Morris tribune., 1901-12-28
HOW ROOFS E WELT RULES
instances That illustrate His
Disciplinary Methods.
FIRM STAND TAKEN IN EACH CASE

1 Why the President Made Public His
Reasons For Removing Goyernor
Jenkins of Observation-Disclosures In
the Marine Service In which q
Surgeon Was Reprimanded.
The appeal Of Mrs. Jenkins, wife of
1 the governor of Oklahoma recently re-
moved by President Roosevelt, shows
| how little she understands the temper
of the executive with whom she has to
deal, writes the New York Posts spe-
/ cial correspondent at Washington.
'"The president does not know my hus-
band as know him." che is quoted as
saying, with pathetic fervor, ''or he
would not have removed him." And
she is evidently counting upon the as
surance of some superseryiceable
friend that the president had said that
he did not regard Governor jenkins as
guilty of the least dishonesty, but that
his blunder was one Of indiscretion.
This Is as absurd a misconstruction of
the presidents attitude as several 9TH
ers which have been Forthcoming from
time to time 1t would be safe to wa
ger anything that the president never
made such an assertion. What he
doubtless did say was that Governor
Jenkins appeared to be and doubtless
was quite unconscious OF having done
wrong, but that was all the more rea-
son for removing him, not for letting
him remain. His unconsciousness was
shown pretty well by his frank state
ment in his own exculpation, In which
he gave in full facts that cost him his
official head.
The trouble with Governor Jenkins
was that in calling upon corporation
to which he had given an official favor
to set apart a block Of its stock for dis
tribution at half price among his polit-
ical friends he was so blunt Of percep-
ton as to believe that he was engaged
in perfectly virtuous enterprise. An
other bad thing for his cause was the
fact that in spite Of the general knowI-
edge in the territory that he had done
this he was upheld by the most re-
spectacle citizens, the president and
the secretary of the interior having
been fairly showed under with letters
and kilograms urging his retention In
Office and commencing his fine moral
qualities. These testimonials came
from clergymen, physicians. lawyers,
merchants, bankers from members Of
all those classes, indeed, whose stand |
ards Of conduct one would expect to
find of the highest. When some Of the |
governors sponsors were faced with |
his own statement Of his case, they |
took the same view Of 1t as he appears |
chivalrous sense Of duty and nice .
regard for the dignity Of his position in
asking these reciprocal favors for his
friends instead of pocketing the whole /
block Of stock for himself!
In view of the silence maintained by
the president in the Bidwell case,
where he had been strongly urged to /
let his reasons be known for substitute
ing another collector of customs at
New York, there was widespread SUR
prise at his deliberate publication Of a
statement in the Jenkins case.
The two matters are not parallel, how
ever, in several important particulars.
In the jenkins case not only was the
Of the man himself stated
and confessed, but the community in
which it occurred approved Of it. It
therefore became important that public
sentiment in Oklahoma should undergo
some reformation for the moral health
If the territorial government generally.
IL we could suppose the existence Of a
body Of people In the. United States
among whom theft and arson were not
regarded as crimes, it would be the
business of some one in authority
president, governor or judge to admin
ster such rebuke to the whole popu-
ace as would be understood and felt.
The mere punishment of a thief or d
louse1b burner when detected would not
,e enough. 1t would satisfy society's
lemand for vengeance perhaps and
rave a disciplinary effect upon the
.ulprit himself, but the moral atmos-
,here which encourages virtue or
makes vice easy is not palpably Inn
,roved. To reach that a blow must
)G SLEuCk 4uOAuS anu Will SUCH 1OICS
hat every one concerned will share
he shock This was unquestionably
q the presidents mind when he ac-
his announcement Of the ]
governors removal with an explana-
ion which must have put to shame
he governors reputable supporters,
nless their skins were hardened past
be piercing point. and, though the
avn Of a new ethical light upon the
verage Oklahoman mind may not fol-
DIV at once. the upper stratum of citi-
enship there at least know where the
resident and men of his type stand, /
o that more mistakes of the same sort |
s Jenkins cannot be made in igno- i
ance. :
The late governor of Oklahoma is i
OF the only sufferer from President
idea of emphasizing the ex
mplary element in the penalties he
imposes. 1t will be recalled that, the !
rife of Japanese consul was sub I
,o%od "a %ho indionifx,5 ne q yhvSica1 ! :