OCR Text |
Show THE UNOONQUERiYBLE ROOSEVELT. On the day after the attempt to assassinate Theodore Roosevelt, Roose-velt, the Denver Post, up to that time an anti-Progressive newspaper, renounced its allegiance to the old parties and in the following beautiful tribute to thc leader of the new movement, declared for Roosevelt : ROOSEVELT. "You cannot read the speech that Theodore- Itoosovclt made last night In Milwaukee, after he had been shot, without a lump rising in your throat and a surging of blood through your body that leaves you flushed and angry and proud In its sweep of high emotion. "Angry that this thing could have happened here to one of our gTcat soldiers of the common good In the midst of his. most valiant val-iant fight. Angry at that and ashamed for it, too. 'And prond with a great pride that this son of America, 'with the blood soaking through his clothes,' could have "sent that A'aliant call of his to cheer the listening crowd and tell that ho had 'lived well' and could face the prospect of death Joyfully because be-cause ho would leave to men the memory of a life that had been full to overflowing'. "There aro other men who bulk bijj in tho eyes of the people today. There aro good men, and kind men, and wise men, and men who can speak as prettily about thiG small thing and that. But alone of them all, Theodore Roosevelt hao tills way of rising ris-ing to his great occasions greatly and standing before "us stark and big. with the light of a great soul flooding about him and a world that pays attention to his words. "Hear again the valiant farewell that roao from him last night in Milwaukee as ho stood, 'with the blood soaking through his clothes,' and taught those nien and women another lesson In supreme courage. " 'I want you to understand,' he said, and his face was white with pain as he spoke, I want you to understand that 1 am ahead of the gamo, anyway. I have been ablo to do certain things that I greatly wished to do, and I am Interested in doing other things. And i" can tell you with absolute truthfulness that I am very much uninterested whether I am shot or noL What I do care for Is my country.' "With that, and his head hold high, ho said little more, for the strength was not in him to sieak at length; but it was Hko Roosovelt that wounded thougi he might be the spirit flamed flam-ed in him still to tell them thu thing that was nearest bis heart and rally them about him In tho fight where his banners were still flung wide to the breeze. ''For Roo?evelt ha3 always been a fighter; he- has always faced his adersaries square and unflinching; he has never turned turn-ed his back on a friend or 'in enemy, and he looks upon himBelf as a man dedicated to the servlco of his country, who has counted count-ed the chance of thnt service as the kind of good fortune that has kept him 'ahead' of the ame. "Ho was 'ahead of the game' when they thought they would ditch him by making him Vice president. He was 'ahead of tho game' when he succeeded McKlnley and took up thp work that they Imagined their trick had denied him. He was 'ahead of tho game' when he walked out of tho Whlto IIousg aud left Taft to carry on the fight that Taft was so incapable of waging. He was 'ahead of thc game whoua coward shot him In Milwaukee last night and he went to the meeting to say what might have been a long farewelL with the blood of the wound 'soaking-through 'soaking-through hit; clothes.' "And he will 'ahead of tho game' when the inevitable call comes for him. as It must come for all of us, because there is In Roosevelt the stuff that saints and heroes are made of, and no man who rallies to hiB standard need take shame for the leader ho follows "Think what you like of his policies; choose whatever leader is best suited to your temper, but never for a moment allow yourself your-self to underestimate tho hold on the peoplo of this country of the man who could talk as Thoodore Roosevelt talked last night while the wound from the bullet gnawed at his fleah and the blood 'soaked through hia clothes,' so that they who listened to him could see Its r.talna. "IT MAY BE THAT ROOSEVELT Yv'IT L BE PLACED AGAIN IN THE WHITE HOUSE TO FINISH THE WORK UPON WHICH HE HAS SET HIS HEART. IT MAY BE THAT THE FUGITIVE BULLET OF THIS COWARD OF MILWAUKEE WILL PROVE MORE SERIOUS THAN ANY OF US WILL ALLOW AL-LOW OURSELVES TO THINK. WHAT TOMORROW HAS LURKING FOR THE LEAST OR THE GREATEST OF US NOT ANY OF US CAN TELL. "But every man who casts his vote for Roosevelt in November Novem-ber will be doing a thing of which he may well be proud to his lastday and leave It as a badge of honor to the children that shall follow him in life "Even as he lies stricken in a hospital In Chicago today will men and womon love him and pray for his quick recovery: and, '' ar, he stood la.t night In Milwaukee with 'the blood soaking through his .clothes,' po must lie stand long in our vision and - our memory as a man of simnlo" unbroken courage?? whjv. with death confronting him, thinks chiefly of 'his country'-and thanks God that his days have not been empty, but full of many things, and that with tho shadow of the close of life at his feet be can go forward unflinching and with a joyful' heart because he is still 'ahead of tho gamo ' "In that high spirit has he lived, and, through and by it, mav God spare him to live and sene hl3 country yet for "many fearless years. |