Remarks in Mount Vernon, Illinois

My friends and fellow Americans:

I am delighted to be in this great and beautiful State today, to be passing through Illinois, which I know so well, and to be greeted by you. I have but a moment and I want to say a word of special greeting to two bodies here; in the first place to the men of the great war, to the men of the Grand Army, to the men who actually did the deed instead of talking about it; and in the next place to you young people, the boys and girls; for it is going to depend upon what you do and the way you are brought up whether thirty years hence we are as proud of this country as we are now. One word to the fathers and mothers; in bringing up the children, do not make the mistake of trying to bring them up merely so that everything shall be as easy as possible, but so they will be able to do the best that can be done with life, which is certain to be a little rough at best. Teach them not to shirk difficulties; but to overcome them.