Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-05
B|GMOOSEH|TS
At THE BOSSES
IN TRAIN TALK
Colonel Roosevelt Made a
Short Speech From Rear
Of His Car at the Depot
on Way to Des Moines.

SAID THE BOSSES
DREAD THE PEOPLE
Said He Had to Appeal to
Politicians With a Club to
be Effective; Keokuk and
Mt. Zion VotersHear Him
"The only way can appeal to the
politician. is with a club" said Colonel
Roosevelt from the rear platform OF
the Rock Island train at noon today
enroute to Des Moines where he will
speak at the state convention OF the
bull moosers today. Il have to appeal
to you." he said. "The bosses are
against me because l represent you"
and thus for flve minutes he dwelt on
the bosses of the other parties and
their dread of the people whom he
stated he represented. A crowd OF a
few hundred persons were at the
train to meet the colonel. The ad.
vance word sent here by the managers
of the bull moosers in charge of the
trip. was to cut out reception and
other committees, hand shaking, ETC..
and all that would take time from
speechmaking and the colonel was
ready and waiting to speak as the
train slowed down and crept into the
union station.
Surrounded by some seven or eight
Of his followers, among whom were
press representatives, camera men
and politicians, the colonel sunburned
to q nice tan, had hat uplifted and
was ready for the people as the train
came to stop. Little time was lost
In basktng In the plaudits OF the as
sembled crowd II the crowd had been
sufficiently enthusiastic to offer these
plaudits in any very noticeable
amount, but they were not what might
be called vociferous. A sprinkling of
the fairer sex was present In the
crowd of onlookers and people OF all
shades politically were there to see
the chief bull moose. Before the
train had come to full standstill the
stops of the colonel's vocal organs
were opened and therefrom fell q
rapid speech that consumed some fve
minutes or longer in which not sec
ond Of time was lost. In the short
time allotted the colonel he had the
following to say to the Ottumwans:
The ottumwa Speech.
81 appeal to you Iowans to stand as
Iowa has always stood, In the fore
front of the progressive movement.
To change one set Of bosses for an
other is unwise. Why should you
change Penrose and Barnes for Muir
ply and his crowd? I would give you
q missionary word in the beginning.
81 am glad to meet you people of
Iowa and tell you that the progressive
party in its essentials is to throw
back the government into the hands
of the people where 1t belongs and
from whom 1t has been taken.
II would say word to the farmers
who in the past have been the back
bone Of the nation. would have
them be in the future what they have
been in the past. The progressive
party is in good faith with the farmer
and would keep his future the same as
his past l want to see the towns
grow, but only after the country has
grown; to have the town grow as the
country grows
A word OF appreciation to the trav.
cling men was here made by the col
onel who said, "No better missionaries
have | and the progressive movement
got than the travelling men of the
country. These men are volunteers
for the cause of progressivism and
have taken up the work without
thought of remuneration or reward.
and / would have them know that II
deeply appreciate their efforts in my
behalf. They stand for economic
justice.
"I am glad you got the direct prim-
ary In your state, and no matter un-
der whom 1t was secured whether my
self or Mr. Cummins will say that II
you had had 1t sooner l would have
been here before.
l'It is no use for me to appeal to the
politician. I must appeal to you-the
people. The only way | can appeal to
the politician is with club. (Some-
one in the crowd yelled use it tooO
They don't like me. They did not
like me in Chicago, but they dreaded
you. It was not so much their dislike
for me as their dread of you that
brought about the result they OBJ
tanned"
Col. Roosevelt then referred to the
New York Sun Of recent date in which
Democratic Leader Blakesly of Penn
sylvania, was quoted as saying: THE
full ignoramous vote will be cast for
the bull moose party" The colonel:
said Mr.. Blakesly classes the poll
ticians as the intelligent people and
you-the people, as imgonramouses."
Departure Stops Speech.
He further stated: "Mr. Mckinley,
manager for Mr.. Taft, in commenting
on our victory in Maryland, said the