Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-02-13
LAWMAKERS HEAR
ROOSEVELT LAUDEO
Governor Clement and Frazer
Metzger Speakers at Mem.
orial Service in Capitol


a gallery filled with ladies. while man,
ladies occupied vacant seats on the flool
of the House, Governor Percival w. Glenn
ent and the Rev. Fraser Metzger Of Ran.
yiolph this evening addressed the joint
assembly of the Vermont Legislature IL
Representatives hall, the occasion beine
a memorial service to the late ex-Presi.
dent Theodore Roosevelt
Governor Clement in the course OF his
remarks said:
II believe that time must soften oui
grief before we can pay a just tribute
to President Roosevelts greatness ant
give him his true place in the history OF
che world
Speaking briefly of Roosevelt's public
career In the administration of public af.
fairs he was impetuous and bold, going
straight for the object in view"
Governor Clement referred in illustrat-
ting these traits to the Venezuelan incident
IN which President Wilson dealt with the
German menace on this side of the At
lantic.
In closing Governor Clement related q
personal experience with Roosevelt on
the night that President Mckinley was
shot.
Previous to his first speaking cam
paign in Vermont. ] had met Colonel
Roosevelt only a few times. At the time
of his speaking in that campaign he was
my guest for day or two over the
Rutland railroad.
AT the time of the assassination of
President Mckinley at Buffalo, Vice
President Roosevelt was a guest Of the
Vermont Fish and Game League at Isle
La Motto. On the afternoon of that day,
the dispatchers' wires on the Rutland
road were suddenly interrupted by the
brief announcement that President
Mckinley had been shot at Buffalo. That
message was imme diately repeated to
Isle La Motto station and telephoned to
Roosevelt. Knowing that he would
wish to go directly to the bedside of
the President, a special train was imme
diately made up and dispatched for him.
There was some delay and it was not
until night that we We're really under
way. The telegraph offices on the road
were kept open in order that bulletins
might be received. and we made frequent
stops in the night to get and read these
bulletins. The vice president was
anxious to know more Of the particu-
lars that had been received and late in
little station, which. as 1 remember it,
read about like this: The President is
resting comfortably When I read that
dispatch to the vice president he burst
out That is fine, good His whole
manner indicated his devotion to and
solicitude for President Mckinley. Fur
Their along the dispatch gave more details
in regard to the nature of the wound.
We sat long time in silence, and finally
said: Mr.. President, this is the great
est night OF your life. 1t is not possible
that a man of President McKinley's age
can be so wounded and live. The respon-
sibilities and duties of the highest Office
in the greatest nation on earth will rest
upon your shoulders. He dropped his
head and then said:
30, / hope not, l hope not. Tonight
wish to emphasize that this expression
came from the heart and was genuine
and sincere. A moment after that, 1t
was about three o'clock in the morning
he said that he would go to bed, and as
y shook his hand he said Good night
come and see me
THAT night was the last time that ]
saw or spoke with Roosevelt / did not
see him after he assumed the duties of
his office for the reason that l was not
in accord with his political program, but
the charm of his manner and his warm
heartedness left an indelible impression
upon my mind"
Frazer Metzgor. personal friend OF
Theodore Roosevelt, was introduced by
Lieut.-Go Mason S. Stone as "a dis
cipe' of the former president. He paid
a tribute to the man in whose memory
he spoke which brought sympathetic and
tod lat,
From the large number of word pictures
which We're given of the late ex-presi-
dent. here arc a few: During the cam
paign Of 1872, when Roosevelt was run
ming for a third term, he spoke in the
town of Bennington and al the close OF
his address he turned to Mr.. Metzger and
asked:
What things did say which l should
not have said, and what things did
leave unsald which / should have said?'
Mr.. Metzger, after some hesitation
answered that there were many who
thought that Col. Roosevelt was always
looking for personal and
Mr. Metzger suggested that in Col. Roose-
velt's addresses he refrained so far as
possible from using the pronoun ~"
with tears in his eyes Roosevelt re-
piled;
"Oh why do people misunderstood me
30? They have given me everything
that man could want. From this day
until the day of my death, / want
only to do my duty
Almost the last words l heard from
his lips, said Mr.. Metzger, were in his
home a few months ago.
The speaker explained the family
scene which was there represented and
NJ a lat Eyy
President:
pr The world has reason to find fault
with me; / have made lots of blunders;
but it cannot find fault with my family
Mr.. Metzger continued: One of the
greatest contributions he has made is
for the sanctity of the home"
Mr.. Metzger also paid highest tribute
TO Mrs. Roosevelt. He touched upon
the records which the Roosevelt boys
made In the world war with special
reference to Quentin Roosevelt's tragic
tnd, and the words uttered by the
Father.
No life is so fruitful or so honorable
a. such a death"
Here are some Of the pointed utterances
Of Mr.. Metzger regarding President
Roosevelt
He chose the way of hardship and
pain
He always wanted to be in the game,
even If 1t mean throwing his hat into the
ring and when he got into the game he
always hit the line hard"
'"rhere was but one governoring princi-
pie to his career. and that was: Is II
eight
Contrary to public opinion, IL was
never hard to convince him that he was