Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-06-11

everything else first, that he would
never gamble with his reputation, that
he would keep his record clean. His
first ambition was to stand for some
thing, to be a man. Before he was a
politician or anything else the man
must come first.
In his early career he had many
opportunities to make great deal OF
money by allying himself with crooked,
sneaking, INSCRIPTIONS politicians. He
had all sorts Of opportunities for politi-
cal graft. But crookedness never had
any attraction for him. He refused to
be party to any political jobbery, any
underhand business. He preferred to
lose any position he was seeking, to
let somebody else have it, If he must
get smirched in getting it. He would
not touch dollar, place, or preferment
unless it came to him clean, with no
trace of jobbery on it. Politicians who
had an FAX to grind knew 1T was no
use to try to bride him or to influence
him with promises of patronage, mon
ey, position or power. Mr.. Roosevelt
knew perfectly we'll that he would
make many mistakes and many enemies,
but he resolved to carry himself In such
a way that even his enemies should at
least respect him for his honesty of
purpose, and for his straightforward,
'square-deal" methods. He resolved
to keep his record clean, his name
white, at all hazards. Everything else
seemed unimportant in comparison.
"It is this unfinching adhesion to his
stern resolve always to keep himself
above suspicion, his robust honesty of
purpose, that has endeared him to the
American people and given him place
beside Lincoln in their esteem.
Gin times like these the world espec-
tally needs such men as Mr.. Roosevelt
men who hew close to the chalk-llne
of right and hold the line plumb to
truth; men who do not pander to pub
lie favor; men who make duty AND
truth their goal and go straight to
their mark, turning neither to the
right nor to the left, though para
disc tempt them.
every man ought to feel that there
is something in him that bribery can
not touch, that influence cannot buy,
something that is not for sale, some
thing he would not sacrifice or tamper
with for any price, something he would
give his life for if necessary.
eff man stands for something
worth while, compels recognition for
himself alone, on account of his real
worth, he is not dependent upon recon-
mendations, upon fine clothes or a fine
house or pull. He is his own best
recommendation.
''The young man who starts out
with the resolution to make his char
acter his capital, and to pledge his
whole manhood for every obligation he
enters into, will not be failure, though
he wins neither fame nor fortune. No
man ever really does great thing who
loses his character in the process.
"No substitute has ever yet been dis
covered for honesty. Multitudes of
people have gone to the wall trying to
find one. Our prisons are full of peo-
pie who have attempted to substitute
something else for it. "
We actually know of some men
who are afraid to go to church with
their wives for fear they would be
classed as "gOOdy-gOOdies," and
some are throwing their lives away
just to be called good fellows" by
someone whom they fear rather than