The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-01-23
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

At the moment when his heroic
spirit, his matchless mind, his daunt-
less courage, his iawless American
ism were needed most by a nation
cropping for leadership In an hour of
great decision. Theodore Roosevelt
has laid his body beside that of his
soldier son IN France in the last
sleep. But not before he had spoken
words of counsel to his countrymen
which will live after him to shape
and determine the issues of a nation
al emergency perhaps the grayest yet
faced by the Americon people.
Alone among American Presidents
1t was reserved to Theodore Roose-
welt to perform larger service to the
American people following his retire
ment from the Presidency and in the
final months Of his life than during
his executive incumbency His was
the voice which, in the months before
the war, sounded forth the warning
Of impending national danger and
the call to national preparedness.
His was the voice which, when the
war came, summoned the American
people to unity of sentiment and of
endeavor In behalf of the national
cause, where, in every former ma
tional war emergency, leaders of the
party opposition had failed in un-
reserved support OF their country S
cause. Upon the altar of his country
he offered himself, only to be re-
jected; and then he gave his four
sons to make in the service of their
country a proud record of heroic
sacrifice. The war over and the
victory won. the voice of our last
soldier President was heard reaflirm-
ing, in an hour when departures
from American tradition and pre-
cedent and spirit seemed imminent,
the sentiments of our first soldier
President in behalf of AN INDIE
PENDENT NATIONAL EXISTENCE
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, free from the domination
or interference or preponderant in
fucnce Of any alien nation or group
of nations.
COntemporane0u opinion does not
finally fix the place of any man in
history. Some men whose fame fills
the world for an hour are forgotten
by succeeding generations Only to
the extent that the names of men are
linked heroically with eternal princi-
plies are they gratefully remembered
The time server dies with the time he
serves, the demagogue must take all
his pay as he goes. 1t is asked of the
men who aspired to greatness in the
past of a natiCn: Wherein did their
service contribute to the permanent
we'll being of the republic? What
principle did they stand for that
lives and serves the nation? 1t is
not enough that men should have
commanding ability or lofty position
or persuasive oratory or inspiring
personality; the test applied to fame
by Time to mems regulations is:
Were they champions of truth or of
error, of right or of wrong, of prac-
tical wisdom or sophistical theory,
of good or evil to the nation and the
people? Judged by that inexorable
standard Theodore Roosevelt's fame
will live beyond that of any other
American leader of his day and
generation; for his creed of single
track Americanism will tomorrow, as
it was in an earlier era, be the faith
of the American people.
Theodore Roosevelt's career was
one of almost continuous battle from
| the days of his youth to the moment
| of his death. Born to wealth which
invited him to life of ease and re-
pose, his dauntless spirit called him
to the arena of conflict, and there he
bore a warriors part in the arena OF
municipal, of state, of national and
of international politics, That he
was ambitious, that he was not in
variably just in his judgments, that
! he was not always wise or temperate
or fair in his utterances or his
actions, that he made many mistakes
in a career crowded with action, that
there were times in his career when
many, even majority of the Ameri-
can people did not feel justified in
following his leadership. is true
But there never has been moment
when Colonel Roosevelt was not first
and foremost lover and servant and
warrior Of his country. In the light
of that unquestioned fact the hatreds
and prejudices and grievances Of the
past will be forgotten, and Americans
without regard to party or race OF
creed will join In doing honor to this
great national and world leader
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