The Irish standard., 1900-08-11
Roosevelt the Ridiculous.

In times past we have had many
amusing persons in Our political wars.
Both of the great parties have given of
their wittiest and funniest. There have
been testers, clowns and mountebanks
beyond computation. Brt no one like
Roosevelt has ever yet figured at the
front. He surpasses all the merrymak-
ers OF history, and what makes his
achievement so irresistibly DELICIOUS is
the glazing fact that he does not Intend
or even suspect it in the very least The
lamented Burton and the venerable Tef-
terson realized the excruciating effect of
solemnity on the part of the comedian.
They knew how to throw their audi
ences into convulsions of delight. They
were great in their day and generation
but never half as funny as Roosevelt is
IN his, for their solemnity was artificial.
while his is as genuine as the ma,den-s
artless blush or the college graduate
profound conviction that he has swal-
lowed and assimilated the whole sun,
of human sapience, says the Washing
ton Post.
Roosevelt is much more enjoyable
now than he was two years ago. Then
it was conceivable that he might be the
victim of a perfectly natural deIusion.
He had no experience of war. He had
never seen an army in the field He
knew absolutely nothing of military
matters. Plunged suddenly into a be-
wildering uproar and confusion, why
should he not have thought himself the
central figure of it all? Finding that "a
swift and conclusive victory had been
achieved, why should he assume that
lie had not achieved it? He knew that
he had been cavorting and shouting
from start to finish. Nobody had made
more noise or jumped up and down
with greater zeal. He was the only
man who had lost his regiment, vaulted
wire fences and galloped about until he
didn't know where he was. Why should
not a person OF Roosevelt's peculiar
turn of mind conceive the idea that he
was 1T all through? He both amused
and grieved us then. We alternately
pitied and derided him, though we un-
derstood his innocent Authorizations,
and we felt both merriment and sorrow.
Roosevelt was very different PROPOSE
ton in 1898.
But Roosevelt is simply ridiculous
now There is no excuse for his absurd
and impudent pretensions. 1t is no
longer possible to overlook his ignorant
conceit. There was time, as we have
said, when these were both pathetic and
amusing That time has passed. Every
body now knows that Roosevelt did noe
capture San Juan hill. Everybody
knows that he was not even there until
the hill had been captured by the others
A careful reading of his own book,
"Alone in Cuba" shows this, for he
tells how ''he" took Kettle hill by. as
sault and then watched Kent's men, as
they at last, after eight hours, crawled
up San Juan and drove the emmy from
the block house and the trenches. That
the Rough Riders were subsequently or
dered to join the main body and to at
tack the Spaniards who had fallen back
on San Juan ridge" is true enough.
But the preposterous proposition that
he and his Rough Riders led the charge
on San Juan hill, or had anything to
do with that engagement, strictly speak
ing, is the jest of every army officer that
took part, and is belied by Roosevelt
himself in his so-called History"
And here is the exquisite humor Of
the situation. Roosevelt has been nom-
mated for the vice presidency in his
character as "the hero Of San Juan hill.''