It was undoubtedly to our discredit, and to our temporary harm, that we refused to follow either course; it showed the existence of very undesirable national qualities, for it showed that we were loud in claiming rights which we lacked the resolution and foresight to enforce.
Roosevelt critiques the national character of his time, pointing out the failure to act decisively on claimed rights.
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I want every labor man, every labor leader, every organized union man, to take the lead in denouncing crime or violence.
The fate of the leader for the time being is of little consequence, but the cause itself must in the end triumph, for its triumph is essential to the well-being of the American people.
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