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Show ftts& 'theqb oreTW, ri 26 th PRESIDENT the q & ) Theodore "Roose-Oelt's F.ather. Theodore Roosevelt- is the youngest American citizen who has ever been called to the head of our nation. He was born in New York City, October 27, 1858, his father, after whom he was named, being a prominent merchant, a patriot, a philanthropist, and a moving mov-ing spirit in the Civil War. The elder Theodore Roosevelt went to Washington Washing-ton after the first Battle of Bull Run, and warned President Lincoln that he must get rid of Simon Cameron as Secretary Sec-retary of War, with the result that Mr. Stanton, the "organizer of victory," vic-tory," took his place. When the war was fairly under way, it was Theodore ffcoosevelt who organized the allotment plan, which saved the families of eighty thousand soldiers of New Yori State more than five million dollars of their pay; and when the war was over he protected the soldiers against the sharks that lay in wait for them, and saw to it that they got employment. Through his influence the New York newsboys" lodging-house system and many other institutions of public benefit bene-fit and helpful charity were established. There were four children in the Roosevelt Roose-velt family, of whom Theodore was the second. There were two boys and two girls. A younger brother was killed in a railroad accident, and the hopes of shot, and every bit Of powder and shot has been fired." When he was asked what he was going to do with the $500,-000, $500,-000, he replied: "Use every ounce of that, too, within the next thirty days in practice shooting." His Cuban tVar "Record. Soon after the outbreak of the war, however, his patriotism and love of active life led him to leave the comparative compar-ative quiet of his government office for service in the field. As a lieutenant-colonel lieutenant-colonel of volunteers he recruited the First Volunteer Cavalry, popularly known as the "Rough Riders." The men were gathered largely from the cowboys of the west and southwest, but also numbered many college-bred men of the east. In the beginning he was second in command, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, Dr. Leonard Wood being colonel. But at the close of the war the latter was a brigadier-general brigadier-general and Roosevelt was colonel in command. Since no horses were transported trans-ported to Cuba, this regiment, together togeth-er with the rest of the cavalry, was obliged to serve on foot The regiment regi-ment distinguished itself in the Santiago San-tiago campaign, and Colonel Roosevelt became famous for his bravery in leading lead-ing the charge up San Juan Hill on July 1st. He was an efficient officer, and won the love and admiration of his men. His care for them was shown by the circulation of the famous round-robin round-robin which he wrote protesting against keeping the army longer in Cuba. As Governor of Jfeto yorK. Upon Roosevelt's return to New York there was a popular demand for his nomination for governor. Previous Pre-vious to the state convention he was nominated by the Citizens Union, but he declined, replying that he was a Republican. The Democrats tried to frustrate his nomination by attempting to prove that he had lost his legal residence resi-dence in that state. That plan failed and he was nominated in the convention conven-tion by a vote of 753 to 218 for Governor Gover-nor Black. The campaign throughout the state was spirited. Roosevelt took the stump and delivered many speeches. His plurality was 18,079. As the campaign of 1900 drew near, the popular demand that Roosevelt'i name should be on the National Republican Re-publican ticket grew too imperativs to be ignored by the leaders. Tie honor of the nomination for Vice-President was refused time and time again by Roosevelt, who felt that he had a great duty to perform as governor at New York state. Says Cal OLaughlin, apropos of the Republican National Convention, which was held in Philadelphia on June 19, 20 and 21, 1900: JVomtnation at Philadelphia. On the evening of the first day of the convention, Roosevelt saw Piatt. "My name must not be presented to the convention," con-vention," he told him. Piatt was mad. and mad clean through; but ha acquiesced and Roosevelt returned to his apartment to run into the arms of the Kansas delegation. dele-gation. "We do not request you to accept ac-cept the nomination," said State Senator Burton; "we do not urge you to accept the nomination, but we propose to issue orders to vou, and we expect you to obey them." Throughout the delivery of Mr. Burton's remarks, ' Roosevelt stood, with shoulders square and feet at right angles, his chin occasionally shooting forward, as if he were on the point of objecting to I the argument that he alone could rescue i "bleeding Kansas" from demagogism and ' populism. But he waited patiently until the father were centered on Theodore. At the age of five or six, Theodore gave little promise of maintaining the prestige pres-tige of the Roosevelt family line. the President's Early "Boyhood. He was a puny, sickly, delicate boy. Some one who knew him in those days of the Civil War described him as a "weak-eyed, pig-chested boy, who was too frail to take part in the sports of lads of his age." When he arrived at the age of six. he was sent to the famous old McMullen School, where he remained for eight years. It was not, however, in New York that the boy Roosevelt spent with most profit the months to which he looks back with pleasure. The elder Roosevelt believed tiat. children best thrive in the country. coun-try. He selected a beautif ul spot near , the village of Oyster Bay, on the north shore of Long Island, and erected a country house which well deserves its title, "Tranquility." Here it was among the hills which border the sound and the bay, that Theodore Roosevelt and his brother and sisters spent the long summer months. At fourteen Theodore was admitted to tue Cutler School, a private academy in New York conducted conduct-ed by Arthur H. Cutler. Here he took the preparatory course for Harvard University, making rapid advancement under the careful tuition of Mr. Cutler, and graduating with honors. Becomes an Athlete. By careful attention and plenty of gymnasium exercise and out-of-door life his frame became more sturdy and his health vastly improved. It thus happened that when young Roosevelt entered on college life at Harvard, in 1875, he suffered little by comparison with boys of his age. While he did not stand in the front rank of athletics, he was well above the average, and had no -eason to be ashamed of his physt- cabin, and for several years mingled the life of a ranchman with that of a literary worker. From Lis front door he could shoot deer, and the mountains around him were full of big game. Amid such surroundings he wrote some of his most popular books. He became a daring horseman and a rival of the cowboys in feats of skill and strength. In 1886 Mr. Roosevelt was the Republican candidate for Mayor against Ahram S. Hewitt, United Democracy, and Henry George, United Labor. Mr. Hewitt was elected by about twenty-two thousand plurality. In 1889 Roosevelt was appointed by President Harrison a member of the United States Civil Service Commission. Commis-sion. His ability and rugged honesty In the administration of the affairs of that office greatly helped to strengthen his hold on popular regard. Police Commissioner in JVetv yorK. Roosevelt continued in that office until un-til May 1, 1895, when he resigned to accept the office of Police Commissioner Commis-sioner from Mayor Strong. He found the administration of affairs in a demoralized de-moralized condition, but he soon brought order out of chaos. Says James A. Riis, who is an intimate friend of President Roosevelt: ' We had been trying for forty years to achieve a system of dealing decently wiid our homeless poor. Two score years De-fore, De-fore, the surgeons of the police department depart-ment had pointed out that herding tnem in the cellars or over the prisons of P01.1 stations in festering heaps, and turning them out hungry at daybreak to beg their way from door to door, was indecent ana inhuman. Since then grand juries, acafl-emies acafl-emies of medicine, committees on pnu-anthropic pnu-anthropic citizens, had attacked the foul disgrace, but to no purpose. Pestilence ravaged the prison lodgings, but still they staved. I know what that fight meant i for I was one of a committee that wagea 11 year ali.tr year, and suffered defeat every time, 'until Theodore Roosevelt came and destroved the nuisance In a reddened with pleasure,- for he saw that the best in them had come out on top, as he expected it would. Attacked by "yellobo" JVeius-papers. JVeius-papers. It was of this incident that a handle was first made by Mr. Roosevelt's enemies ene-mies in and out of the police board and he had many to attack him: It happened that there was a music-hall music-hall in the building in which the labor men met. The yellow newspapers circulated circu-lated the lie that he went there on purpose pur-pose to see the show, and the ridiculous story was repeated until actually the liars persuaded themselves that it was so. They would not have been able to understand under-stand the kind of man they had to do with, had they tired. Accordingly they fell into their own trap. It is a tradition of Mulberry Street that the notorious Seeley dinner raid waj planned by his enemies en-emies in the departWnt of which he was the head. In the belief that they would catch Mr. Roosevelt there. The dinners were supposed to be his "set." Some time after that, Mr. Riis was in Roosevelt's office when a police official of-ficial of superior rank came in, and requested re-quested a private audience with him: They stepped aside and the policeman spoke in an undertone, urging something strongly. Mr. Roosevelt listened. Suddenly Sud-denly I saw him straighten up as a man recoils from something unclean, and dismiss dis-miss the other with a sharp: "No, sir! I don't fight that way." The policeman went out crestfallen. Roosevelt took two or three turns about the floor, struggling evidently with strong disgust. He told me afterward that the man had come to him with what he said was certain knowledge that his enemy could that night be found in a known evil house uptown, up-town, which it was his alleged habit to visit. His proposition was to raid it then and so "get square." To the policeman it must have seemed like throwing a good chance away. But it was not Roosevelt's way; he struck no blow below the belt. In the governor's chair afterward he gave the politicians whom he fought, and who fought him, the same terms. They tried their best to upset him, for they had nothing to expect from him. But they knew and owned that he fought fair. Their backs were secure. He never tricked them to gain an advantage. A promise given by him was always kept to the letter. cal prowess. Never for a waking moment was he idle It was either study or exercise. In addition to his regular studies and special courses he took upon himself the editorship of the college paper, and made a success of it He was democratic demo-cratic in his tastes and simple in his mode of living. Theodore OMrelt was graduated from Harvard in 18s0 with high honors. In spite of severe study, his health was but 1 ttle impaired, im-paired, and he at once parted on a foreign Journey in search of instruction, instruc-tion, pleasure and adventure. He dis-- dis-- tinguished himself as a munt'n , climber, ascending the Jngfrau the ' Matterhorn and many other peaks and was made a member of the Alpine Club of London. Begins Study of Laiv. On his return to America he studied law, and in the fall of 1881 he was elected to the State Assembly horn the Twenty-first District of New York, generally known as Jacob Hess s dis- By re-election he continued In the body during the session of 1883 and ?884 He introduced important Reform measures, and his entire legislat ve career was made conspicuous by the Zrage and zeal with which he as-Hed as-Hed political abuses. As chairman of Se Committee on Cities he introduced the measure which took icrd of Aldermen the power to cm-Tor cm-Tor reject the appointment. , the iLyor He was chairman of the noted Native investigating commit which bore his name. In 1884 ne weni to n. Bad Lands In Tl--Preur Buttes." where he built a lot night. I remember the caricatures ot tramps shivering in the cold with wnicn the vellow newspapers pursued him at the time, labeling him the "poor man s foe." And I remember being just a little uneasy lest they wound him. and perhaps make him think he had been hasty. But not he. It was only those who did not know him who charged him with being hasty. He thought a thing out quickly yes, that is his way; but he thought It out, and, having thought it out, suited action ac-tion to his judgment. Of the consequences he didn't think at all. He made sure he was right, and then went ahead with perfect per-fect confidence that things would come out right. His Ad-Vice to Organized Labor. Mr. Riis says he never saw Roosevelt Roose-velt to better advantage than when he once confronted the labor men at their meeting-place, Clarendon Hall: i The police were all the time having trouble with strikers and their "piokets. Roosevelt saw that It was because neither neith-er party understood fully the position of the other, and, with his usual directness, sent word to the labor organizations that he would like to talk It over with them. At his request I went with him to the meeting. It developed almost immediately immedi-ately that the labor men had taken a wrong measure of the man. They met him as a politician playing for points, and hinted at trouble unless their demands were met. Mr. Roosevelt broke them off short: "Gentlemen!" he said with that snap of the jaws that always made people listen lis-ten "I asked to meet you. hoping that we might come to understand one another anoth-er Remember, please, before we go lur-' ther. that the worst Injury anyone of you can do to the cause of labor Is to counsel violence. It will also be worse for himself him-self Understand distinctly that order will be kept. The police will keep It Now we can proceed." I was never so proud and pleased as when thay applauded him to the echo. He Assistant Secretary of Jfa-Vy. Early in 1897 he was called by Presi- ! dent McKinley to give up his New ! York office to become Assistant-Secre- i tary of the Navy. His energy and j quick mastery of detail had much to do with the speedy equipment of the navy for its brilliant feats in the war with Spain. It was he who suggested , Admiral Dewey for commander of the Asiatic station. Dewey was sometimes spoken of in those days as if he were a kind of fashion-plate. Roosevelt, however, had faith in him, and while walking up Connecticut avenue one day said to Mr. Riis: "Dewey is all right He has a lion heart He is the man for the place." No one now doubts the wisdom wis-dom of his selection, and naval officers agree that the remarkable skill in marksmanship displayed by the American Amer-ican gunners was due to his foresight. He saw the necessity of practice, and he thought it the best kind of economy to burn up ammunition in acquiring skill. A characteristic story is told regarding regard-ing Roosevelt's insistence on practice in the navy. Shortly after his appointment he asked for an appropriation of $800,000 for ammunition, powder, and shot for the navy. The appropriation was made, and a few months later he asked for another appropriation, this time of $500,000. When asked by the proper authorities what had become of the first appropriation, he replied: "Every cent of it was spent for powder and the address was elided, and then appealed to the Kansans to take his words at their face value, and vote for some one of the candidates. But his appeal was useless, for Senator Burton, grasping his hand, congratulated him "in advance upon his nomination and election," and the delegation dele-gation enthusiastically approved the sentiments. sen-timents. So certain was Kansas that Roosevelt would be the choice of the convention, con-vention, that it had printed a huge placard, plac-ard, bearing the words in large, black type: "KANSAS DELEGATION FIRST TO DECLARE FOR GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT." And, when the nomination was declared to have occurred, triumphantly carried H about Convention Hall. After his nomination, Roosevelt said: I held out as long as I could. I had to give in when I saw the popular sentiment . of the convention. I believe It is my duty. I Now that it is all over, I want to say that I appreciate fully the sentiment which accompanied my nomination. The unanimity unan-imity and enthusiasm of the convention for my nomination never will be forgotten forgot-ten by me. During the political campaign which followed, he traveled 16,100 miles, ' flashed through 23 states, delivered 459 speeches, containing 860,000 words, and made his appeal directly to 1,-600,000 1,-600,000 persons. President Roosevelt has been a student stu-dent of political economy since boyhood. boy-hood. He has been an omnlveroui reader, and has pursued his studies with the same zeal and energy thai have characterized all his acts in civil i -nd military life. San Francisco Af I ' gonaut j |
