Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-08
Talks ONT he People Of
The Open Country"
Al a "Get Together Dinner al
White River Junction, VI.
Also Denies Saying He Will Sup
port Anyone for President.

| The need of turning attention to the
Welfare of the farmers, the people of
the open country, was the subject oi
an address by Former President Theo-
| dore Roosevelt before a Get Together
Il dinner party of 90 Vermont people and
| guests tonight, The dinner was held
under the auspices of the Windsor
ICounty Young Mems Christian Associa-
| ton and the subject of politics was
| avoided carefully.
Col. Roosevelt arrived shortly after G
p. NJ and after speaking at the BAN
quet retired to his special car. He will
start on his return to New York early
| tomorrow morning.
Former President Roosevelt was well
! coined to Vermont by gathering of
| 500 representative citizens. He came
vided by the Windsor County Commit
tee of Young Mems Christian Associa-
| lions Qncorporated). under whose aus
pieces the dinner was held. AS special
guests, there We're present also the
governor of Vermont, John A. Mead of
| Rutland, DIR. Frederic s Lee of Colum-
| blu University, who acted as toastmas-
| ter, Arthur r. Butman of the United
/ SNtdttS SldtISlltdi Office.
Washington: Congressman Frank E.
Plumley; Judge Gilmore b. Adams, ST.
Louis Mo: United States circuit
judge appointed by Former President
Roosevelt; Or. Kenyon L.. Butlerfeld
| of Amherst, Mass, president of the
Massachusetts Agricultural College:
| Albert r. Roberts of New York City
international secretary Of the Y. NJ. C.
A.; and Dean Charles F. Emerson and
Prof. Homer X. Reyes of Dartmouth
College. More than so diners were seat
ed at the table in Gates Opera house.
1t was the sole purpose of the Y. NJ.
c A. committee in arranging this
gathering to provide an opportunity
for special addresses with a view OF
assisting men to catch a vision at least
of the possibilities of the future for
Vermont. That politics might be entire
ly eliminated from the occasion. DR..
Frederic s. Lee of Columbia was Sc
lected as postmaster instead of state
official Each guest seated at the tables
was presented with a. gun metal bas
relief of the former President, made
from a special die which was copy
righted by the committee. Col. Reose-
welt was presented by the committee
with one of the medals made of solid
gold.
Colonel Roosevelt said in part:
Vermont is both an agricultural and
industrial state and it has shared the
general tendency which is of better
growth in industrial and agricultural
matters. In common with our whole
country it needs to turn it's attention
from now on. especially to securing
the welfare of the people who dwell In
the open country. men who till the soil
and live on the farm. | do not mean
that there can be any let-up in our
steady efforts toward better social and
Industrial conditions in towns. On tho
contrary, l hold that not only our leg
islative bodies. but every philanthropy
ic body such as the Y. NJ. G.. A. should
act in such fashion as to show their
realization that from now on, we must
individually and collectively work for
the human betterment. AS a people
we have made much greater progress
in the amassing of wealth than in it's
proper distribution. We cannot afford
TO lose the power of individual militia
tive which is so distinctly American.
but with il we must combine a far
more efficient power of collective ac'
ton for collective betterment than has
been the ase in the past
"Onr ideal must be the attainment
of economic conditions in which each
man shall have a living wage and in
which each child shall be so trained
that he or she can start in life on
equal terms unhelped by special priv
ilege himself and unhampered by spe-
cial privilege in others.
I'VE need everywhere in this country
thoroughly efficient factory inspection
laws workmen compensation acts. and
laws for the protection of women and
children who work, and l wish 10 see
every church and every organization like
the y NJ c.. A. turn itself into an or
ganization for social service and Incl
dentally turn to work TO put upon the
statute books the best possible laws of
this character. / am a great believer
in the conservation of our natural re-
sources and the best of all our natural
resources is our citizenship. We must
not permit Industrial development TO go
on at the expense of the welfare of the
Individual 1t is our independent duty
to see that the average man and the av-
erage woman engaged in industrial or ag-
rcultural pursuits snail I'VE ana Work
under conditions that tell for self-respect-
Ing citizenship. Therefore. we must
train our children as they should go, and
| need hardly say that if there are not
plenty of healthy children brought up
under such conditions that they will turn
| out good, brave, strong men and women
| then our civilization will so down, no
matter what may be our material pros
perity or intellectual culture. The man
and woman must perform their duties in
| the family first or else they cannot per-
form them to the State as whole.
| 1T is much easier to devise methods
! for remedying conditions in the city than
| in the city, but we cannot longer afford
not to turn our attention to the country
| Vermont is typical of the Union in the
| way in which it has allowed its country
| districts to lag behind, If the process
| continues to a sufficient extent it will
work literally irreparable harm,
THE farmers themselves must take the
lead in meeting changed conditions and
overcoming the new difficulties, but all