government and social justice as defined in the New
Nationalism. The Democratic party under the leadership of Woodrow Wilson
espoused with more or less enthusiasm the old Democratic principles
freshly interpreted and revivified in the declaration they called the
New Freedom. The campaign marked the definite entrance of the nation
upon a new era. One thing was clear from the beginning: the day of
conservatism and reaction was over; the people of the United States
had definitely crossed their Rubicon and had committed themselves to
spiritual and moral progress.

The campaign had one dramatic incident. On the 14th of October, just
before entering the Auditorium at Milwaukee, Roosevelt was shot by a
fanatic. His immediate action was above everything characteristic. Some
time later in reply to a remark that he had been foolhardy in going on
with his speech just after the attack, Roosevelt said, "Why, you know,
I didn't think I had been mortally wounded. If I had been mortally
wounded, I would have bled from the lungs. When I got into the motor I
coughed hard three times, and put my hand up to my mouth; as I did not
find any blood, I thought that I was not seriously hurt, and went on
with my speech."

The opening words of the speech which followed were equally typical:

"Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don't know
whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes
more than that to kill a Bull Moose.... The bullet is in me now, so that
I cannot make a very long speech, but I will try my best.... First of
all, I want to say this about myself; I have altogether too important
things to think of to feel any concern over my own death; and now I
cannot speak insincerely to you within five minutes of being shot. I
am telling you the literal truth when I say that my concern is for many
other things. It is not in the least for my own life. I want you to
understand that I am ahead of the game anyway. No man has had a happier
life than I have led; a happier life in every way. I have been able to
do certain things that I greatly wished to do, and I am interested in
doing other things. I can tell you with absolute truthfulness that I am
very much uninterested in whether I am shot or not. It was just as when
I was colonel of my regiment. I always felt that a private was to be
excused for feeling at times some pangs of anxiety about his personal
safety, but I cannot understand a man fit to be a col