The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-03

! The vice presidency might not have pre-
vented this candidate from succeeding 10
the presidency after all, Yet the fact re-
mains that Roosevelt was not elected for
] the office he holds and that, as a conse-
quence he is lacking in national support to
/ a certain degree at least. on that account
it seems well nigh impossible that he
make his own policy. strenuous and indi-
vidual. after the manner of Cleveland.
MADE OF GOOD MATERIAL.
But the people need not despair on that
] account. Even if not elected to his high
place. Roosevelt is still the first American
| Vice President who had the making IL a
President in him. II will not 10 10 judge
Roosevelt by common. everyday standards
Possibly the great financiers and capitalists
do not know as yet what to make of him.
| but there is little doubt that he possesses
the enthusiastic support of young Amer
| leans and the love of the people in general
and this hearty sympathy. the Friendship
| of the masses, will soon obscure the fact
| that he wasn't originally billed for the
| White House. And. that obstacle removed.
! Roosevelt will gain the moral force adher-
! ing to the peoples elect-the element that
makes a personal policy possible and sue
cessful.
AS far as Germany is concerned. she can
only gain by Roosevelt's personal rule,
and the more personal his rule the more
cordial the relations between Germany and
the United States will grow. l am well
aware that the great mass Of Germans be-
lieve the very opposite but that is
serious mistake which ought TO be cor
| rected as soon as possible The origin of
this mistaken view is easy to find: ROose
velt's newspaper reputation dates from the
time when he was president of the New
York police and bound by his office TO carry
out certain temperance laws. In doing so
he was unfortunate enough to become I'M
popular with German-Americans and as
the American correspondents of German
newspapers are all located in New York
| his unpopularity was reflected in the press
of the fatherland.
ENFORCED THE LAWS.
ct Roosevelt was in the right. The I'M
popular laws were not of his making; he
not even in sympathy with their
narrowminded purposes. yet, at the same
time, he found himself face to face with
conditions that called for energetic meas
ureS. Bribe-taking policemen and pOliti-
clans had combined with dive and brothel
keepers TO violate the existing laws. 1t
was not to be tolerated. corruption had to
be stamped out wherever it cropped up,
even if the Germans found il more difficult
to get something to drink on Sundays than
before. Then, as later on, when he rose
from being a municipal officer to positions
in the State and in the national govern
ment. Roosevelt's administration was dis
tinguished for devotion to duty, showing
neither fear nor favor for energy and
strict honesty, regardless of consequences.
Once persona ingrata with the father
lands press German newspapers adopted
the course OF interpreting Roosevelt's
every word and deed as manifestations OF
American jingoism, picturing him as a man
without any appreciation for culture as
one solely animated by Chauvinist conceit.
This is unjust. True. in his public utter
ances addressed to the great masses, he
likes to get off strenuous phrases. SEN
fences that travel from mouth TO mouth,
because directly appealing to popular UNI
Outstanding; but those who have heard
Roosevelt talk on really serious occasions,
those who read his articles and books, have
no manner of doubt that he appreciates
the necessity of harmonious action among
all civilized nations to the fullest extent,
and that jingosm, substituting words for
acts, is opposed TO his nature, nay. that he
despises it with all his heart. How much
he despises it, and how much he appreci-
ates culture wherever found, that his per-
sonal friends alone know.
ROOSEvELT'S OWN WORDS.
OF course, l am not at liberty to publish
the Presidents private utterances, but l
can truly say without being guilty of in
discretion, that only a few weeks ago he
spoke to me of Germany and the German
Emperor in expressions of the sincerest adj
miration 1 said to him there and then,
that, to my mind, other American had
so many points in common with Emperor
William than he as to character and in
dividual bearing. If allowed to quote from
Roosevelts letters, il would be easy for
me to convince German readers that the
President OF the United States regards
German science and German culture with
the same interest and the same critical
sentiments he feels for American institu-
tons and manifestations of progress in
general
If RoOsevelt's accession to the presi-
Dental chair should bring about change
in the present amicable relations between
the United State and Europe, the change
will be in favor of Germany. not directly
perhaps, but because our relations with
Great Britain will change.
The American friendship for Great
Britain is largely product OF Mr.. Hays
craftsmanship. II is certainly neither in
consonance with the sentiments mutually
expressed before the Spanish-American
war, with the anti-English feelings of Irish
men in America nor with the industrial
competition between the two countries.
But Hays influence will cease, that of
Lodge will rise and the isthmus canal I'm
the south and Canadian difficulties in the
north will cause a slight rupture OF our
amcabe relations with Great Britain The
result will be in the nature Of a rapproche-
ment between the United States and the
European continental powers. and as
France is losing weight with the practical
American this means better relations with
Germany and Russia. In view of this we
ought 10 be glad that we have Won HOLE
ben in Washington-that is. a man for
whom Roosevelt cherishes feelings Of the
highest esteem. II will be remembered that
he publicly called him his friend in a speech
delivered at Harvard when the title OF doc
tor was conferred upon Won HolIeben But
not only the German ambassador but all
Germany has an honest friend in the highly