Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-20
ROOSEVELT LAUDED
BY LOCAL MAN HE
KNEW INTIMATELY
CONTINUED frem page II

vet. II was my God given privilege
to know him intimately, and for 3
period of more than two years t,
have the great honor and pleasure OF
his friendship and advice
What manner Of man was he
whose death caused the floating o.
flags at half mast on every public
building and every school house i
the United States and in every civil
lied nation in all the world? Was he
the scheming, self-seeking politician
his enemies have painted him? Wa
he the rule or ruin hood and iron mai
his deTactors would have us believe
Was 1t for such "A man the boys ant
girls of the schools in his home tow
contributed their dimes and pennie
20 send their tribute OF flowers L
Sycamore Hill?
Was il for a usurper in polite
that the bells on the historic city hal
tower, Trinity Church and St. Paul
Chapel in the great city Of New Yor.
| were tolled as he' wars laid to rest
Was it for a mere politician that tn
| heart OF industry ceased to beat
every large city in America while h!
body was returned 10 Mother Earth
Who was this man on account
whose death more than five thousanC
| messages of sorrow and sympath
poured into oyster Bay within tweL
| ty-four hours, from private citizens
| Rough Riders, ambassadors, milis
| tiers, senator's congressman, men an
women of all ranks and distinct.c-
This man for whom 100000 BO
Scouts are to plant trees in memOr
of him whom they regarded as thei
| hero.
IN the early dawn OF the nine
/ teenth century a man Of remarkaDt
character and ability stood in the Ger
! ter of the historic stage. This mai
was Napoleon Bonaparte, the most re
markable soldier and military geniu
of his day. In the opening years O
the twentieth century man equal
remarkable in character and abiliC
stood in like manner before the world
with all eyes fixed upon him. This
man was Theodore Roosevelt, the
most famous advocate of peace ant
progress in al the world. 1t w
the blare of trumpets and roll {
drums, the charge of cavalry ana tn
lannon's roar, All the pomp and cir
| cumstance of glorious war to whicl
| Napoleon owed his fame There wa
none Of this in RoosevelCs careal
| With the exception OF his dashin
| charge up San Juan Hill with tn
! Rough Riders. his life has been on
of a Struggle against graft and di
honesty, a battle with politicians an.
lawmaking bodies for reform.
He demanded equal rights for
men a square deal for high and low
for rich and poor alike What was j
in this man that set the world agapc
| put his name into every moutI
| opened every ear to hear his last I
terance, and made his every jOurne
through these United States con
stant ovation in which multitude
| rushed to see and cheer him as h,
/ passed? Whatever the cause, thi
/ simple American citizen, without ran
or power for ten years prior to hi
death, stood in the limelight of tn
worlds applause, u brilliant star il
the p0litica. skies.
What Was in the man or his caree
that exalted him to such rcpute? Ii
my Judgment it was because he wa
man of Unborn genius. Of extraord
nary insight; of wonderful. power 10
doing things The rank and file
the American people loved him be
cause Of his outspoken honesty of pun
pose, his hatred of sham and frauC
his daring in taking the bulls of Coz
rupti0n by the horns. They loveC
him for his bold defiance Of the arm,
of corrupt finance intrenchei benin,
the ramparts of Wall street. The,
honOred him for his resistance to tho
cohorts OF party politics. They ad
mired his strength Of purpose, di
RICHNESS of action and unflinchn.
courage He was fighter in the
grain, a warrior born, a man with TIE
.strength of vigOr of a dynamite
charge. There are men who wait
who do not rise until opportunity
knocks at their door There are
others who make gDpOrtunjtN Gen.