Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-09-12
Theodore Roosevelt
In North b. Dakota
Leader of The Progressive. Party
Speaks at Grand Forks, Fargo J.
and Jamestown

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt made
another visit to Jamestown and
North Dakota Friday, his first trip
being 80 years ago, when enroute to
the ranch in the Bad Lands near
Medora, in the territorial days, and
there were several who greeted him
this time who knew Roosevelt in the
early days. This visit, however,
is with intent quite different from
any other, for the former president
is now urging the cause of new po-
litical party in the United States, a
task demanding all his strenuosity,
wisdom political experience, cour-
age and enthusiasm.
A crowd of nearly 1000 gathered
along the Northern Pacific tracks at
jamestown Friday night to greet
Roosevelt, hear and cheer him, and
see the. man who for nearly a. dec
ade has been without doubt the most
talked of citizen in this or other
countries. Riding in parlor. car
at the end of N. P. train No. 5,
Roosevelt arrived at about 1880 p.l
M, the train stopping at it's usual
crossing, leaving the colonel east Of
Fourth avenue. Roosevelt was
standing upon the rear platform as
the train stopped, appeared but lit
tie changed. The black fedora was
in evidence, the glasses, and the
i:sams stockysand sturdy familiar fg-
ure. The crowd surged up to the
car, and for several minutes Roose-
welt shook hauds with scores Of his
enthusiastic admirers, men, women
| and children. His voice was quite
husky from his long speaking tour.
When tho crowd was quieted,
Roosevelt spoke briefly. addressing
first one side and then the other, to
give "a square deal'' to all. He said
| in part to the jamestown audience:
my friends, it gives ME especial
pleasure to greet you Dakotans, for
am. myself somewhat of an old
i! settler, coming here first some 80
years ago, but in those days riding
! mere frequently on cattle train.
I have always felt peculiar graft
tude to North Dakota for what it
did to me in those days, when work
ing side by side with the men of
this territory, learned to know
them, their works, and their needs,
and it is only by such work that an
understanding of the people can
come. So I have a peculiar obliga-
ton to this state, and the little log
cabin now standing at Bismarck. I
learned the needs of this agricultu-
raj country, fertile here, but need
ing dry farming and irrigation fur
ther west. I believe in those early
days came to understand the peo-
, pie of this country, how they felt
and what they needed, and during
seven years at the white house, that
knowledge helped me infinitely.
"But now come to ask you peo-
pie to stand true to the elementary
principles of American citizenship,
to stand by the Progressive party at,
this crisis, and assert the right of
the people to rule, by taking the gov
ernment from the hands of the two
boss-controlled and politically cor
rupt parties. Last June at the Chi
cago convention, there was a delib-
crate theft from the people. In that
nomination had said If the people
did not ask my nomination, would
have nothing to say, but II they did
l would have good deal to say. and
am now saying It. And it will
avail you nothing to change from
one old party to another; there is
no choice between Barnes, Penrose
and Aldrich. and Taggart, Murphy
and Belmont." M
Roosevelt was just about to take
up the Democratic claim for pref,
erence when the train started to
pull out, and waving his hat good
bye, he said, II wish ! could stay
longer with you," as the train con-