The Republican journal., 1916-09-07
Col. Roosevelt in Maine.

He Receives an Ovation Everywhere. His
Speech in Lewiston. His Message to
Maine Progressives.
Progressives united with Republicans in
welcoming to Maine Theodore Roosevelt, who
Thursday night, at Lewiston, made his first
speech in the campaign for the election of
Charles Evans Hughes to the presidency and
the only address he will deliver in the State
election contest
On his way from Boston to Portland, he was
rounoly cheered by crowd, including many
summer visitors. at Old Orchard He spoke
few words, urging the Maine voters to elect
frederick Hale of Portland to the United
States Senate.
At Portland he was met by large delega-
tion of Portland Republicans and Progressives.
with automobiles and escorted to Monument
square, where he was taken in charge by re-
ception committee from Lewiston and Auburn
and brought to Lewiston special electric
car.
The former president was warmly greeted
as he passed through Congress street in Port
land, and was given rousing reception in
Lewiston. He reviewed long torchlight pro-
cesson of uniformed marching clubs. includ-
ing delegations from Androscoggin, Cumber-
land, Oxford, kennebec Sagadahoc and Frank
lin counties. Progressive leaders and voters
were conspicuous in the parade, which was led
by so mounted men and 35 minutes in
passing the reviewing stand. The Democratic
Lewiston Sun says it was 1.-The greatest demon-
stration ever accorded any person in any po-
litcal campaign in Maine," and Lewiston
special to the Boston Globe says: "From the
moment Col. Roosevelt entered the State of
Maine until he left it after midnight tonight
on his way to Boston he received continuous
ovation. His speech tonight was a fervid ap-
peal for Americanism and an attack on the
called "byphenated Americanism." 1t was also
a sharp arraignment of the Wilson Admins
tration for what he considers pusianimty.
The speech was full of characteristic touches,
all OF which reused the enthusiasm of the
audience"
From the reviewing stand. Col. Roosevelt
was escorted to City Hall where long wait
ensued while the marchers paraded the streets
of the two cities, 1t was 915 before Col
Roosevelt began TO speak. Overflow meetings
had been arranged for in the Empire and Union
Square theaters where other speakers were
heard with the expectation of a brief address
by the Colonel, but the City Hall rally was SO
late In starting that he was obliged to cut por-
tions of his speech in order to make train con-
nections. He very much regretted his in
ability to appear at the the overflow meetings
as expected, and he had planned to do,
AS the Colonel arose to address the meeting
there was demonstration which lasted two
minutes. People stood, cheered themselves
hoarse, threw their hats in the air and In other
President. Every inch of space in City Hall
was taken; and both theaters were filed to the
doors by the overflow. Following is an out
line of the address:
81 come here to Maine,' said Col. Roosevelt,
"to advocate the election Of Charles E. Hughes
as President of the United State. and the elec-
tion of Senate and House of Representatives
to support him, and give some of the reasons
why in my judgment it would be grave mis-
fortune for the people of the United States to
re-eiect Mr. Wilson.
Il make 10 merely partisan appeal / ask
the support of all good citizens for our cause.
ask the support of all good Americans And
not merely ask, but demand as matter of
right, that every citizen voting this year shall
consider the question at issue from the stand
point of America, and not from the standpoint
of any other nation.
Col Roosevelt then devoted considerable
time to an exposition of American citizenship
and American patriotism, condemning those
citizens VINO act in the interest of a for
eign power, be they German Americans, Eng
lish-Americans, Irish Americans or French
Americans and blaming President Wilson for
what he said a lack of courage and
the vision to lead this nation in the path of
high duty and by tn lack of affirmative leader
ship has loosened the moral fibre of our people
has weakened our national spirit, and has en-
couraged the upgrowth within our own borders
of separation along the lines of racial origin.
The cause of preparedness, he said, is insep-
arably connected with the cause of whole
hearted loyalty tie this nation, and it is our
duty to protect our own rights and to stand up
| for the rights of others. He cited the devas-
tation of Belgium as a case where America
should have officially protested German inva-
sion.
Col. Roosevelt denied that President Wilson
had kept US ont of war with Mexico and ven
tured the statement that greater number of
Americans have been killed during these years
than were killed by the Spaniards during the
war with Spain. He reviewed carefully the
attitude of the President towards the defacto
governments in Mexico, saying that his policy
mad been uncertain and unsuccessful.
Continuing on the Mexican policy. he said:
president Wilson took VeraGruz in 1914 as
we were officially informed at the time, to get
a salute for the flag, and to prevent the ship
ment of arms into Mexico. He did not get his
salute. He did not prevent the shipment of
arms. But several hundred men were killed or
wounded; and then he brought the army home
without achieving either object. President
Wilson sent an army into Maxco in 1916, as we
were informed at the time to get Villa dead or
alive They did not get him dead They did
not get him alive. Several hundred men were
killed and wounded. Again President Wilson
is bringing the army home without achieving
his object. Of course it is mere play upon
words to say that these were not wars
"As it is with war so It is with Intervention
President Wilson has again and again said he
would not intervene in Mexico. AS matter
of fact he has intervened continuously. On
Jan. 8, 1915, he announced that the Mexicans
had the right to spill blood to spill as much
blood they pleased, without interference
The fact that the blood they were spiling in
cluded the blood of American citizens both
soldiers and civilians-and among them women
and chiidren-evidently did not weigh with
him. Dee. 10. 1915. he said that it was None
Of our business what the Mexicans did with
their government. and SO long as l have the
power to prevent it nobody shall butt-in to alter
it for Them Yet at that very time he had
been 'butting in for two years, and he has been
'butting-in' ever since; and he has avowed that
he wished to alter it for them in all kinds of
ways, from land tenures up and down. But as
he never followed any policy of either inter
vention or rnon-intervention with any resolution
always yielding at the critical moment to
| some bandit chief of whom he became fearful
both his spasms of Intervention and his
spssms of nom Intervention have alike been en-
tirely futile. In August, 1913, he sent special
envoy to Mexico to tell Huerta he would not
recognize him. He announced this himself in
q note in October, and on Dec End he an.
nounced he would not deal with the Huerta
government. This was intervention and moth.
ing else; it was such intervention as if in 1877
some European government had declined to
recognize Hayes as president, and insisted upon
the seating Of Tilden Mr.. Wilson interviewed
when he backed Villa against Huerta He in
teryened when ne turned against Villa and
recognized Carranza.