The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-03
THEY ARE WATCHING Us.
Col. Roosevelt Says Eyes of Europe
Are Fixed on the U. S.


Omaha, Sept. 3.-In the presence OF
| 500 of the leading business men OF
this city, Theodore Roosevelt pointed
out the interest held by the people OF
| Europe in the success OF representa-
| tive government in America and de-
clared that reactionaries abroad cast
sinister eyes upon Americas institu-
lions haiIing with delight every story
| of graft, scandal and mob rule as an
| evidence that the government OF, Tor
and by the people must fall
Colonel Roosevelt also spoke con-
! temptuously of the mere multi-mil-
| lionaire," the man who, he said was
| a discredit whenever pointed to in
Europe as a typical American. He
| especially referred to mob rule as
| bringing out characteristics OF cruel
ty equal to those which they seek to
avenge.
This speech. made at luncheon
given by the Roosevelt reception COM
cittee at the Omaha Field club, was
frequently applauded. Among those
of the colonel were Governor Shallen-
| berger, Senators Burkett and Brown
of Nebraska, Senator Dolliver of Iowa,
Mayor Dahlman, Victor Rosewater,
| Republican national committeeman:
Representative Walter Smith of Iowa
and former Representative David Mer-
Ger and Ex-Governor Sheldon.
| Il have always felt friendly to for
eign nations, said COlOnel RooSeVelt,
in beginning his address.
II have never believed that, in or
der to show your love for your own
| country, it was necessary to be in
sulting to the people of another coun-
try. I have a feeling of friendliness
greater than I had before visiting
them. But I have come back feeling
| that there is no place in the world to
| live except in the United States.
I'm the first place, there is chance
here for the average man, such as
\ there is not anywhere else in the
world.
There is not another country
where the average man, the man who
can not expect to get to the top, has
a chance to lead his life with the sue
| cess he can achieve here. In the sec
ond place, what is less important and
still very important it seems to me,
| there is no place in the world where
| the man who does get to the top has
a chance to lead a life so attractive
| and full of interest in every way as in
the United States. OF course, if
| man desires only to lead a life of
| pleasure, this is not good country
for it anywhere for the simple reas-
| on that of all dismal careers the most
dismal, the most empty, the least
worth living from any standpoint is
the career of the man who seriously
devotes himself as his sole object to
pleasure. First, to devote ones self
to pleasure, as the sole object of life,
| is the SureSt way not to get 1t. Any
man above that lowest stratum, above
the man merely seeking pleasure and
enjoyment, can find here as nowhere
| else in the world, an opportunity to
help work out the great problem of
| the future and any man who is worth
his salt ought to feel the most SUI
preme pleasure over the fact that he
| is given the opportunity to try his
| hand to help work out these problems.
Everywhere I went abroad, I was
interested in finding that the leading
statesmen of the various countries
were watching us, were looking at
what we were doing and were con-
sidering the methods we had tried to
solve the different problems before U.S.
| "They said that they were interested
in US because to do things we were do
ing today were the things they would
| have to do tomorrow or the day after.
You are the pioneers in solving social
| problems in America and for the whole
problems in the spirit of democracy. I
need not say that that imposes a very
grave responsibility upon u.s.
1.-TWO other things impressed me. One
was that the ordinary man, the man to
whom life was pretty hard, was looking
to us to realize the possibility of hap
piness on earth. The man who suffers
injustice is looking toward this coun-
try as the place in which he would be
free from the pressure of much injus-
tice, as the place where the ordinary
man could have chance in life.
There is another side to this pic
ture. Everywhere I went there was a
certain establishment, mixed with a
much less pleasing feeling, felt over
| the accounts of business and political
corruption that come to Europe about
what happens here in America. l think
you will probably acquit me of any
great admiration for the mere multi
millionaire at home. But 1 like him
| attention that I have said the mere
multi millionaire. There are good men
in every walk of life and the man who
is a good American, who has done his
duty and has a great fortune is enti-
tied to our hearty respect, and 1t is
: | unworthy of anyone to deny to him il
l he deserves it.
81 am speaking of the same class Of
: multi millionaires of whom it was sai6
! 1000 years ago that it was more diff
) ficult for them to get to heaven thar
for camel to go through the eye of {
f needle.
! at is the rich man who trusts to hi:
riches that I am speaking of-the multi
! millionaire whose sole title to distinc
! ton is the fact that he is a multi-mil
= lionatre. Such a one is poor either
and a very Objectionable American ex
hfbit abroad. 1 was always ashamed
| when L saw that type of man accepted
abroad as the typical American and
, felt even more ashamed when thing
y happened here which gave the impress
. sion abroad that corruption in business
: in politics and lawlessness and bruta
! violence obtained here more than the.
did in any other country. Every activ
= corruption in our business or politica
Il life, and every deed of violence by
:, | mob is a blow at democracy 1t is
; | blow at self government. The mob il
= | lynching a criminal puts itself down OIL
i, | the same level of infamy that the Grim
= ina1 stands on The big man of bust
: | ness who swindleS the public or de
n bauches legislature, the grating poll
s tician who blackmails corporation ar
" all enemies of democracy and self gov
e eminent. Reports of such corruption
Il and laWlessness bring joy to the hear
q of every reactionary in Europe VIII
e wants to see popular government fal