Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-12-29
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 80, 1911
ROOSEVELT ACCLAIMED.
Talks on Struggle of the Masses,
and is Given an Ovation.
From the New York World. I

From the New York World
A larger throng than usual crowded
Labor Temple, Second avenue, near
Fourteenth street, yesterday afternoon,
to hear an address by the Rev. Charles
Stelzle on "What About the Mcnamara
Case?" Many women were in the audi
ence. The clergyman was about to as
cend the pulpit when the rear door
swung open and in walked Col. Theodore
Roosevelt.
He strobe down the center aisle and
took seat near the platform. There
had been no announcement of his APP
pearance, and it was several minutes
before he was recognized. Then there
was great burst of applause, with a
chorus of cheers. A woman rose and
waved her handkerchief. This was
signal for more handclapping. The
colonel turned and smlingly acknowl-
edged the welcome. Officials of the
temple hurried to the colonel. What
they said couldn't be heard. At first the
colonel shook his head protestingly,
then he seemed to waver, and finally
nodded his head in assent.
The Rev. Mr.. Stelzle went to the pull
pit and announced that though the for
mer President had cold and had come
unprepared to make speech, he would
address the audience. The clergyman
then said he would talk about the Nc
Namara case at another time, and after
few words about what churches were
doing in Texas, he introduced the
colonel, who said in part:
Friends, l came here not to speak,
but to learn, | am deeply interested in
the work of the temple. | believe that
the power of good that comes from
Jesus is not in His teaching so much as
in His works. think that it is the
greatest reflection that can be put on
a church that when the population
comes in it goes out.
81 believe in aggressive justice. 1t
went to my heart, Mr.. Stelzle, to hear
what you said about placarding those
houses down in Texas. 1t will give
them a good, healthy interest that will
last for some time"
Taking up the Temple Bulletin, Col.
Roosevelt asked everybody TO turn to
the last page. Everybody obeyed He
read the last sentences from an article
on "Social Unrest.
"What is required today is unselfish
leadership in the struggle which the
masses are making. And herein lies the
opportunity of the church. If the
church can't take the lead in civic work
in the betterment of social, moral, and
educational conditions, it doesn t deserve
place in the community.
81 believe in democracy, but be-
lieve in well democracy. We need
unselish, disnterested leaders. There
is tremendous struggle ahead, and the
men who lead must give themselves
heart and soul to leading.
"Never believe in leader who prom
Uses to right a wrong. Distrust immedi-
ately the man who tells you that in
your interest he is going to do some
thing crooked.
Don't be afraid to use new weapons
to meet new conditions. / always re-
member what Mr.. Dooley said about
that very thing. Somebody had charged
that he didn't believe in certain new
movement because it wasn't done that
way in the days of Thomas Jefferson.
Yes, said Mr.. Dooley, but jefferson
lived before the days of open
plumbing.
AS the colonel concluded there was
tumult of applause, and the speaker dis
appeared suddenly through side door
on Fourteenth street. AS he started
toward Second avenue his late audience
was leaving the temple. Men and
women saw him, and began to
shout, "Here's Teddy" Persons ran
from all directions and by the time the
colonel reached the corner the crowd
had nearly blocked traffic.