The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-05-16
TNIAs sATURp aos=zz
Roosevelt a dresses
General CO terence

s---I.5 8 '-----'f'.--'
We shall win and not lose. that the
century that has Just opened will see
great triumph for our people. y.
s5 But the surest way to achieve this
triumph Is. while never losing hope
and belief In our progress. vet at the
same time to refuse to blind ourselves
10 what Is evil In the complex pla !
OF the many forces. working through,
and with. and against one another.
in the upbutldlng OF our. social struc.
ture. There Is much that tends to.
ward evil as we'll as much that tends
toward good: and the true patriot Is
that man who. without losing faith in
the good. does his best to combat the
evil. to stamp 1t out where, thatiis pos.
sible, and at least to minimize Its re-
suits. Prosperity such as ours, neces-
sary though it be as the material basis
OF national greatness, lnerita bly, tends
to undue exaltstlon of the merely ma.
terial side OF the national character;
and We must largely rely on the ef-
forts OF such men and women as those
lam addressing to build up, the spirit.
ual life without which the material
life amounts to nothing. AS genera
ton succeeds generation the problems
change in their, external shape; old
needs vanish. and new needs arise:
but 1t remains as true as ever that
in the last analysis national greatnes7.
national happiness. national success.
depend upon the character OF the indi.
lyidual man and individual woman.
We need good laws: We need to have
these laws seaestly and fearlessly
administered; we need wealth; We
need science and art and all the kin.
tdred activities that spring from the
clever brain and the dett hand. But
most OF all we need the essential quail.
tiles that IN their sum make up the
good man md the good woman: most
OF all we need that fine; and healthy
family life the lack OF which makes
any seeming material prosperity but n
slittering sham. So. &. .5 3,,5
n II the average man is brave and
hard-working aud sclean.living.# IL the
average woman has the qualities
which a>mnkesas good swife ~a11d good
mother. II each has self.respect. and
II each realizes that the greatest thing
Ii life Is the chance to do service
why. then the iuturei OF the Nation Is
secure. We can not stand up for
what is good In manhood and woman
hood without cordenrning what Is evil.
We must condemn the man who is
either brutal and vicious. or weak and
cowardly: the man who fails to do his
duty by the public. who is bad nelEn.
bors an idlcr. nn inconslderate and
selfish husband. neglectful father.
So also we must condemn the woman
who. whether from cowardIce OF cold
ness. from selfish love OF ense or from,
lack OF all true womanly quality. re-
fuses to do Alright her, great and all
essential duties OF wlfehood and moth
erhopd. We admire good man; but
we admire good woman more. W.,
believe In her more. All honor Is due
The man who does his full duty in
peace. who us soldier does his full
duty In war: but even more honor Ia
due the mother; for the birth pang7
mako all men the debtors OF all wo
men. No human being has greater
title TO respect than the mother wllo
does her full duty. who bears and rears
plenty Of healthy children. so that
there shall be national growth and not
national decndence, SO that In quality
and#t in quantity our people shall In
creasea The measure of our belief
in and9respect for the gool man AMI
the good woman must be the meas
ure of our condemnation OF the man
and the woman who. whether from VI
c!onsness or selfishness or from vnpi,l
folly. fails to do each his or her duty
in his or her special sphere. Courage
unselflshncss. common sense. devotion
to high ideals, proper care for tho
things Of the spirit. and yet also for
the things OF the boly-these are what
we most need to see In our people;
these are the qualities that make ur
the right type OF family life; and ttiesa
are the qualities that by precept and
by example you here. whom am nd
dressing. are bound to do all in your
power to make the typical qualities oil
4 rartrnn nrItjzaprhfp .,l -}3.rz ls.5t