Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-05

man said that deliberately tried to
blackmail the Standard OIL company into
making contributions. I knew Mr.. Bliss
well. / don't believe he did 1t. II they
had charges to make they should have
brought them while he was alive and
able to defend himself
II wired for permission to appear before
the committee Monday. AS soon as they
got the testimony they scattered to the
four winds, and let Mr.. Archbold 60
abroad. SO they couldn e ~ou1dn't--see
me. Meanwhile. they shall have a letter
from me. written with the frankness Of
an open nature. don't expect many OF
your papers will print It. speak at
length Of Mr.. Bliss and give my own
letters on the whole Standard OIL ques-
ton"
Mr.. Roosevelt continued with a dis
cussion Of the alleged hostility on his
part with which 1t is said the Standard
OIL people were threatened. II couldn't
show hostility" he declared. 80 long as
II observed the law" The speaker said
that Mr.. Archbold received "Abyssinian
treatment" for the company while Mr.
Roosevelt was president, adding And II
| am ever president again ne will get
IT."
Mr. Roosevelt drew applause when he
said that MIR. Archbold and Mr. Pen
rose have no complaint about being black
mailed. They complain that they didn't
get the goods.
ANOTHER SPEECH AT ARMORY.
At the close of the address In the
theatre, Mr.. Roosevelt and his party
were rushed to tine armory. where an
overflow crowd of some 1000 people
greeted him. There the colonel spoke
briefly Of some of the policies advocated
at the other gathering, and declared
himself in favor of an eight-hour law,
an employers liability law, and other
reforms. His speech in the armory was
more informal. and his manner more
free. lie occupied but a few minutes.
When | was president" he declar-
ed they said l was a dictator. To
whom did | dictate? The people? No.
| dictated to congressman and sena
tors who didn't represent the people.
l went over their heads to the people
land let the people dictate
The Colonel related an incident that
occurred just after the American force;
landed on the southern coast of Cuba
the Rough Riders among them, to be-
gin the military operations Of the
Spanish war. 1T wasn't much of a
war" said Mr. Roosevelt, but 1t was
all the war there was" Unable to OBJ
tain supplies for his men, he FINAL?
secured half a ton of beans intended
for the officers mess. and served them
to the regiment Il got the beans,
said he. Il took care of my men. When
care of my people.
There Is the Panama canal--every-
one agrees 1t is good thing. 1t is
the biggest thing this nation ever did
When came into the presidency had
two courses open to me. One was tc
dig the canal, The other was to send
into Congress mastery report on
whole case. A good many presl.
dents would have sent in that report
; and Congress would have had ser
les Of debates. Those debates would ,
going on now, and the canal would be
80 years off
We'll. started the canal and lie
Congress debate afterward The de-
bate was principally about me. 1t will
be going on a number of years after
! am dead but the canal will be fin.
ished year after next.
Il didn't do a thing forbidden by
simply went ahead and did wha
, any president ought to do. or the col
onel of a regiment ought to do gave
the people in my care the benefit OF
he doubt
our purpose is to get justice for
the people. see to 1t that they rule
, themselves, and that social and indus
trial justice is done them"