The daily progressive-miner., 1916-06-22
All. TEDDY DEAR

| Ah. Teddy dear, and did ye near the news that's goin' rounds They say you're gone from the I stage. that strange cold men. whom
 we respect but love not. must be oul
 meat for all the campaign days tS come.
 Gray is the prospect: dull is the outlook.
 We felt all the while that over in the Auditorium and the Coliseum they were breaking to us the news of a death in the family. They were mer ciful: they held it back: they did not let us have the shock of it all at once. They meant kindly. I But now that the news has come the kindness of friends can help but little. Our hearts are broke, We need you and we want you every minute.
 1 Ah. the fun of you and the glory of you,
 Where lies the American whose pas sion or whose imagination you have not set a-tinglings Who else has meant the savor of life for uss Who but you has taken us and set our feet upon the high places? Before you came aE in politics was set and regular. Those who were ordained to rule over us did so with that gravity with which stupid grown ups so oft repress the child. No one ever talked to us as you did. They called us voters or constituents or such big names as these. They never took us by the hand and laughed and played with us as you did.
 They never understood us They could preach Sunday school and arith- metic. But the good Lord never gave it to them to speak to the heart
 And then you came.
 Dancing down the road you came with life and love and courage and fun stickin' out all over you How we loved you at the first sight! And how you loved us:
 Friends we were. though you were in the White House and we were mak- ing mud pies. Friends we were to- gether with nothing to come between us
 Your love would let no harm come near us. and we knew it. With your courage you fought for us. With your life and your fun. you took us out of the drab grind.
 You told us of the birds in the air and of the fishes in the sea The great tales of the old heroes. the sagas of the past, you spread before our 'stonished eyes You gave us new words delightful words = to play with; and jokes-delightful jokes to make us laugh
 How We wanted you back when you went away, But they stole our right from us and they wouldn't let you come back So we followed you. f. 100000 of us. in a fight the like of which we never knew. Joy and re ligion were in it in equal measure Hymns and cleanness and color and battle all were jumbled in it. The good Of it is set forever into the life of the nation
 But the schoolmaster beat you, and the great war came to crowd you from our thoughts We thought only of ourselves because you were no long CT there to make us think Of our coun- try At the last we turned to you when it was too late.
 must go stumbling on alone, hoping that the man they're given us may show something of that fire and strength upon which you taught us to rely.
 It's our fault, not theirs It's our fault, not yours You warned us that we must be ready to go through to the end We weren't. Fear had come upon us. fear of ourselves We were split up We eyed each other with distrust- The spirit Of your old sagas had gone from us.
 Now we must face it alone, unless you help us- Do not forsake us to sulk in your tent. Make the sacrifice they demand, not for their sake, but for ours Help them win with the cold. good man thy're chosen Help that man to hold his courage and fight worthiIy for the things which you have taught us-though the real right to fight for them was yours. not his Don't let our councils be divided Don't let hotheaded friends force their personal claims upon you. But whatever you do or whatever you don't do, be sure of one thing we shall never hold it against you. For ali that is gone, you can do no wropg in our sight The memory oi you shall never fade from our hearts
 An. Teddy dear-we love you now