October 28, 1912. Early meeting of the Executive Committee to plan the work for this, the last week of the campaign. At eleven started for a noon rally at the Corliss Engine works. In the evening Burke Cochran was the drawing card at headquarters. I held the rally till he arrived and then faded away while he spoke like a demigod. Such superb oratory I have rarely heard. He spoke for two hours and at the end we all begged him not to stop! Very tired at night, to bed at eleven-thirty. Holding out pretty well; I think few are putting in as many hours a day.
October 29, 1912. Started for the office at nine; finding it not yet swept, went to Mr. Shehadi, our treasurer, for counsel. He reported $112 in the League’s treasury. Decided we must draw on Newport for enough at least to pay the expenses at headquarters. Shehadi gave me delicious Egyptian coffee and such Turkish delight! Did some work at headquarters and started at eleven-thirty for a long “Flying Squadron” day with Mr. Dresser, Mrs. Algeo, Mr. Humes, and Mr. Tuttle. Esmond the first stop. Next to Chepachet, where we found darkest Rhode Island, indeed. No one welcomed us until at last Abe Hawkins, the blacksmith, a tiny man with nothing but the color of his hands to mark his strenuous trade, invited us to speak in the space or common before his forge.
“I am the sheriff of this town, and I guess you folks will be given a show!” he said, gallantly. Boniface, the innkeeper, most hospitable, but very discouraging in his views. One citizen who asked me not to quote him said:
“There’s nothing doing here. Every vote in this town is controlled—well, bought, if you like the word better—by two or three men in the pay of the machine.”
The machine in Rhode Island is a pretty nearly perfect one. We owe it in part to Senator Aldrich, in part to the blind Boss Brayton and some others whose names I do not know. The machine does not represent either party but an unholy alliance between Republicans and Democrats which parcels out the offices of the State as per agreement. At present the order seems to be that the national offices go to the Republicans and the city offices to the Democrats. So complete is the harmony between the powers that a group of innocent and enthusiastic reformers, who tried to oust from his office a Democratic mayor of Newport who was a disgrace to the city and the State, found that it was impossible for them to elect their candidate because their own party was working against them and even financing the opposition. Rhode Island politics are still in the “rotten borough” stage of development.
Slipped over to Maplewood, and there held a little rally. Came upon a man who had been in a Rhode Island regiment at San Juan and carried despatches for Teddy. He had his horse shot under him. The way he told us the story showed him to be a natural orator. He is a teamster and took charge of a mountain of literature in English, French and Italian, which he promised to deliver for us at the three mills they were destined for.
Dined at Pascoag, where we held a meeting at the street corner. Reached home at eleven-thirty. It was a wonderful day, I loved being in the open air and meeting the Progressives right in the heart of the enemy’s country. Wherever we go we are impressed with the character of the people who welcome us. The heart and conscience of the country is with Roosevelt.
October 30, 1912. After a morning with the Flying Squadron, took the train for New York that brought me there in time for the Great Progressive Rally at Madison Square Garden. The whole top of the arena a vast American flag so arranged that the blue was in the middle, and it seemed that we were looking up into a starry bunting firmament. An enormous sheet in front of the grand stand showed a series of moving pictures, etc.
The picture of Jane Addams drew much applause. At last we saw T. R. on his grand tour in many different parts of the Union. Now he glided into the arena in an automobile, bowing and smiling, and now he was seen speaking from a platform of a train, now reaching down to shake hands with a man in the crowd. Everywhere the people stretched out eager yearning hands towards their leader as plants reach up towards the sun for help to grow! At last he appeared before us in the flesh! Senator Dixon who presided was earnest and eloquent, and Oscar Strauss made a powerful address. He is the brother of the Mr. and Mrs. Strauss who went down on the Titanic, the wife refusing a seat in the lifeboat because she preferred to die with her husband rather than to live without him. Hiram Johnson made a very excellent speech, but everything paled before T. R. He stood for forty-three minutes, while the people sang the campaign songs, waved the flags, and applauded. He looked a trifle pale and hardly used his right arm. If I had not heard him at the Point of Pines, I should hardly have realized that he was not yet in full vigor. A wonderful speech.
November 2, 1912. By first train to Providence; at work for our fair at the League’s headquarters for campaign expenses, i.e. hire of hall, cost of printing campaign literature, and salary of our stenographer. All the other workers are volunteers. The spirit of sacrifice shown by these people, nearly all of very modest means, is very heartening. I spoke at length at Central Falls, and later had the pleasure of introducing Jacob Riis and Doctor Woods Hutchinson. We got Professor Courtney Langdon and Professor Theodore Collier of Brown University to speak for us.