The sun., 1901-09-29
ROOSEVELT WITHOUT GUARDS
WHEN GOING ABOt y ORDINARY
NJ TIES or THE Dtl.


WASHINGTON. Sept - President Roose-
welt has becn criticised by some persons
vho are s'raining for a chance to compare
unfavorably his conduct In public and
private matters with lha, Of his predecessor
for declaring that he will not h" a, all times
surrounded by Visible guards belonging
To the Secret Service Bureau Of the Gov
ernmeni. or by members Of the local police
forco The President q declaration IL called
-bravado- and -reoklessne~s' by his critics
and they profess 20 regard Il a. another
illustration OF HE "rc~tl~-s, aggressive
egotisn A"
Mr. Roosevelt has expressed his mind
fully on this subject since Mr. Mckinley
was shot and he il not al all avrrse Go hsv
ing his Wow thoroughly Understood. lie
thinks that guards are necs~sary about
the person OF the President on public
casion-. or when ho H. attended by large
crowds. He thinks that during railroad
Journeys and other outings when there
j. the slightest possibility of ac"ident or
crime the utmost precautions dictated by
prudence and common sense should be OBJ
served, a. they always have been. and he
thinks tho President himself should bs
exceedingly wary about exposing him
self to the risk Of accident or injury.
But a. regards the employment ~ 80
called Secret SerVic. agents To watch his
every movement when going about TIA"
ordinary social and business duties 81 the
day Mr. Roosevelt has decided views he
will not have hts person 20 guarded. ana he
puts hi- foot down a. the start During
the past few DAYS the President has walked.
riddrn and driven about the streets of the
capital. sometimes alone sometimes ac-
compsnied by friends and with no guard
IN sight NJ far ~ he was aware. Perhaps
one or two wcrc lingering in the neighbor-
hood and IsrhaT,s they were not When
Mr. Roosevelt went horseback riding last
Saturday with Gen Leonard Wood. Cow
ernor General Of Cuba IL was plainly nutice-
able that the latter had n hig army pistol
In his hip pocket While there have b-'en
no visible signs that President Roosevelt
goes about similarly equipped for trouble.
thcre 10 good reason for believing that he
is prepared 90 defend himself. and that he
thinks that an evil-dispos-d person might
well prefer to be In the boots of the President
Of the United States than ia those of his
own A. the beginning Of the shooting
Notwithstanding President Roc-evelt's
personal views. however, the general opin-
ion OF tho people % the United States gems
20 be well expressed In the letter which
Frederic Remington. MIR. Rooseve's per
sonal friend. wrote 20 TIVE sUN wherein
he savs
The new President should be personally
protected against attempts on hts life.
We all know that President Roosevelt IA
personally brave. Whatever el-e We know,
We are sure ~ that But he Ia more than a
man nov: he IL an idea. and he does not
exactly belong 90 himself II IL vastly
important 20 his countrymen that ho live.
| fully realize that tho idea that he can't
take care Of himself - irksome 20 him and
the thought Of guards oppressive. vet We
must determine for hun. We have only
lately seen that no matter how brave. how
democratic. how trus President Of this
Republic NAV b~. he - not immune from
the attacks Of political body lc-
This II the way the Cabinet officer. and
other fri.nds of both Mckinley and Rouse-
Welt talked during the many little informal
conferences that took place at Canton last
week and on the train going and coming
After ono Of these conferences an inn
portaut Government official who was ut
President Mckinley's side almost con
stantly from the moment he was shot until
he was laid In the c~meterv vault and Who
was more Intimately connected with the
dead Presidents public and private life
,lnce ha became President than any other
man. told a most interesting story TO TEE
SvN correspondent. on the way hack from
Canton. Of the Presidents attitude toward
bodyg,Iards and tho unwritten incidents
Of hs shooting and death.
L.. . fAts II
-Mr Mckinley was pos~csscd Of the very
Highest SOFT - personal bravery. Ter while
la iully realizcd the danger from crank- .
ani A. archisIs he would take no pr-csu- /
tions himself nor would he always csrry
out ,nc instructions Of those who lid take i
I hem. re always said he preferred 10 /
take the risk of death and ENJOY the free /
dom that ted gave him. !, - a fsrt. how /
ever. that. with or without his consent,
guarts were always around and sbou, .
hun. IN Wasl iugton NJ canton, a. Buffalo f.
and elscv here ;rr agents of the Secre' .
Service Wcr" present rrady To defend him .
nj b. iir,' sign uf sn overt al Sometimes /
I ~ Pre-ideut would b" ignorant of their .
ur,.~encr and a, other times he ouId pre- 4
tend tina, N, nd TOT s~- them. he rather .
rcs,nt,si th'ir pre.'.nc~, bui rover brought .
Iifi-s'H w wv lH'iN W lNH-N'''N ''fI'"Nhik
to th- arrang' g'ments made lot his personal /
saf"tv. During the pas, rumtn"r the rresi- I
dents friends were ,sIs-iallv wstchhl
nj th~v hrd reason 10 L.. for ia" warnings .
ot as-assinRttpr, numerous ~ th'v always .
were caur tNirk end iasl E,r'y mail I
w,S lriricnc,i With them ~ r'tarN Cortel- .
vou Wro was made d'~l-.rst"lv HuNiuus nv .
the unllu,u~ mi-~,N'~ arriving m every
pest. tufu"i them all over tn 'ltc Ns-r',
Sa-yico Rureau and hss'aIne moro than
ever watchful Hrd Wary.
When the President went To- Canton
To remain for ~. summer the guards went
with him, hut NJ Mckinley laughed at
their fears and apparently took delight .
IN eiudng thcir vigilance" Frequently
he would IN q spiri' of fun manage 10 "s-
cape and would smile NJ their un"asiness
and what hc jnkingly termed their stu
pditv often. ~ night, IN canton th"
fr.~idcnt would hgh' cigar aud stroll
uut ia tho town and then. when unohscrveSt
slip away down the siT,-ct for "a call un
Judge nay or some other intimate freud
CortslVuu would warn him. hut Nj Nc.
kinley would only ssy that nobody wanted
to kill him and that II they did they would
fnd the opportunity. iu spite of all the
precautions that might 10 taken hy human
af-n~es
FINALLY cRme the fatal 'np % Rufaln,
and simultaneously with tho anno,n~e-
m.nt Of tho plans the warungS uf Rssas-
Siuattuu rssipultls~i On th. night ut the q