In foreign policies, for instance, I have this strong belief, which I am sure will appeal to every cow-man present—never draw, unless you mean to shoot; and that implies, of course, that when you draw it shall not be an empty gun.

Do not speak impolitely, disrespectfully of other nations.

One would rather be wronged than insulted; and this is just as true internationally as among individuals.

Always speak courteously; be dead sure you are right before going into trouble; being in, see it through.

If we had not done that and were not doing it, I for one would not have recommended going into the Panama business, and I would not advocate the Monroe Doctrine, for I do not intend to go into anything and make a bluff and then have the…

In the same way when you come to internal affairs; I have advocated giving the Interstate Commerce Commission increased power; power that will enable it to work effectively and quickly.

I should not do that for one moment if I believed that there would be injustice done to the railroads by the Interstate Commerce Commission.

I wish it understood definitely that if I find any subordinate of mine doing an injustice against a railroad, or doing an injustice for it, I will cinch him just as quickly in one case as in the other.

I shall expect him to do the square thing, both by the railroad and by the public.

If the railroad wants more than it is entitled to have, then he must decide against it; if the public ignorantly demands that the railroad shall do more than it can with propriety do, then just as fearlessly he must antagonize public…

Speaker, and gentlemen, that the longer our experience in public office is, the more we realize that at least ninety-five per cent, if not more, in importance, of the work done by any public officer who is worth his salt has nothing…

The things that concern us all as good citizens are infinitely larger than the matters concerning which we are divided one from the other along party lines.

Fundamentally our attitude in our foreign affairs and in reference to foreign nations must in the long run, if we are to be successful as a people, be based upon certain common-sense rules of conduct, the identical rules upon which every…

Let us be moderate in our statements; but let us make our deeds bear out absolutely our words.

The proper exercise of that power is conditioned upon the securing of proper legislation, which will enable the representatives of the public to see to it that any unjust or oppressive or discriminating rate is altered, so as to be a just…

As every one knows, the power of taxation, which must of course be given to the representatives of the people, is the power of death, for it is possible to kill any industry by excessive taxation.

There must be a certain trust placed in the common-sense and common honesty of those who are to enforce the law.

We need and must and shall have the very best regular army of its size that is to be found anywhere.

But I do not care how good the material, it is not going to amount to much if it is not given a chance.

There is a heap of difference between the critic, the onlooker on one side, and on the other the doer, the man who does the job.

Texas has a right to be proud of its industrial development and of its wonderful natural resources, but I tell you the best crop for any State to rear after all is the crop of men and women.

I believe in the future of Texas so heartily because I believe that you are steadily taking measures for the uptraining of the children, for the uptraining of the generations that in a very few years will take our places and rule the…

You have here in Texas a commonwealth which in area and diversification of resources already stands unequaled, which in population and wealth will soon be one of the three or four first in the entire land.

No man can do any work worth doing except at the cost of effort, of self-restraint, of forcing himself to achieve things.

No State can do anything except by possessing just those qualities, because the State is of course simply the aggregate of the individuals within it.