The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-28
TEDDY Is 4 DuE1Lsr.


We have had strenuous men who have
graced, and disgraced, the pages of our
history. Aaron Burr, Jackson and even
Henry Clay lived lives of great strenuos-
ity. They all fought duels, some with
fatal effect. DueIing in those days, al
though unlawful, was regarded as the
only way gentlemen could settle grave
insults, or insults which one of them
thought to be grave. The national
mind has, however, changed in it's atti-
tude toward the code. When a man
is insulted now, he either ignores the
insulter or resorts to the weapons of
nature and leads for the solar pIexus or
some other vulnerable portion of the
body physical. If he is successful the
insult Is thereby wiped out; if he is not
successful, but lands short, the insult Is
forgotten.
few weeks ago the~press published
tween a German officer and youth
from Duluth who was temporarily So
Journing in the fatherland The facts
We're simple-the American youth slap
ped the face of the Teuton for some re-
mark he saw fit to make. the Teuton
challenged the youth to mortal combat,
the youth accepted, and after practicing
for six months with the sword, met the
Teuton, and to the surprise of the Teu-
ton, the world, and himself, managed
to pink" his adversary In the shoulder.
The duel came to an end. The youth
wrote of the glorious victory to his
admiring parent, the old man gave it out
to the string fiend and the next morn
ing the papers were full of the wonder
full achievement of the American youth.
Why was this so wonderful? Is it wor-
thy OF comment when an American man
ages to keep from being killed by
foreigner?
Although the yellow journals not only
displayed the news. but made learned
editorial comments upon the incident.
we in our lack of appreciation could not
discover In what way this country was
honored by the acts of the youth from
Duluth, who chose to get into a broil
with German fire-eater even If he nv
the grace of luck happened to come off
with his life and whole skin. But we
must have been blind as well as STUPID
not to see and appreciate the great ma
flonal honor involved in this incident.
For has not Vice President Roosevelt
written to the father of the youth. ex-
pressing his great admiratio fimpIiedl
Tor the strenuous young man, and his
interest in the great battle? If report
be true the vice president of the United
States, who is also a candidate for pres
ldent in the future, indicted a letter
which is in words and figures as follows.
to-wit:
Washington. Aug %, 1sO1.-To Mr..
Emil Hartman, Duluth, Minn-My Dear
Sr: VIII you pardon my writing to YOU
to know the truth of the story of the
duel between your son and German
army officer, owing to your son resent
ing a remark derogatory to the ITnited
states. was much interested in the
newspaper account: Very truly yours
Theodore Roosevelt
This is important, very important.
Two points stand out in bold relief. First
the fact that Terrible Teddy does NOT
oeileVe the newspaper accounts, and sec
ond, that he wants to pose before the
| West (the country about Duluth) as 10
ing interested in the youth who resented
an insult to the United States. Teddy is
wise He was interested in the newspa
per accounts of the great battle" but
Knowing how grossly they exaggerate his
deeds of valor. he was quite sure thew
were drawing the long bow on this heroic
youth from Duluth. Teddy also knows
thaf a little jingoism will do wonders
among the bucolic voters. This is thu.
practical part of the letter. We are of
the opinion, however, that Teddy was at
tracted to the incident, not on account uf
| the resenting of the inferred insult to the
United States, hut because there was
| blood-letting. Teddy 1evels in blood-let-
ting. If dueling were only the vogue
row, Teddy would never take off his cow
boy suit. We would be in perpetual
| political reign Of terror
Teddy was born too late. Such physical
strenuousity as his has no place in this
Gay and generation. olence is grad
ualiy being eliminated from society. Gca-
tlemen hold their tempers and win by
mental. instead eff physical prowess. If
the Duluth youth had caused the German
to feel the weight of an American fist as
punishment for an insult to his coun-
try, he would have shown the American
sri it, and VIII lie the7incident would have
been of no consequence, we would have