Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-27
LOCAL SPEECH
BYROOSEVELT

Following is a stenographic re-
port of what Colonel Roosevelt said
in this city, Saturday:
Colonel RoosevelI-Mr. Unalrman Rno
you, my friends and fellow citizens, l
am glad to be In this great industrial
center today, and / regret to learn of
the burning Of the factory last night
and the attendant loss and throwing
out Of employment, I am very sorry,
gentlemen, to hear It, And pow,
friends, I feel that in this fight we have
a peculiar right to appeal TO you for
support because this Ia your fight.
This ia a fight for the right Of the peo-
pie to rule themselves and for their
duty 50 to rule, that there may be jus
tice in tho land. Not merely political
justice, but industrial Justice And my
purpose ia, so far as I have the power,
to work for tho rule Of the people, the
real and not the nominal rule Of the
people, because and through the rule of
the people thus to sndeavor to secure
justice. I can give you an example OF
what I NEAR / believe strongly IN q
protective tariff. but ! wish to see the
benefits get into the pay envelope. 1t
Is all right that Z legitimate proportion
should 90 In dividends. OF course that
has got to Be. There must DO prosper
ity for the business or the wage worker
cannot Ahare In It but the wage work
or must have hi hull share. The bens-
fit must not all stop In the Office. A L.
climate proportion, 4 fair share, must
come through into the pay envelope,
and / believe that We should make 1t
the duty Of some department OF bureau
Of the national government to exercise
a close supervision over all protected
industries for the especial purpose, for
example, Of examining into tia eondi-
tons Of homo life among the wage
workers. 10 that We may be SURE that
the benefit does get 10 the people, to
the persons to whom we inland II shall
60. The prime purpose Of creating a
protective tarin u 10 kssp up the
standard OF living Of the average
American, the American fsxmey esps-
ctaily; the average wage worker, and
It must be our study 10 see that that
purpose Is really achieved.
Demands Fair Play.
Now. friends, remember / want the
employer. the capitalist, to have his
fair share An I meal Is that he must
not take II all, The wage worker must
have his tair share, the employer must
have his fair share also. Now, IL that
is not tho philosophy Of the square deal
I do not know how to apply 1t. And,
friends, I desire to see this movement
for q better social justice, for a higher
standard Of the Industrial 40 less than
political justice, led by the very men
who sometimes, / am sorry to say, at
present appear in the forefront of the
| opposition to the movement. I wish
that I could make some Of the multi
milltonajres who nov regard me as an
anarchist wish I could make them
understand that, little though they
know 1t, 1 am fighting the battle for
their children and grandchildren lap
plausel because there is no class of
men In this country to whom 1t Is SO
essential as to them to have real jus
tICe ana TO remove al leSluLuhle causes
Of discomfort, and I wish that I could
make them understand and practically
apply the old proverb that ntne-tenths
of wisdom Is being wise In time, I wish
them now to Join with us in putting
things on a just basis, because the time
effectually to do away with the evils
of discomfort Is before those evils have
overpowering. II We take the evils at
the beginning you can deal with them
pretty well. And those men, If they
could have their way In antagoniEins
us, who are endeavorins to bring about
social justice, industrial Justice, and
who are working In a spirit Of kindly
friendliness to all men-if those men