The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1916-02-05
ROOSEVELT SPEAKS Of
DAYS SPENT IN DICKINSON

Theodore Roosevelt, ex-president of
the United States, spoke on the SUBJ
ject of Preparedness" before the
Brooklyn Institute of Arts last Satur-
day evening, and in his speech re-
ferred to his old ranching days in
North Dakota when for a time he
acted as deputy sheriff. While acting
in this capacity Mr.. Roosevelt cap
tured a bunch of law-breakers and
drove them to Dickinson, where they
were placed in Jail. Sylvane Ferris,
who was Mr.. Roosevelt's ranch fore
man and right hand man, still resides
in Dickinson. Many of the Dickinson
old-timers still wildly recall the good
old cowboy days of which Mr.. Roose-
velt spoke in his Brooklyn address.
He took an active interest in all af-
fairs of this vicinity during his resi-
dence here, from cow puncher to
speech making, being the orator of
the day at the Fourth of July celebra-
ton in Dickinson in 1886.
Following are few extracts from
his Brooklyn address, given last Sat-
urday:
Colonel Roosevelt said he approved
Of proposals to establish world
league for the enforcement of peace,
but only on condition, first, that we
shall show that we keep our promises;
and, second, that we shall show that
we are both able and ready to make
our promises effective by our action"
Many persons who favor such world
league, he asserted, at the same time
declare that ''our duty is to be neu-
tral and avoid entangling alliances"
Colonel Roosevelt said we should
have mobile army of 100000 and a
total regular army of about quarter
of million men.
Cow Country "reminiscences
"If we mean to prepare" he said,
1--WE should prepare in good earnest.
Thirty years ago I served for time
as deputy sheriff in a cow country
of the west, which was at that time a
rather lively country. We grew to
accept several rules Of conduct as
binding. One was never to draw un-
less he meant to shoot. Conversation
not followed by action was not looked
on favorably. AS has been we'll said,
the policy of speaking softly and car
rying a big stick is in the long run
infinitely safer than the policy of in
dulging in irrelevant noise and
brandishing an olive branch. Again
we found it was wise not to carry a
gun at all unless we carried a good
gun. That was before the day of au-
tomatoes. AS a deputy sheriff, I car
ried self-cocking, As caliber re-
volver. If I had been given a %
caliber muzzle-loader, I would have
promptly thrown up my job.
"The proposal for the so-called con-
tinental army is a proposal to meet
Uncle Sans need for an automatic OF
self-cocking '45' by giving him q
muzzle-loading '22.'
Human Rights vs.. Property Rights
"I stand for ample preparedness ir
order to avert war and in order tt
avert disgrace and disaster if wal
should come. l ask, moreover, thai
: this nation in the great crisis of thi'
. world war refuse to be tricked o.
' bullied by foes without or by politi
clans within. I ask that our people
remember that while their first dut!
is to the United States, they have ;
second duty to humanity at large.
"I ask that we stand for propert!
rights, but that we put human right
ahead of property rights and fnall.
, that we show that we have it in u
| to dare to risk something and to suf
> fer some discomfort and some loss
and, if necessary, some danger on be
half of a. loft ideal. It is by NJ
means necessary that a great natio7
should always stand on the heroi
: level. But no nation can be calle
\ really great unless it can sometime
; rise to an heroic mood"