The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-07-14
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT pEALs
WITH soclALlsTlc IDEA or
EQUALITY OF MAN.
NODROANS NEEDED
Al Dedication Of Old Soldiers, Monu-
msnt President Of United states
Delivers Wis saws and Modern
Instances A. Regards Reward and
o%pportunltes.

opportunities M
Oyster Bay, July Ito the mem
DRY Of Captain John Underhill. who
became prominent in the government
Of the colonies and a. a soldier acni.
eyed q high reputation in the Pequet
Indian war, q beautiful monument
was dedicated today before several
Of his descendants at Mat
niecock. = ].
President Roosevelt was at the I'M
yelling Of the monument and made Q
speech Of short duration.
President Roosevelt left his home
at Sycamore Hill in an automobile
and made a quick trip to the grounds
arriving there at 4 p. u. His remarks
were short and In q half hour he wal
on his way back.
Alexander Lambert Of New York,
accompanied him. President Roose-
welt said In part:
Presidents Speech.
''The founder Of the family here
was q good soldier and q good citizen
and the Underhills here furnished
their full quota Of good soldiers and
good citizens IN their time. II they
had not l would not have been here;
I have no use whatever for the men
with nothing but a pedigree, the man
the best part Of whom is underground.
I believe in the pride of ancestry, but
II only 1t takes the part Of making
the man or woman to carry himself
or herself well as regards the duties
Of today. It, at the time OF the civil
war. you, Mr.. Chairman, had felt that
the fact that the original Captain
Underhill was a fighter excused you
from fighting l should lave thought
mighty little Of you. The thing to
do is to feel land I guess you, com
rade over there-I mean the man with
the grand army button-you will
agree with mel that II you had an.
cestors who did their duty, It Is doub-
ly incumbent upon you to do yours.
"Now II there is one lesson that we,
here In America, have continually to
keep before u It Is our substantial
oneness; our substantial unity a q
people; and one Of the best ways to
exemplify that Is by such a family
gathering as this.
Equality.
IT believe emphatically In doing
everything that can be done BY Law
or otherwise to keep the avenues OF
occupation. Of employment. Of work
Of interest, so open that there shall
be SO far as 1t is humanity possible To
achieve 1t, q measurable equality Of
opportunity; equality Of opportunity
for each man to show the STUFF that
Is in him. But when It comes to re
ward, let him get by his energy. fore
sight, intelligence, thrift. courage
what he Is able to get II the oppor
tunity opens. I don't believe In cod
ding any one; I would no more per
NIT the strong to Cypress the weak
then tell a weak man or q vicious mar
that he ought by right to have the
reward due only the man who actu'
ally earns It. Very properly we in this
country set our faces against privi
lege. j
Socialist Idea. s5
There can be no grosser example
Of privilege than that set before us az
an idea by certain socialistic writers
the idea that every mar shall put
into the common fund what he can
(Which would mean what he choses)
and should take out whatever he
wanted; in other words, the theory il
that the man who is vicious, foolish,
a drag on the whole community. who
contributes less than his share to the
common good, should take out what Il
not his, what he has not earned: that
he shall rob his neighbor Of what
that neighbor has earned.
This particular socialistic idea would
be to enthrone privilege in one Of ita
grossest, crudest, most dishonest, TAI
the most harmful, and most unjust
forms. Equality Of opportunity e
render service-yes. I will do every
thing I can to bring It about. Equality
Of reward-no. unless there Il alse
equality Of service It the service Il
equal let the reward be equality o.
service. II the service Is equal let the
reward be equality Of service. Il thu
service L. equal let the reward b
equal; but let the reward depend OF
the service, and mankind being com
posed az 1t 10. there will be n equal
" Of service for . hong time to come
no matter how great the equality o
opportunity may be. and Just so lonl
a. there il inequality Of service. It Il
sminently Desirable that there shoult
be inequality Of reward.
individual !Gftort.