The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-10-21
(From Denver Post Of Oct. 15.)

(From Denver Post Of Oct. 15)
You cannot read the speech that
Theodore Roosevelt made last night
in Milwaukee, after he had been shot,
without lump rising in your throat
and a surging of blood through your
body that leaves you flushed and an
CRY and proud in its sweep Of high en-
otion.
Angry that this thing could have
happened here to one Of our soldiers
of the common good in the midst Of
his most valiant fight. Angry at that
and ashamed for it, too.
And proud with a great pride that
this son of America. with the blood
soaking through his Clothes" could
have sent that valiant call of his to
cheer the listening crowd and tell
them that he had lived well' and
could face the prospect of death joy
fully, because he would leave to men
the memory of a life that had been
full to overlooking.
There are other men who bulk big
in the eye of the people today. There
are good men, and kind men. and wise
men, and men who can speak as pref
tily about this small thing and that.
But, alone of them all, Theodore
Roosevelt has this way Of rising to
his great occasions greatly and stand.
ing before us stark and big, with the
| light of a great soul flooding about
him and a world that pays attention
to his words
| Hear again the valiant farewell that
rose from him last night in Milwau.
kee as he stood, with the blood soak
! ing through his Clothes" and taught
those men and women another lesson
in supreme courage.
II want you to understand" he said
and his face was white with pain as
he spoke, 81 want you to understand
that l am ahead of the game anyway
1 have been able to do certain things
that l greatly wished to do. and l am
/ interested in doing other things. And
l can tell you with absolute truthful
ness that / am very much uninterest
ed in whether I am shot or not. Wha,
l do care for is my country"
With that. and his head high, he
said little more, for the strength was
not in him TO speak at length; but il
was like Roosevelt that-woundet
though he might be-the spirit flannel
in him still to tell them the thing thai
was nearest his heart and rally then
about him in the fight where his ban
ners were still flung to the breeze.
For Roosevelt has always been &
G0h hD no Ixx,, So E.&
saries square and unflinching: he ha.
never turned his back on a friend Of
an enemy; and he looks upon himsel
as a man dedicated to the service o
his country who has counted the chan
ces of that service as the kind Of goot
fortune that has kept him ahead O
the game"
He was ahead of the game" whel
they thought they would ditch him b.
making him vice president. He wa
ahead of the game" when he succeed
ed Mckinley and took up the worl
that they imagined their trick had de
MED to him. He was ahead of tn,
game" when he walked out of tn,
White House and left Taft to carry OF
the fight that Taft was SO incapabl
of waging. He was ahead OF tn
game" when they robbed him Of tn
nomination at Chicago, and he and hi
men went forth to form another party
! He was ahead of the game" when
coward shot him in Milwaukee las
night and he went to the meeting t
say what might have been a long fare
we'll, with the blood of the woun
soaking through his clothes"
And he will be ahead Of the game
} when the inevitable call comes TO
I him, as it must come for all Of US, BE-
, cause there is in Roosevelt the stui
that saints and heroes are made Of
3 and no man who rallies to his stand
/ ard need take shame for the leader b
? follows.
Think what you like of his policies
choose whatever leader is best suite
. to your temper; but never for a mt
> ment allow yourself to underestimate
: the hold on the people of this countr
: of the man who could talk as Thee
dore Roosevelt talked last night Will
the wound of the bullet gnawed at hi
flesh and blood soaked through hi
clothes" so that they who listened
him could see its stains.
9 1t may be that Roosevelt will b
placed again in the White House
finish the work upon which he has sc
: his heart. 1t may be that the fugitiv
bullet of this coward of Milwaukee
will prove more serious than any {
US will allow ourselves to think. Wins
tomorrow has lurking for the least c
: the greatest of us not any of us ca
= tell.
+ But every man who casts his vot
7 for Roosevelt in November will be d.
e ing thing of which he may we'll b
o proud to his last day and leave it as
badge and boast of honor to the chi