan had and
which we can by no manner of means
AFFORD to loose. We have gained
10y of living which he had not, and
which 1t is a good thing for every
people to have and to develop. Let
JUS see to IL that we do not lose what
is more important still; that We do
not lose the Puritan's iron sense OF
duty, his unbending. unfilnching will
Ito do the right as il was given him
Ito see the right. IL is good thing
THAT life should gain in sweetness, but
Ionly provided that II does not lost In
strength. Ease and rest and pleasure
Iare good things, but only if they
come as the reward of work well
done. of a good fight well won, Of
lstrong effort resolutely made and
drowned by high achievement. The
life OF mere pleasure, of mere effort
! less ease, is as ignoble for nation
J las for an Individual. The man is but
la poor father who teaches his sons
THAT ease and pleasure should be
their chief objects in life; the woman
: who Is a mere petted toy, incapable
lof serious purpose, shrinking from
effort and duty. is more pitiable than
1.-THE veriest overworked drudge. SO
Inc is but a poor leader OF the people,
but poor national adviser, who
: seeks to make the nation in any way
, subordinate effort to ease. who would
) teach the people not to prize as the
/ greatest blessing the chance TO do any
; work, no matter how hard. II 1t be-
Icomes their duty 10 do H.
"Our ideals should be high, and yet
, they should be apable OF achieve
lment in practical fashion; and we are
: as little to be excused II we permit
: our ideals TO be tainted with what 10
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