Mexico Missouri message., 1910-09-01
INTERESTS" FLAYED
BY COL. ROOSEVELT
Vigorous Address on Personal and
National Liberty Delivered by the
Former President at the Dedication
of John BrouOn Park at OSawd-
tonne, Kan.

uOTe Roosevelt was the Cnlel inquire
today in the second and last day Of
the dedication ceremonies of John
Brown park, which is a part Of the
site on which was fought the battle
Of Osawatomie on Aug. 80, 1856. He
took the opportunity to deliver a stir
ring address on the necessity Of des-
troylng the control of the special in
terests, and was cheered to the echo
by great crowd Of hearers.
Preliminary exercises were held
yesterday and the program WAS re-
sumed at 1880 this morning with a
concert by the Thirteenth Regiment
band, followed by drill by troops Of
the Kansas National guard and the
regular army Meanwhile Col Roose-
velt.s train had arrived and all the
thousands Of people assembled here
went to the station to greet him.
After diHner all gathered in the new
park, where there was a parade by
the soldiery, the Grand Army
Womans Relief corps and civic so
cieues and another band concert.
Then, after q vocal solo by Miss Eliz-
abeth Uhls and an invocation. the
president Of the board of trustees,
Cora VI. Deputy, formally presented
the park TO the state on behalf OF the
Woman's Relief corps OF Kansas,
which bought the ground. Governor
Stubs responded gracefully for the
state, and then the chairman. J. b.
Remington introduced the distin-
guished orator Of the day former
President Roosevelt.
Grafton by Colonel Roosevelt.
Col. Roosevelt stood silent and smil-
ing until the storm Of applause had
died down, and then spoke as follows
There have been two great crises in
our country's history; frst when It was
formed and then again when II was per
pstuated. The formative period included
not merely the Revolutionary war. but
the creation and adoption Of the Constl-
under IL. Then came sixty years during
which we spread across the continent
years Of vital growth, but Of growth with
out rather than growth within. Then
came tho time Of stress and strain which
eliminated in the Civil war, the period
OF terrible struggle upon the issue OF
which depended the justification OF all
that we had done earlier. and which
marked the second great period of growth
and development within. The name OF
John Brown will be forever associated
with this second period of the Nations
history and Kansas was the theater
upon which the first act of the second OF
our great National life dramas was play
ed. II was the result Of the struggle in
Kansas which determined that our coun-
NFys gh he 10 A..
name devoted to both union and freedom
that the great experiment OF democratic
government on a National scale should
succeed and not fail II was a heroic
struggle; and, as is inevitable with all
such struggles, Il had also a dark and
terrible side. Very much was done OF
good. and much also OF evil; and as was
inevitable in such a period OF revolution.
often the same man did both good and
evil. For our great good fortune as a
nation, we, the people of the United
states as whole, can now AFFORD to for
get the evil, or at least to remember II
without bitterness, and to fix our eyes
with pride IN the good that was accom-
pushed. Even in ordinary times there
are very few OF us who do not see the
problems Of life as through a glass
darkly; and when the glass is clouded by
the murk Of furious popular passion. the
vision Of the hest and the bravest is
dimmed. Looking back. we are all Of us
now able to do justice to the yalor and
tho disinterestedness and the love OF the
right as TO each II was given to see the
right, shown both by the men Of the north
and the men Of tho south in that contest
which was finally decided by the attitude
of the west We can admire the heroic
Valor, the sincerity, the self-devotion
shown alike by the men who wore the
Dlue and the men who wore the gray:
and our sadness that such men should
have had to fight one another is temp
cred by the glad knowledge that ever
hereafter their descendants shall be found
hghting side by side, struggling in peace
as well as in war for the uplift Of their
common country, all alike resolute 10
raise to the highest pitch Of honor and
usefulness the Nation to which they all
belong As for the veterans Of the Grand
Army OF the Republic they deserve honor
ana recognition such as is paid to no
other citizens OF the Republic; for TO
them the Republic owes its ali for to
them II owes its very existence.
Application Of tho Lesson.
do not speak Of this struggle NJ tbo
past merely from the historic standpoint
Our interest Is primarily in the applica-
ton today Of the lessons taught bV the
contest OF half a century ago It is OF
little use for us TO pay lip loyalty to the
Hlbhly men OF the past unless we sim
cerely endeavor TO apply to the problems
OF the present precisely the Qualities
which In other crises enabled the men Of
that day to meet those crises. 1t Is half
melancholy and half amusing TO see the
way in which wsll-msaninE people gather
TO do honor 10 the men who, in COMPANY
with John Brown, and under the lead OF
| Abraham Lincoln, faced and solved the
great problems Of the nineteenth CEN
fury, while at the same time these same
| good people nervously shrink from or
| tranucally denounce those who are try-
| ing to meet the problems Of the twentieth
| In the spirit which was accountable for
the successful solution Of the problems of
| Lincoln's time.
| OF that generation OF men, to whom we
owe so much, the man to whom we owe
! the most is, of course, Lincoln Part OF
| our debt to him is because he forecast
our present struggle Snd saw the way out.
| He said:
Il hold that while man exists It is
his duty TO improve not only his own
! condition but to assist in amellorating
mankind" And again, Labor is nrioT
TO and Independent OF capital; capital IS
! only the fruit Of