The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1910-09-01
ROOSEVELT AMONG
THE CAT TIE MEN
Attends the Great Frontier Days
Celebration at Cheyenne.
TALKS OF VIRTUES OF WEST

Pioneers and Their Successors Pos
SCISSORS Of MasterfuI Qualities
Which Lie at Foundation Of Ma.
tlon's Greatness.
Cheyenne, Wyo., Aug. 27. - When
Colonel Roosevelt stepped from the
train at Sioux Falls at 1925 this morn
ing he was greeted with the character
istic yell of the range given by a
thousand cowboys and cowgirls who
were on hand to act as an escort to
the distinguished visitor. The shout,
so familiar to him in days of old, made
him laugh aloud in glee, and he grasp
ed the hands Of every one who could
get near enough to him.
Mr.. Roosevelt's visit and the speech
he delivered later in the day formed
the elimination of the annual Frontier
Days celebration which had attracted
to the city thousands of persons from
all parts Of the west and large num-
ber of tourists from more distant Sec
tions of the country.
Colonel Roosevett's Speech.
Out in the open air, under the blue
sky. vast crowd assembled to hear
the former president speak, and 1t
heard one of the most important
speeches he has made since leaving
the White House. His address was as
follows:
When, ut the close of my hunting trip
To- a1,aA hor of fulfil
cation, the first invitation I accepted was
this. to visit the capital Of Wyoming on
the day when the people Of the frontier
came together to commemorate their
achievements; was glad it was 80, be-
cause I have peculiar feeling for the
men and women OF what used to be called
the "'Far West" and especially for those
OF the cattle country. For a number of
years lived on . ranch on the Little
Missouri. sharing work and play. good
fortune and bad fortune. with my neigh
bors; working on the roundup. serving
as delegate from the Little Missouri
roundup district to the Montana Stock
acting ~ deputy sheriff at my end Of the
county. count those years as among
tho most valuable 0f my life, because
nothing breeds sucts stmmunity Of leelinS
N to work with one 8 3silowmen at their
1ife tasks,a and to learn to know their
man of the west. throughout the succes-
sfve stages OF western growth. has al
ways been one Of the two or three most
typical figures-indeed. I am tempted to
say the most typical asure-in American
life, Gnd no man can really understand
our country and appreciate what It really
10 and Whist II promises unless he has
the fullest and closest sympathy with tho
ideals and aspirations Of the west. The
prime reason for this 10 to be found in
| the fact the westerner 10 30 good an
American. He 10 an American first and
! foremost: for this is the great lesson,
| friends. that all Of US need to learn and
whether q man lives north or south, east
or west, provided he is genuinely and In
| good faith an American. that he feels
| every part OF the United States as his
own. and that he is honestly desirous to
uphold the interests Of all other Ameri-
| cans in whatever sections OF the country
they may dwell.
OF the west they meant the country be-
tween the Alieghanies and the Mississippi
| Fifty years ago the white mans west
| took in Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. and
then skipped across to California and
| Oregon The country Of the great plains
and the Rockies, the country In which
you whom am now addressing lead your
! lives and do your work, has grown up
| within my own lifetime. I myself saw
and took part In the closing years Of the
pioneer period, and 1t was my great priv
ilege to work side by side with the pio-
neers-the ranchmen. the miners, the
| cow-punchers, the muie-skinners. the bull
| whackers-who actually opened up the
country. have seen the herds and fiocks
Of the cattlemen and sheepmen supplant
the game; I have seen the fortunate
| movement by which the small farm has
tended gradually to take the place Of the
great unfenced ranch. now travel In
every comfort on railways across lands
| which, when first rode across them.
were still the home of the Indian and the
buffalo; and find cities where one can
obtain not merely comfort. but luxury. In
the places where thirty years ago there
was not a building beyond log hut or
dobie house. The men who did this work
were engaged in the final stages Of con-
quering the continent; and it was their
privilege to do one Of the great works of
| all time, to do their part in the perform
ance Of an epic feat in the history Of the
progress Of mankind.
West Stands for Progress.
have used the word progress. The
west stands for growth. for progress. So
must the whole American people stand.
\ A great democracy must be progressive
or democratic. No nation. no state. no
party, can stand still. It must either go
forward or go backward; and II becomes
useless II 1t goes backward. Therefore
greet you, men of the west. and I stand
for progress as all men must stand who
are progressive.
The pioneers and their immediate sue
cessorss won victory only by proving that
they possessed the great. masterful quail
ties which lie at the foundation Of Ma
tional greatness. There are certain well
meaning men Of Intellectual cultivation
but lacking mental and moral robustness
who complain continually that they find
American life. and especially the life OF
those American communities emerging
i from the pioneer stage, crude and with
out genius or beauty. Genius II q fine
thing for nation, but character 10 q still
finer thing. and though beauty II good
strength 10 an even greater good. The
4 men who have made this great republic
Of the west what It 10. and especially the
men who have turned It into Q continental
commonwealth, have possessed in the
highest degree the great virile virtues oi
strength. courage. energy, and undauntet
and unwavering resolution. Their typica
leaders-of whom Abraham Lincoln
though the most exceptional. was thu
most typical-have possessed keen intel
Mgence. and character mot merel,
strong but lofty. character exalted b,
the fact that great power was accom-
Il panied by Q high and flne determination
d nee this great power for the common
II good, for the advancement Of mankind
j ha N>fn AaS,a Aen NpsA - lv,a H~,