The National tribune., 1901-09-19
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.
A Strong. Forceful, Cultivated, Progress
sive Man.

is presumed, by the President himself.
With slight emendation, we print Gen.
Greene's sketch as it appears, as pre-
face to one of the Presidents books.
Roosevelt was born in New York City
Oct ~. 1858. On his fathers side he
is descended from a Dutch immigrant of
the 18th century, and the intermediate
generations have been prudent, hard
working successful merchants, prominent
at all tunes in the commercial and social
life of New York. His fathers mother
was from Pennsylvania, Of Irish stock
His own mother was from Georgia, a
daughter of James Dunwoodie Bullock,
whose family was of Scotch and Hugue-
not origin, and had been prominent IN
public life in the South.
During his childhood Roosevelt was in
Isuch bad health that it was doubtful If he
would ever grow to manhood, and his ro-
bust strength and extraordinary capacity
for physical endurance were not acquired
until after his outdoor life in the west.
He was educated at private schools in
New York City, whence he went to Har-
ward University in 1876, graduating in
the usual course in 1880. His tastes
were for literary work, but the very year
after leaving college he was elected to the
Legislature as e Representative of one of
the City Assembly districts; and in the
same fashion that has since characterized
| him, he plunged at once into the thick OIL
the fight as an ardent reformer, particu-
iarly with reference to legislation affect
ing New York City. His youth and lack
of experience were more than counterbal-
anced by his earnestness and aggressive
energy, SO that he speedily became a
power which had to be recognized. lie
was the leader of his party while it was
| in the minority, and when it was in the
majority he was Chairman of the Com
mittee on Cities. He served three terms
in the Legislature, and during that time
introduced and carried through more i'm
| pOrtant city legislation than was ever
brought about by any one ASSembiyman.
1t was all directed by one central pur-
pose, namely, to put an end to boards and
commissions with their opportunities for
trades" and deals" to restrict the pow
ers of the Board of Aldermen, who were
VIGOROUSLY corrupt, and to concentrate re
sponsibility in the Mayor and single heads
of departments, who could be held &C
countable; in other words, to effect the
| transformation from what was suitable
for town-meeting government IN New
England or New Holland one or two cen
turtles ago to what was required for the
complicated cosmopolitan metropolis of
the 18th century.
| While in the Legislature he still found
| time for literary work, and in 1852 wrote
| THE Naval War of 1872" which told
the story of our glorious successes on the
sea; it was written at a period when our
merchant marine was in decadence, our
navy at its lowest ebb, and public interest
in the subject almost wholly lost. 1t was
not without its effect on the rebuilding of
| the navy which begun two years later.
| In 1884 severe domestic affection and
| ill-health caused Roosevelt to abandon his
work in New York and go to Wyoming.
| He invested considerable part of what
he inherited from his father in a cattle
ranch, and intended to remains in the
| West for many years. The wild, outdoor
| lifa faecinntah. him and IL hrnuVht him
health and strength; in spite of defective
eyesight he became good shot, and was
particularly fond of hunting big game
| The peculiar characteristics of the cow
boy, since called cow-puncher, appealed
alike to his sense of humor and his love OF
fair play. After he returned to live i'll
| the East his fondness for hunting took
him to the plains or mountains for his
vacation every year; and his hunting ex-
periences are charmingly described in four
volumes, Hunting Trips OF a Ranch
man." THE Wilderness Hunter" Hunt
ing the Grizzly" and Hunting Trips on
Plains and Mountains Senator VOL
colt, in his speech notifying Roosevelt Of
his nomination for the Vice-Presidency,
playfully referred to these hunting stories
with the remark that now that you are
our candidate they will all be believed"
but anyone who enjoys or admires manly
spOrt-such as requires courage, endur
ance, hardship and a contest with ami
mails which are superior to man in
strength or speed-will take the stories on
faith, regardless of political belief.
Cattle raising did not prove financially
successful, though Roosevelt kept his
ranch until 1896. He returned to New
York in 1856, married again, and once
more plunged into political life. A Mayor
of New York was to be elected that year.
Abram ;. Hewitt had received the nomi
nation from Tammany Hall and other
INatrrp TO- ~ - . h.
date of the Socialists; the Republican
party decided to put forward a candidate,
and selected Roosevelt. There was but
little chance of his election, but he made
"A most energetic canvass, speaking in
three or four places every night during
was elected, George being second, and
Roosevelt third, with Il vote Of about
10000 out of n total of 10000.
The next three years were devoted al I
most wholly to literary and historical
work. The upbuilding Of the great West
IS one Of the great world movements, in
some respects the most important fact
of the century now closing. Roosevelt
began writing the story of it in 1886, I'M
der the title of The Winning of the
West" the first two volumes appearing
in 1889, the third in 1894, and the fourth,
fifth and sixth in 1896. Each volume de-
scrbes distinct period and is complete
in itself. The last carried the story
through the Louisiana Purchase. Readers
of these volumes will understand the rea-
sons why Roosevelt has such an extra
ordinary hold upon the sentiment and
sympathy Of the Western people They
viii see that, although born and bred in
the great city of the East, he realizes
that the bone and sinew OF this country,
its strength and the sources of its wealth,
are in the wide valley between the Allie
ghanies and the Rocky Mountains. Its
origin and growth have been studied by
him in every detail; he has participated
enough in its life thoroughly to under
stand it, and he is in close touch and ac-
cord with its aspirations for the future. |
In 1889 Roosevelt was appointed by
President Harrison member of the Civil |
Service Commission at Washington and |
soon became its President, retaining that
office until the Spring of 1895.
In 1874 there was n union of all par
ties in New York City who were opposed |
TO Tammany Hall, and w. L. Strong was |
elected Mayor. He invited Roosevelt to |
JON his administration as head of the |
Police Department., which he accepted |
Some of his friends in Washington urged |
him not TO accept the place on the ground |
that il was beneath his dignity; others |
urged him with even more vehemence TO |
accept it, partly because of the good work |
he could do for New York in putting this |
department on an honest basis, and partly |
because of the opportunity it would af-
ford him of getting on the firing-li line in
the contest for good government in cities |