The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-02
ROOSEVELT STILL A BAD BOY.
And It's Dangerous to Further Elevate Him in
Public Office
(From the Philistine.l

ouSly-Teddy of oyster Bay. Just a
kid is our own Teddy, with his thirst for
adventure, and itch for turning things
upside down, his ruf riding, big game
killing and broncho busting! Only an
over grown fighting kid, with a dirty
face, buttons all off his clothes thru
much "rastling," and q casual suggestion
of shirt-tail that he has neglected to tuck
in.
Boys are savages-boys are destruc-
tive; boys are cruel. To bust" and
KILL and stamp upon things is the delight
of the boy Boys are bullies they cuff
their younger brothers, pinch their sis
ters, arrange bent pins for their elders.
shoe the cat with walnut shells and tie
tin kettles to Rover's tail.
They atch fish and throw them on the
bank and watch them gasp and founder
in the sun. They snare song birds in the
woods rob nests; put ferrets into rab-
bits burrows; tie each others clothes
into knots when they go swimming (tak-
ing care not to molest the clothes of big,
red-headed fighting boys) and they duck
all the little boys who cannot swim.
But most boys outgrow the destructive
period and evolve into something better,
leaving these destructive boyish things
behind. Occasionally you find man
who is yet a boy-such a one is our own
Teddy.
Teddy is a boy in all of his instincts,
ambitions and aspirations, and when he
comes to us with a highly moral plea
for "a Strenuous Life" he shows the
spasm of wanting to be good that comes
occasionally over every boy. Boys OF
twelve who "go forward" and kneel at
the Mourners' Bench, are not to be
trusted-it's only a moody, half-hypocrit-
ical transient desire to reform. They
will girdle your apple trees next week.
Teddy is forty years of age, forty past,
and he'll never change He'll put fer
'rets into rabbit burrows to the end of
his days, and at seVenty-fve, when the
corners of his eyes are full of plum tree
gum, and there's a quaver in his voice,
and sciatic limp to his walk, he'll suck
eggs, catch mice for the fun of clipping
their ears and tails, and make you "chaw
beef if he gets the chance.
Teddy, himself, has told us that when
he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
the humdrum duties of the place palled
upon him. He paced the streets with
Leonard Wood, restless and discontented.
The piping times of peace were not to the
taste of these men--they longed for
methirg to happen.
Thru Teddys influence the Maine"
was sent into Havana Harbor-and some
thing happened l have read history a
little, and l know the record of the ruff
riders who thru a Ruf-on- Rats policy
towards the lesser breeds without the
law, have made this world place of the
skull. The man OF violence has ever re-
ceived quick recognition-but not a last
ing fame. We defy only the Gentle Man
the man of thought and feeling-the
man of heart. The sober good sense of
the time, simply thru the law of self
preservation will not continue to push
to the front the man who delights in a
fight.
In passing it is we'll to note the truth,
that there is no virtue nor excellence,
per Sc, in the Strenuous Life" The
highest wisdom often consists in mere
passivity. Contemplation is usually safer
than hustling and when you are in
doubt about what to do, take the advice
of Seneca and do nothing
Teddy is as high now as he will ever
get. To promote him further would be tc
invite him to swing his chapararros
astride the neck of Freedom and ride a
hell to-split race thru our fondest hopes
of the Ideal Republic.
If Teddy had the power he'd rope man
kind as mavericks and brand us all with
a red hot iron of his own device; and
with the but end of a quirt he'd persuade
you into his own way of thinking.
Not that Teddy is bad boy or, no.
he is his mammals darling ootsy tootsy
VINO has so much life and energy, you
know! And then boys will be boys, any
way. Lawks a-daisy!