Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-30
ROOSEVELT TO FIGHT
CROOKS AND GRAFTERS
Pledges His Aid to the Men OF
Buffalo to Aid in Cleaning
Up the City

Buffalo today to help them and all SIN
cere citizens to fight crookedness wher-
ever 1t was found.
''I'll help you just as did in the past,
he said, speaking to the Elliott club,
whose guest he was at breakfast an hour
after sunrise. He made plea for the
punishment of crooked and grating pub
lie officials and the election of honest
men in their places, a process of grad
ually but permanently, raising the NOR
ais of political and business life and
said he thought 1t duty to hunt out the
crooks and especially crooks of his own
party" ".a
II believe in party government" he
said, but the moment question of hon
esty is Involved, 1 recognize no party
distinctions, sor If 1 do make any 1T Is
that 1t is a little more my business to
put the CRATER and crook out OF public
life, II he belongs to my party, than II
to another. This attitude demands that
ones attention be fixed not on financial
status. but on conduct"
Nearly 400 members of the Elliott club
and other citizens representing leading
professions in the interests In a wide va
riety OF political affiliations awaited Mr..
Roosevelt's coming from the New York
Central station, where he had arrived
from Utica at $40 In his private car Re-
public, attached to a regular train. The
clubs rooms are high up in one of the
city's downtown business blocks whach
was not yet aastir with the days work.
AS the ex-president entered he was cheer
ed and America" was sung, with the
backing of a regimental band. Break
fast was cxpeditiously served as there
was less than an hour before the sche-
duled time Of Mr.. Roosevelt's departure
for Chicago
The presence of Fred Greiner, Repub-
lican leader OF Erie county, was general
ly commented upon.
Among those who got an especially
hearty greeting from Mr.. Roosevelt was
TONY" Gavin. a Buffalo policeman, for
merly Rough Rider The colonel shook
his hand across the table, and said some
pleasant things in which the words "bul-
ly glad to see you," required.
Mr.. Roosevelt made good use of the Is
minutes available for his remarks. The
men who heard him, who noted his ear
nestness in dealing with the subject of
crookedness and grating, and who fire.
quently broke in with sharp applause,
had in mind his expressions within the
past few days to the effect that they
will have all the fight they want"
DISPOSING OF SEWERAGE
Mr.. Roosevelt first dwelt upon a sub
ject of particular local interest-the ne
cessity Of preserving unpolluted 1.-The !
4
great lakes
eve claim to be a civilized people,"
he said. AS such we ought to be able
to dispose of our sewerage without put
ting 1t in our drinking water.
state and nation must combine in pre-
venting further contamination and maxi
ing the purity of lake water as abso-
lutte as possible. So also in the fields
of morals, public and domestic" he con-
finned eHharo cf ha 81
source"
This led naturally, to his grirnly ear
nest expression of intention to seek out
and bring to accounting grafters. big
and little o.
''Distrust, however, he said, "fnan-
ciers who can only see crookedness in
grating small politicians and grating
leaders; distrust also those who can see
1t only in the financiers. You must at
tack man because he's crooked. II
poor and crooked attack him. II rich and
crooked attack him. In fact, attack the
rich crook trifle stronger. Yes 1 will
put it-attack him very strongly"
The gathering Of people at the sta
ton had been considerably augmented
during the hour. Standing on the rear
platform of his car. Mr.. Roosevelt waved
his hat as the train pulled out westward,
shortly after 7:30.
When Colonel Roosevelt appeared on |
the rear end platform at Dunkirk. n. |
Y, he was met by a large gathering OF
railroad men. Within 80 feet of his car |
an engine was Blowing off steam. II |
can't talk against that" protested Colo
mel Roosevelt, noCding toward the loco
motive. The man on the locomotive said |
he could not stop the noise and the colo |
mel attempted to deliver a brief address. |
Il have always admired the railroad
men, because they have certain qualities |
like to think Of as the capital of Amer |
leans. They know how to act, each for
himself and also in combination. They
know how to work They know, too. the |
odds and how to act individually. The |
average American in our Industrial, pa
litical and social life, must show just
these traits"
COULDN'T TALK AGAINST ENGINE. |
The constant noise OF the steaming To-
connective made speaking very difficult for
the colonel. who again protested. 1T Is
really an outrage" he declared, II can
not talk to that engine"
Then he told the crowd that an engine !
was the ''only thing he could not talk |
against" and the train moved off, as
some of the umen shouted do them up
in the convention, Teddy" Colonel |
Roosevelt smiled broadly. but made no
reply. .,- -...---.- 49,
Fully 5000 persons greeted Colonel |
Roosevelt when his special train arrived
in Erie at s:2S a. m. The colonel spoke
briefly, chiefly along the lines OF the
earlier speech he made at Buffalo regard |
ing pure water in the great lakes cities. !
He was met at Dunkirk by a reception !
committee from Erie, consisting OF Con- |
gresham Arthur L. Bates, Hon. Frank |
d. Schultz. president Of the chamber of
commerce; Hon. C. X. C. Sturgeon, presi- |
dent OF the board Of trade, and William |
B. Trask. s.5..' |
Congressman Bates was a member of |
the lower house during the seven and |
one-half years that Roosevelt was presi- |
dent, and a long consultation was held !
in the private car as the train rushed |
through the northwestern Pennsylvania |
grape belt At every town and hamlet |
hundreds lined the tracks, in hopes OF
catching a glimpse of the colonel.
Hello, Teddy" was heard from the |
sea OF humanity that lined the station |
platform, when the train pulled into |
Erie and It was some minutes before the |
colonel's voice could be heard. /
In an undertone to Congressman Bates, |
who was on the rear platform, the Afri- /
can hunter said: -"
IT used to think 1t lowered my digni- [
g. Ha,- Tr.tJ 4