Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-27
To Dedicate New Library
At JordansViIIe, n. 7.
Delivers a ForcetuI Address,
Concerning the Farmers.
Secretary Root and James 5. Sher.
man Also Speakers.

ooi aug. w III IL
ceremony in which the President OF
the United States took prominent
part. the Jordanville Public library
was today presented to the people of
this community the doner being Doug
las Robinson of New York; Mrs. Rob-
inson and Harriet d. Woleyche Whit
more, Mr.. Robinson's sister, who had
erected in memory of Robinsons faith
er and mother, Douglas and Fannie
Robinson
President Roosevelt personally in
terested in the dedication his sister,
Mrs. Douglas Robinson, being one of
the doners pleased his audience Of in
tereSted townsreople and jewellers in
the nearby country side by making an
address OF som length. This little viii
lage was thoroughly awake to the inn
portance of the occasion, giving an
added touch of distinction by the pres
ence of Secretary of State Elihu Root,
who came over from his home in Clin-
ton, and OF james S. Sherman, Repub-
lican Vice Presidential candidate, who
arrived from Utica for The ceremony.
Mrs Roosevelt and two of the chill
dren Of the family Miss Ethel and Ker-
nit, made the trip here from Oyster
Bay with the President.
President Roosevelt said iii part:
After going at some length into the
history of the family that was max
ing a gift of the library to the town.
the President said in part:
I'VE have a right to be proud of
the great progress our country is max
ing in the way of population, material
4 nl,n mt 70 hI,t &c
factory to think that the great cities
have gone ahead so much faster than
the country districts.
Il hope. in the course of a few de-
cades, to see the farmers bend their
energies toward making life in the
country more interesting and more
attractive and inducing our people to
understand how really attractive our
country life is at present | welcome
the development of every agency that
tends to increase the attractveness' of
country life and develop the social
side of it.
The President switched abruptly to
telling about the man who does not
shirk his work.
Il never preach the doctrine of
shirking." he said, "or l never put
play ahead of work. The happiest
persons are those who do we'll the
work before them" Speaking of
idlers. the President went on:
I do not envy the idler, neither the
idle son of a mutimilionare or the
hobo I have for both intense pity of the
kind that is not akin to love, but TO con-
tempt. The hardest worked individual on
the farm said Nh. Roosevelt, is apt to
be the mother or wife of the farmer. If
you don't applaud that, you ought to. 1
believe in the farmer economiZins, but on
himself, not his wife. | am dead right on
that. If YOU have got to drop someone.
drop ono hired man rather than the hired
girl want to see the buildings like this
one used for mothers meetings. l give
the women chance to meet each other
socially and it puts them in better trim
for work.
Now and then you will hear the wise
father or one who thinks he is wise,
dwell upon the fact that his boy is smart.
If he means to be able, quick and to be
trusted. then all right: but if by smart
ness is meant, as is too often the case. the
kind OF ability that is Just off the line
of honesty, then you should teach him
that he is growing up to be an enemy Of
the republic. Tiickery is tiickeiy if it
takes the form of doing a man out of his
days work or cheating in grocery store
or swindlirg on great scale by stock
gambling or the manipulation OF railway
securities.
''Rascalty among the small is to be
frowned upon in this republic. Distrust
equally the man who nourishes dishones
ty in the big man and the one who only
sees it in the big man
Secretary of State Root afterwards
made a brief speech and was followed
by James S. Sherman, who also spoke
briefly.
The President and his party after din
nor at Mr.. Robinson's drove to Richfield
Springs and boarded their special train.
which left at 10 p. NJ. over the Lacka-
wanna Railroad to Binghamton and Ho-
boken, where the Presidents yacht will
be boarded shortly before S o'clock to-
morrow morning for the trip to oyster
Bay.