The Triumphant Life of Theodore Roosevelt edited by J. Martin Miller

CHAPTER XIII
THE PRESIDENT STARTS ON HIS TRIP
Anxious to Give an Account of His Stewardship—Rides in the Cab with
the Engineer — Throngs Await His Coming — Arrives at Chicago —
Reception at Evanston — The President's Celebrated Speech on the
Monroe Doctrine — Trip through Wisconsin — Famous Address on
Trusts in Milwaukee,
President Roosevelt's record-breaking tour through the
country which commenced April i, 1903, was not planned
wholly or in part as a scheme to win the nomination. As
stated by a well-known political authority, the President him-
self realized that his failure or success before the Republican
National Convention of 1904 would depend upon the country's
view of his career in the White House, and that no amount of
traveling about the country would have much effect upon the
popular judgment.
On the other hand, President Roosevelt was anxious to
meet and talk to the people, as he wanted to give an account
of his stewardship. His speeches, therefore, were confined to
a review of the preceding year, because he felt that many of
the events at Washington which had engaged the attention of
the country were not fully understood, and he planned to
present his version during this memorable tour.
RECEIVED WITH CORDIAL GREETINGS
The President and his party left Washington on tlie Penn-
sylvania Railroad at nine o'clock, on Wednesday, April 1st,
and arrived in Pittsburg at 8.30 the same evening. The
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