Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-25
Visitor, Saturday Aftern con
And Night, at Portland.
Delivers Characteristic Speech
In Presence Of Great ThrOng.
The Occasion Is His First Visit to
Maine Since 1902.

Portland, Me, March 24.-Theodore
Roosevelt faced a great crowd OF
Maine Progressive Republicans in the
armory auditorium here, Saturday
night, and opened fire on President
Taft in enc of the hottest political
speeches he has made since he threw
his hat in the ring. Before he got
fairly under way the speakers plat
form collapsed. Roosevelt was unin-
iured, but the incident caused d great
deal of excitement. he platform was
elevated about three feet from the
floor There We're about 80 persons
seated on it. As Colonel Roosevelt
assembled the steps on entering the
hall the people began 10 cheer. Roose-
Welt sat down. The applause kept up
and the colonel arose. He started to
speak when suddenly the platform fell
with a crash. The middle portion sank
to the floor. Roosevelt, with the agility
of a gymnast. stepped quickly to the
front of the structure. which did not
give way. and waved his hand at the
crowd to show that he was uninjured.
Then a chair was placed on the edge
IF the platform and Roosevelt sat
down.
When Walter II. Brown. president Of
the Roosevelt Committee of Maine. in
troduced the colonel there was a great
outburst of handclapping, and frequently
in his speech he was interrupted by APP
plause. AT the outset he referred to the
collapse of the platform.
The colonel spent Y hours in Portland
the chief at luncheon and a dinner,
shook hands steadily for two hours in
the afternoon and attended a conferences
of Maine politicians before he spoke in
the Armory Auditorium.
1t was Colonel Roosevelts first visit 70
Maine since August of 1902. When he
arrived shortly after noon he was well
coined by a crowd which was jammed so
tightly into the station that he found
difficulty in forcing his way out. The
largest gathering of the day up to the
time of the night mass meeting was that
which assembled for the reception. For
two hours Colonel Roosevelt stoou in
parlor of hotel and shook hands with
stream of persons which moved by
him rapidly as it could be urged for
ward 1t was estimated that Colonel
persons.
Colonel Fred Hale, Frank L. DingleY,
brother of Nelson Dingley, now dead,
and a number of other leaders in the
Roosevelt movement in Maine, carried to
the colonel reports of the progress of the
fight in all parts of the State.
After the conference, Colonel Roosevelt
went to Colonel Hale's home for dinner.
A = cixy Nv, ha
Maine Roosevelt Committee, the colonel
talked with Governor Robert Bass Of
New Hampshire.
Roosevelt's train stopped long enough
at Dover. n H., to enable him to make
the first speech of the trip. There he
said: cit seems to me that what 1
preach to you in New Hampshire is act
ually being accomplished by Governor
Bass. The progressive movement means
to apply courage and common sense in
order to get justice. You have a chance
to decide whether you intend to rule
yourselves or to have other people rule
you. 1t is up to you to decide
Roosevelt said the people in der to
run themselves must exercise SELF con-
troll. And I believe that the American
people are not only able to govern them
selves, but to govern themselves well.'
he said.
The speech was made to a large crowd
that assembled in the square near the
station.
Leaders in the Roosevelt movement
from various parts of the state were in
Portland to meet the colonel and several
members of the Legislature from Angus
Ia. William w. Sewall of Island Falls.
his old guide in the Maine woods and a
collector of customs of the Aroostook
district. Travelled more than 800 miles to
meet the colonel.