Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1902 — PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SPEAKS AT THE CHARLESTON EXPOSITION. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SPEAKS AT THE CHARLESTON EXPOSITION.

Wednesday was "President's day” at the Charleston exposition. The events of the day began with a grand procession through the principal streets of Charleston, and afterward there were speeches in the exposition auditorium, the presentation of a sword by the President to Maj. Micah Jenkins, a luncheon at the Woman's building and inspection’ of the grounds and buildings. The parade was the most important that Charleston has ever seen. Besides the President and distinguished visitors. United States artillerymen, United States marines and Jackies; there were soldiers from various States and cadets from two military academies.. At noon the President proceeded from the reviewing stand into the auditorium, where the formal cereifionies took place. Addresses were made by Capt. F. W. Wagener, president of the exposition company; Gov. McSweeney of South Carolina. Gov. Aycock of North Carolina, Mayor Smyth of Charleston and the President of the United States. President Roosevelt's Speech. President Roosevelt spoke in part as follows: With delicate and thoughtful courtesy you originally asked me to come io this exposition on the birthday qf Abraham Lincoln.The Invitation not only showed a tine generosity and manliness in you. my hosts, but It also emphasized what hardly anything else could have emphasized how completely we are now a united people. The wounds left by the great Civil War, Incomparably the greatest war of modern times, have healed and its memories are now priceless heritages of honor alike to the North and to the South.' The devotion.-the self-sacri-fice, the steadfast resolution and lofty dur Ing, the high devotion to the right as each man saw It. whether Northerner or South-erner-all these qualities of the men and women of the early ’tills now shine luminous and brilliant before our eyes, while the mists of angeraind hatred that once dimmed them have passed away forever. All of us. North and South, can glory alike in the valor of the men who wore the gray. Those were Iron times and only iron men eould light to its terrible finish the giant struggle between the hosts of Grant and Lee. To as of the present day and to our children and children's children, the valiant deeds, the high endeavor and abnegation of self shown In that struggle by those who took part therein will remain for evermore to mark the level to which we In our turn must rise whenever the hour of the nation's need may come. When four years ago this nation was compelled to face a foreign 4ge, the completeness of the reunion became Jnstantly and strikingly evident. The war was not one whlph called for the exercise of more than an insignificant fraction of our strength mid the strain put upon us was slight Indeed compared with" the results. But it was a satisfactory thing to see the way In which the sons of the soldier of the Union and the soldier of tin* Confederate leaped eagerly forward, emulous to show In brotherly rivalry the qualities which had won renown for their fathers, the men of the great war. It was my good fortune to serve tinder an ex-Confederate general, gallant old Joe Wheeler, who commanded the cavalry divlalon at Santiago. In tpy regiment there were certainly ns many men whose fathers hnd served in the Southern as there were men whose fathers had served In the Northern army. Among the captains there was opportunity to promote only one to field rank. The man who was singled out for this promotion because of conspicuous gallantry In the field was the sou of a Confederate general and was himself a citisen/ff this, the Palmetto State; and no American officer could wish to march to battle beside a more loyal, gallant mid absolutely fearless comrade than my former captain and major, your fellow-citizen, Micah Jenkins. A few months ago. owing to the enforced absence of the Governor pf the Philippines, it was necessary to nominate a Vice Gov ernor to take his place-one of the monImportant places In <»ar (foternineiit at this time. I nominated aa Vice Governor an ex Confederate, Geu. Luke Wright, of Tennessee. It N. therefore, an ex-Confederate who stands as the exponent of this Government and this people in that great group of Is! nnds In the Eastern sens over wMeii the American flag floats. It Is an added pnmf of the completeness of the reunion of our country that one of the foremost men who have l>een Instrumental In driving forward the great work for civilization aud human Ity In the Philippines has la-en a mail who In the Civil War fought with distinction In a uniform of Confederate gray. Sectional Lines Wiped Out. It ever the need cornea In the future the past hns made abundantly evident the fact that from this time on Northerner nnd Southerner will In war know only the gen erous desire to strive how each can do the mon- effective service for the ting of our common country. The same thing Is true

In the endless work of peace, the neverending work of building and keeping the marvelous fabric of our industrial prosperlty. The upbuilding of any part or our country is a benefit to the whole, and .every such effort ns this to stimulate the resources and industry of a particular section Is entltleil lu the lienr|lest support from every quarter of the Union. Thoroughly good national work can be done only if each of us works hard for himself and at the same time keeps constantly In mind that he must work In conjunction with others. You have made a particular effort In your exhibition to get into toueii with the West Indies. This Is wise. The events of the last four years have shown us that the West indies and the isthmus in the future occupy a far larger place in our national policy than tn the past. This is proved by the negotiations for the purchase of the Danish islands, the acquisition of Porto Klee. the preparation for building an isthmhiu canal and finally by the changed relations which these years have produced lwtw’een us and Cuba. As a nation we have an especial right to take honest pride tn what we have done for Cuba. Our critics abroad and at home have insisted that we never intended to leave the Island. But on_ the 20th of next month Culm becomes a free republic and we turn over to the Islanders the control of their own Government. It would be very difficult to find a parallel in the conduct of any other great state that has occupied such a position as ours. We have kept our word and done our duty just, as an honest Individual in private life keeps his word and does his duty. Be it rememliered. moreover, that after our three years’ occupation of the island we turn it over to the Cubans in a lietter condition than it ever has been In all the centuries of Spanish rule. This has a direct bearing upon our own welfare. We have rightfully insisted upon Cuba adopting toward usaii attitude differing politically from that she adopts toward any other power; and tn return, as a matter of right, we must give to Culm a different—that is, a lietter— position economically In her relations with us than we give to other powers. This is the course dictated by sound policy, by a wise and far-sighted view of opr own Interests, and by the position we have taken dwrlng the past four years. We are a wealthy and powerful country, deallngwrltb a much weaker one; and the contrast In wealth and strength makes It all the more our duty to deal wlthiCnba us we have alerady dealt with her,'ln a spirit of large generosity. Period of Prosperity. This exposition is rendered possible because of the iieriod of Industrial prosperity through widen we are passing. The wellbeing which we are now enjoying enn lie secured only through general business prosperity. and such prosperity Is conditioned upon the energy and bard work, the sanity and the mutual respect of all classes of capitalists, large and small, of wage-workers of every degree. As Is Inevitable in a time of business prosperity, some men succeed more than others, and It Is unfortunately also Inevitable that when thia is the case borne unwise people are sure to try to appeal to the envy and Jealousy of those who succeed lefiat. It is a gpod thing when these appeals are made tq remember that while It Is difficult to lactease prosperity by law it is easy enough to ruin 11, and that there is small satisfaction to the less prosperous if they succeed In overthrowing l>otb the more prosperous and themselves In the crash of a common disaster. We are certain to fall If we adopt the policy of the demagogue who raves against the wealth which la simply the form of embodied thrift, foresight and Intelligence; who would shut the door of opportualty against those whose energy we should especially fbster, by penalizing the qualities which tell for success. Just as little can we afford to follow those who fear to recognize Injustice and to endeavor to ent It out la-cause the task Is difficult or even—if performed by unskilled hands—dangerous. I’his la an era of great combinations, both of lalior and capital. In many ways these combinations have worked for good, but they must work under the law, and the lawk concerning them must lie just aud wise or they will Inevitably Ho evil; and this applies as much to the richest corporation as to the most powerful lalior union. Our laws must lie wise, sane, healthy, conceived In the spirit of those who Acorn the mere agitator, the mere Inciter of class or sectional hatred; who wish justice for all men, who recognize the need of adhering so far as possible to the old American doctrine of giving the widest possible scope for the free exercise of Individual Initiative, and yet who recognize also that after combinations have reached a certain stage It is Indispensable to the genera) welfare that the nation should exercise over them, cautiously and with setf-rvatralnt but firmly, the power of supervision and regulation. Aliove all, the. administration of the Government, the enforcement of the laws, must la- fnlr and honest. The laws are not to lie administered either in the Interest of the poor man or the Interest of the rich man. They are simply to tie administered justly— In the Interest of justice to each man, lie he rich or be he poor, giving Immunity to no violator, whatever form tile violation may assume. Such Is the obligation which every public servant takes and to It he must l>e true under penalty of forfeiting the respect both of hlniM-lf and of his fellows.