Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-08
REVIEWS CAREER OF
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
MAY RANK WITH WASHINGTON
AND LINCOLN
Rev. William Horace Day Regards
Reverence for Law as Secret of
His Remarkable Hold
on the Public

At the First Congregational church
last night Rev. William Horace Day
spoke from the text, Samuel, 1912
BE of good courage and let us play
the man for our people," He said,
in part:
"a remarkable character has just
stepped from the White House to
private life. Never has chief magls-
trate displayed such remarkable ca
pacity for the strenuous life. After the
| Irritation of the last few months mas
passed. we shall see in him one of the
greatest of our leaders, worthy TO
stand with Washington and Lincoln.
This unique president will serve as
mirror of the national mind.
| Roosevelt caught the popular fancy
because the people believe in the
supremacy of law. Just before he be-
came president he said, The first es-
sential of civilization is law. He ac-
cepted the place at the head OF the
police commission of New York be-
cause he saw that the storm center
| for the settlement of law enforcement
| in hisNstate was in the corrupted police
department Tammany had secured
| laws which were drastic enough, and
used them as a weapon for DlackmalI-
ing any who would not pa for i'm
munity from law. AS one writer said,
Roosevelt has taken the astonishing
ground that he will observe his oatn
of office and respect the law
"In repeated speeches and in Is acts
he urged the biggest corporation like
the humblest citizen must be held TO
strict compliance with the VIII of the
people, expressed in the fundamental
law of the land and when a union OF
printers in government employ at
Washington tried to compel the dis
charge of a man who was not men,
! Der he reinstated him and said no
rules of the union can be permitted to
override the laws of the United
States.
II am not here concerned for your
personal opinion of Theodore Roose-
welt 1 am presenting the fact that
| the people responded to his appeal to
faith in triumphant righteousness, He
became a national figure at a time
when a great political leader-upright
himself-said the publication of poll
tics is an irdescent dream. The Deca-
logue and the Golden Rule have no
place in political campaign. This man
came into power saying: BY George,
that is right, it must be done and
wrongs under which Indians had suf-
fered for generations ceased.
soldiers fought-'as if tomorrow was
resurrection day. The whole cam
paign of 1904 was full of sermons on
national righteousness.
"'Speak softly and carry a big stick
and you will come far He never
learned the art of speaking softly. He
did carry a big stick, and the country
generally believed that the big stick
most often fell on the head of the
% ch forget
the winter of 1902, with the appalling
suffering which sprang from the coal
strike. So careful a man as Albert
Shaw published in the Review of Re-
views that the men were fighting to
bring about a decent and orderly con-
dition In the coal fields and the heads
of the coal roads had forgotten all
about the public and their wish to have
| 1t out. Morgan had come home from
Europe and had thrown himself into
the attempt to settle the strife and
bring industrial peace, but there was
no peace. The president called a con-
| ference and the restrained attitude of
some of the labor men was in marked
contrast to that of some of the rail-
road and mine leaders. The conference
broke up, leaving nothing but in
dignation at the overbearing attitude
of the money end of the table, but
men life Mr.. Morgan and Cassatt of
the Pennsylvania saw the folly of II
| all. The day came when Mr.. Morgan
went to Washington and asked the
| president to call another conference.
and one of the most famous settle
ments in industrial conflict was ar
ranged.
whether it has been the Panama
canal or the vast reclamation projects.
the name of the strenuous president
will go down to history as one who
incarnated the newly dawning nation
al consciousness. He is popular in the
west because he was the first presi-
dent really to see the west. All over
this land are governors, mayors,
states attorneys and officials of all
grades who are following what they
believe is his example in serving the
people with honesty, common sense
and an eye single to public duty.
81 believe the secret of his own
courage has been in the fear of the
Lord, which is the beginning OF
wisdom.
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