Presidential addresses and state papers, Volume 3 (of 7)Roosevelt, Theodore
History
Presidential addresses and state papers, Volume 3 (of 7)
Roosevelt, Theodore
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; United States -- Politics and government -- 1901-1909
The same thing that was true in the great war is true in time of peace.
This Government is emphatically a government by the people, for the
people, of the people. Now, besides applauding that sentiment, let us
live up to it. It has two sides to it. In the first place, it applies
in a dozen different directions. It applies, for instance, in reference
to creed. We have a right to ask that our neighbor do his duty toward
God and man; but we have no business to dictate to him how he shall
worship his Maker, and no business to discriminate for or against him
because of the way in which he does it. In the same way, if a man is
a decent citizen, he is a decent citizen, whether rich or poor. To
judge from some of the talk you occasionally hear, a man can not be a
square man if he is rich. Remember always that you listen at your peril
to any man who would seek to inflame you against your fellow-citizen
because he is better off. Again, in the Civil War, come back to the
consideration about your bunkie. You did not care whether he was a
banker or bricklayer. If he was a banker he was all right if he was
a good fellow, if he did his duty in camp, if he did not straggle on
the march, if he did not drop his share of the joint provisions on
the march, and then expect you to share yours with him at the end of
the day. You wanted him to do his part, and if he did it you were
for him. Now, apply that in civil life. If the rich man does not his
duty, cinch him, and I will help you just as far as I can. But don’t
cinch him because he is a rich man. If you do you are a mighty mean
creature yourself; you are not a good American yourself. Give him a
perfectly fair show. If he is a poor man and does his duty, help him,
stand by him. If he whines about his poverty and says that he ought to
be carried, you may just as well make up your mind to drop him then
and there. Every man of us stumbles at times. Every man of us at times
needs a helping hand stretched out to him; and shame to any man who
will not stretch out that helping hand to his brother if that brother
needs it. But if the brother lies down, you can do mighty little in
carrying him. You can help him up; but once up he has got to walk
himself. The only way in which you can ever really help any man is to
help him to help himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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