Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-09-26
m'KINIEY AND ROOSEVELT.
Leigh III. Hodges Tells of Personal
Meetings With Each Predicts
That President Roosevelt Will
Make a Good Executive.

Correspondence of the Ledger
PHILADELHIA, Sept. 19.-Theodo.e
Roosevelt will make fine President.
He is well bred, he is honest and he is
fearless. With these three qualiflca-
tions no man could well go wrong. And
Theodore Roosevelt, descended from
one of the first Dutch families to set
tie in Manhattan, viii live up to the
best traditions Of the high place he
has SO suddenly been called upon TO
| FILL
1t was not quite year ago that /
first saw Roosevelt. He was then
Governor of New York and candidate
for the Vice-Presidency. 1t was in
Albany and ! was sitting in the Office
of his private secretary mot the one
he has now. That gentleman and my
self were discussing the characteristics
of the Governor. Presently our con-
versation was interrupted BY rapid
knocking at the door leading into the
great hallway, and which was locked
] had never heard anyone knock Just
the same way before. II sounded more
like wood-pecker than human. And
when a clerk had hurried to the door,
in burst Roosevelt He went through
the room like an express train, lifting
his slouch hat from his head with his
lefthand and raising his right in jes-
ture Of welcome. Good morning, boys
was his greeting. And that's 1'heo-
dore Roosevelt.
Half an hour later l had a pain in
my right hand. / had shaken hands
with the Governor the man now
Presidential my literary lieutenant
didn't feel just right for an hour or
more. His handshake is vise-like.
His smile is a cross between sneer
and snieker. You can see every one
of his teeth. His eyes twinkle like
boys. He is the personifcation of
strength.
And yet this same man came into
life weak, puny invalid. If his own
sister had not told me this | |
should not have believed It'll could |
not. But until he was quite boy he
hardly knew what it was to have a |
well day. Then he made up his mind |
to be strong. And-well, Just be care
full about saying that Roosevelt is not |
strong minded
But | cannot even speak Of the new
President without thoughts of the
well beloved one we are all thinking
of to-day. 1t was my good fortune to
meet him In a somewhat less formal |
way than that customarily accorded |
his countrymen. How we'll / shall |
always remember that day-the wait
in the dlngy hall of the White House,
the low spoken summons of the order
ly who announced that Mr.. Porter was
ready Porter was hisprivate secretary
then; he is with him now in the be-
yond-and the entering of the Presi- |
dents office. How he looked the sta
tlon as he rose and walked half way
across the room to meet us. Such rare
dignity, such gentle courtesy, such
suavity Of manner and superb repose.
His hand-grasp was like astrong caress.
His voice was rich and mellow. His
face almost the kindliest | had ever
seen. Itseemed to me that he embodied
all that a President of the United
States should be, and despite the
things | had spoken against him in
the spirit of partisanship, from that
l loved him.
As recall the scenes and incidents
Of the last ten days, 1t all seems like
an evil dream. / do not believe We,
any of us, yet realize what marvellous
chances were sounded in the flash Of
that hell-tiend's shot. That most
damnable of deeds came upon each
one like blow from best friend, and
it stunned us, but the hand that
wrought bis death set an eternal seal
on the future of anarchy, hope. And
it is we'll for the world.
"It is Gods way. His will, not ours,
be done" And though 1t seems a hard
way to us now, we must take his word
at nightfall, as we took It In the high
noon of his greatness, and believe, and
we must have faith in the new order
of things faith in God, as he had, and
in men. There seemed to be no earthly
reason why it should all have come.
Through our tears there still seems
TO be none, but there is, and the years
may tell us of it.
One thing there is to us however.
Into our lives has fallen a priceless
heritage. To each of us he left the
of a noble character. More
than that can no man do. In the
still hours of that earlymorning which
marked the beginning of new epoch
for us, and perhaps the world, the sol
dier, the lawyer, the statesman, the
ruler, died. But the man-truly
great because he was truly good; pure
minded and l0ving-he lives still. No
little piece Of lead can end such life.
1t goes on, bearing down through the /