Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-11-01
What Col. Roosevelt Said to
His Milwaukee Audience.
no CONCERN FOR HIS own LIFE
In the Greatest Campaign Speech on
Record, with Bullet In His Sody,
He Answered Forever the Argu-
ment That the Progressive Party
ia q One-Man Movement.

The speech that Col. Roosevelt de-
livered at Milwaukee with bullet in
his body was the most dramatic cam
paign utterance on record.
Just before he rose to speak Henry
F. Cochems, head of the Progressive
Partys Speakers Bureau and a Mil
waukee man, came forward and said:
"In presenting Col Roosevelt to you,
good citizens, good fathers and good
civilians, you should know that the
Colonel comes to you in the spirit of
a good soldier.
LAS we were leaving the hotel
few moments ago a dastardly hand
raised revolver and fired shot at
him, and the Colonel speaks as a sol
der with bullet in his breast; where,
we don't know"
A shudder ran through the audience,
accompanied by cries Of "Oh, Oh"
from the women present, who made up
half of the audience.
Col. Roosevelt stepped forward and
was greeted with a cheer that shook
s
his face, and it was hard for the audi
ence to credit the statement that he
stood there like a soldier with the
lead of an enemy in his body.
That there was no question of this
was shown by a little incident When
the Colonel started to read his notes
he took his spectacle case from the
vest pocket, and turning to those just
about him, exhibited it, indicating
where the bullet of the assassin had
nicked it. This brought another sym.
pathetic cheer, to which Mr.. Roosevelt
responded with one of his smiles and
began his talk.
Friends, shall ask you to be as
quiet as possible" he said "T don't
know whether you fully understand
that have just been shot, but it takes
more than that to kill Bull Moose.
(Cheers.) But fortunately l had my
manuscript so you see l was going to
make long speech (holds up manu-
script with bullet hole) and there is
a bullet-there is where the bullet
me from it going into my heart. The
bullet is in me now, SO that l cannot
make very long speech, but l will
try my best (Cheers).
"And now, friends, l want to take
advantage Of this incident and say a
word of solemn warning as l know
how to my fellow countrymen. First
OF all ] want to say this about my
self: l have altogether too important
things to think of to feel any concern
over my own death, and now cannot
speak to you insincerely within five
minutes of being shot
Il am telling you the literal truth
when ] say that my concern is for
many other things. It is not in the
least for my own lie. / want you &c
understand that / am ahead of the
game anyway applause and cheers.)
No man has had happier life than
have led; happier life in every way
I have been able to do certain things
that / greatly wished to do and l am
interested in doing other things.
81 can tell you with absolute truth
fulness that l am very much uninter
ested in whether l am shot or not. i
was just as when I was Colonel of my
regiment. | always felt that a private
was to be excused for feeling at time!
some pangs Of anxiety about his per
sonal safety, but cannot understand
man fit to be Colonel who can pay
any heed to his personal safety wher
he is occupied, as he ought to be oc
cupied, with the absorbing desire Il
do his duty. applause and cheers.
81 am in this cause with my who'll
heart and soul. / believe that tn,
Progressive movement is for making
life little easier for all our people
movement to try to take the bur
dens off the men and especially tn
women and children of this country
/ am absorbed in the success of tina
movement.
81 regard this incident as Of mfr
itesimal Importance as compared wit
the great issues at stake in this can
paign, and ask 1t not for my sake
not the least in the world, but for tn
sake Of our common country that GU
opponents make up their mind t
speak only the truth, and not to us
the kind Of SANDER and mendacit
which, If taken seriously, must incit
weak and violent natures to crimes q
Violence"