The Irish standard., 1898-12-03

4Ou vi 1dIlOuduCy. WltQln Drlef nail
year from the day of Mr.. Roosevelts
appointment, every saloon in New York
obeyed the law. crime had decreased
street gangs were broken up, and police
blackmail was thing of the past.
"In administering the police force,"
he says, I'VE found that there was no
need of genius, nor, indeed, Of any very
unusual qualities. What was needed was
exercise Of plain, ordinary virtues, of a
rather commonplace type, which all
good citizens should be expected to pos
sess Common sense, common honesty,
courage, energy, resolution, readiness to
learn and desire to be as pleasant as
was compatible with the strict perform
ance of duty-these were the qualities
most called for"
While MI. Roosevelt took no very :.ct-
i've part in the campaign Of 1896, he
was an ardent supporter OF the cause Of
honest money. He could brook no
"quack cure" as he called it, for finan-
cial distress. 1t was during this po1it-
telling why he was a supporter of the
Monroe doctrine, an address in which
his stalwart Americanism spoke In every
| line.
Every true patriot" ne wrote, "ev-
cry man of statesmanlike habit should
look forward to the day when not a
single European power will hold a foot
Of American soil. At present it is not
necessary to take the position that no
European power shall hold American
territory; but it certainly will become
necessary If the timid and selfish peace
at-any- price men have their way, and
II the United States fails to check at
the outset European aggrandizemcnt on
this continent"
This is most significant utterance In
view of the recent war. Col. Roosevelt
has fought for his belief.
In 1897 Mr.. Roosevelt began his work
as assistant secretary of the navy men
tion of which has already been made
He resigned on May 6, 1898, to become
lieutenant-colonel of his own regiment
of Rough Riders 1t is an error which
has had wide credence that this was
Mr. Roosevelts first military eervice
AS far back as 1884 he became lieuten-
ant Of the Eighth Regiment Of the Ma
tional Guard of the state Of New York.
afterwards rising to captain, and re-
naming militiaman for more than
four years. If there .is one thing that
he believes in more than another, it is
the value of warlike qualities of u ]la
ton.
"All the great masterful races" he
says, have been fighting races: and the
minute race loses the hard fighting vir-
tues, then, no matter what else it may
retain, no matter how skilled in ccm-
merce, or finance, in science or arts, it
has lost its proud right to stand as the
equal Of the best. Cowardice in a race,
as In an individual, is the objectionable
SIM"
History bcqueathed the idea Of the
Rough Riders to Mr.. Roosevelt. He
knew we'll what Marion's men had done
in the American revolution; how the
Texas Rangers rode in the Mexican
war; what Andy Jacksons sharpsloot-
ers did in the war of 1912, and he felt
that this arm of the service would be in
valuable in the Spanish war. Mr. Roosc-
welt has the rare power of personal at
traction; once a friend with him, always
friend, and warm friend, too. When
he called for volunteers, the rough
men of the West, who had known him
as cowboy, policemen Of New York,
college boys, Wall street traders, flock
ed from the width Of the nation to his
standard, and they were naturally men
who possessed the fighting qualities Of
their leader. That was what made the
Rough Riders. talked with number
of officers and troopers in Mr.. Roose-
velt's regiment when they were campcd
at Montauk Point, and l found their
admiration for their colonel to be bound
less. Every man Of them had something
interesting to tell about him.
why, he knows every man in the
regiment by name said one.
"Ie spent $4,000 Of his own money
at Santiago to give us better food and
medicine"
"You ought to have seen him talk
when some of our fellows weren't treat
ed we'll in the hospital"
A young lieutenant told of an incident
Of a night in the trenches which we'll H.
lustrates by what means Mr.. Roosevelt
held his power over his men. 1t was
the night of the Spanish sortc on the
captured trenches. The Rougn Riders
had lain, sweltering by day and shv-
ering by night, for 48 hours in mud
ditch, with little sleep and little fots'
During nearly all this time Mallser bull
let's sang over their heads. At the
hour Of the early morning, when men
are towards, If they ever are, the fusil-
ade increased suddenly, and the Span
iards appeared in a dense, dark line at
the top of the hill. For moment the
men in the trenches stirred restlessly,
and then they saw Col Roosevelt walk
ing calmly along the top Of the cntrcnch-
ment with faded blue handkerchief
Tapping from the back of his hat,
wholly unmindful of the bullets which
hummed about him like a hive Of bees