The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-28
CHARACTER IS
THEME OF T. R.
Roosevelt Says Nations Must
Have Strong Moral Fibre
Continued From First Page.

'''' CIV idi'iS III IOf the TASK, Onl.
: men OF rug ed will and bold ana ad
ycnturous temper can undertake il
The strain ON the pioneers engaged II
me feat is such that under it the,
lend TO lose something Of the cultur,
Their ancestors beyond the seas hat
through the long ages slowly acquired
II IS therefore our duty to exercise al
unceasng watchfuncss i'm order no
to lose any part of our heritage n
world civilization, and, If we DO los,
anything, promptly To recover 1t. Fur
thermorc. there is no small amount OF
wrong which our forefathers i'm the
ora world handed down to us and fol
| ms I Is our duty to devise rcmedics
Moreover, the circumstances of our
lives under the now conditions Welded
Nv HE on new continents not only Of
Ter great opportunities which our Old
| world kinsmcn do not enjoy, but ais .
| expose us TO temptations which our
old world kinsmen do not share, at
least To anything like the same degree.
FINALLY, there are peculiar needs II
| our own. which II is necessary that we
meet in new fashion. These need,
may often be of diametrically oppo e
SITE character. The need Of one class.
or Of one period, may be wholly dit
iefeht from the need of another class.
or Of all classes at another time. For
instance, 1t is q curious fact that in
our new world the strain of over hard
conditions during the pioneer days is
apt 10 be succeeded by tho even more
dangerous strain Of ovcr-casy condi-
tions when once the pioneer days have
been passed the danger TO the sons
is the opposite of that which menaced
ihe fathers; and vet the ore danger is
almost as menacing as the other.
In the same fashion. in every one
Of our great modern industrial COM
munltiCs the dangerous strain ON the
very poor IS in large part not merely
totally different from. but the exact
reverse of. the no less dangerous
strain on the very rich; the dangers
are The exact opposite one of the 9TH
or; ana nevertheless each is q dan
ger SO serious that if not grappled
With 1t may spell national ruin Again.
no old world communities are immune
rom all sense Of outside danger to
anything like the extent that is true
here; and what Is true of danger from
outside sources is true TO an only less
degree as regards risk and effort and
toll within and no student OF history
needs to be told that immunity from
danger. however desirable, always
means that there is need of guarding
against the risk of softening Of fibre
Character ls Essential
In consequence, it is true that, not
withstanding all our advantages and
opportunities. there is at least as
much danger, not of crushing disaster,
but of slow decay or failure to ad-
vance, so far as concerns our peoples
here i'm the two Americas. as Is the
case among the nations Of the old
world, We cannot afford in yainglor-
ious spirit 10 be blind to this patiently
fact. II we are true - our
~''-sf - w I'72Noo Nll'' W lSNltIll anu
the virile strength To make the most
If our opportunities, We have before
las, in our several nations, a future
which cannot be generally pGralleled
among old world nations whose op-
are necessarily less But
{ we are untrue TO ourselves. Il we
sink into Slothful ease or make our
deals those of vapid or vicious excite
nent, then there is chance that We
shall make failure all the more la
nentablc because of the TACT that
;uch great success might nave been
,urs. To avert this failure, and to
achieve the success which is ours if
Ne only have the power to grasp it.
many things are necessary; but one
hing above all others, charlc;c'
No other trait, in any nation. can
AXE the place of a high average of
,ersonal character among the individ-
Ials, the men and women. who make
lp that nation. ! am a firm believer
n using the power OF the people i'm
heir collective capacity--tLat is,
Trough the government--to the fullest
ytent to further The common interest;
nd / hold that the ability thus to CO.
pcrate i'm effective action is one of 4;
he greatest tasks of the stTeasth of
Individual character in "a nation. But
UGH combined action, such use ~ the
owers of government in the interest
( all citizens, can never succeed UNI
ess it Is based on a high average Of {
haracter IN the individual citizen.
Governmental action can supplement,
nd thereby immensely Increase the
Productive efficiency Of such individual Z
haractor; but 1t can never be a sub +,
titutc for It; ana if the average cit. {
zen Is lacking in character, the gov !
system in which he is the 1
redominant unit IS certain to break |
own.
by character | mean the sum of [
hose qualities, distinct from the pure
intellectual qualities, which are cs- {
untial to moral efficiency Among !
ncm are resolution couraze. energy, Y
over of self-control combined with :
In taking the Initiative I
nd assuming responsibility, and +,
lst regard for the rights of others, [
'gether with unflinchlng determina-
on 20 oneself 10 succeed no matter I
in pH Iu l.,, :