The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-18
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Ernest McG;Hffey's Poems of the
Town lay on top of II revolving book
case as talked with him. Another
book u. Devlin, Boss by Francis
Churchill Williams, rested against tho
reports of the Hartman Alaska expe-
dition I heard him listen to Charles
f. Lummis' talk of the Pueblo In
dians, heard him ask Nr. Scott, the
builder of the Oregon. about the trip
around the Horn. heard him tell how
delighted he was to find Matthew Stan
ley Quay agreed with him aS to In"
merits of Il particular Morse Saga"
and how the Pennsylvania spoke to
him of De Quincey's Flight OF Il Tar
tar Tribe" When Mr.. George X. Peck
recited at table ingalls, famous sonnet
Opportunity" | heard him sum up IN
gals in sentence worthy of the red
necktied Kansas cynic himself. In ii
round OF general conversation, | gath
cred that he admired the kaiser AS Il
man, the ear, too, for his philan-
thropic aspirations. His betes nOire
are the h%Dhenated American and the
AnglOmoniac. He fonts the idea that
there is such Il thing as an Anglo
Saxon race. There is no doubt that
Theodore Roosevelt is strenuously
American. and that. too. without any
Anslophobia OF chawinism. From cv-
erything he says YOU gather one DOM
inant idea: He is not swayed in the
least by vapid sentimentality. Least
of all men you'd meet in II securing OF
the country is the man in the white
house 'errntic." \ politician told me:
Don't call on the president: write
him; he does all the talking" He
doesn't: but he talks so positively that
he seems to do more talking than he
does. He changes the subject often
but he darts back always and most un-
eXpectedly to the topic that occasions
the visit, and there Is no denying that
this gets at facts quickly by neceSsitat-
ing short and unprepared answers.
HIS FAVORITE AUTHOR.
His favorite temporary author.
take it. is Mr.. Dooicy, and his ravorile
Dooley article is that one in which Tic
sage of the Archey road. discussing
the presidents own book. The Rough
Riders" declared it shou'd An called
"Alone in Cuba" It's n l,"" time
would put up in the white E,I over
night the writer who scored ~ us
Dun scored Mr Roosevelt. Th,,c Is II
hearty, healthy concern for anything
and everything that may interest IL
cultured gentleman in the presidents
discursivencss of talk. He is not with
out the deepest sympathy for those
who may not be educated or cultured,
but on that, aS ON every other subject,
he refuses to indulge in cant. And he
doesn't wear out the capital in his
talk, as has been ALLEGED. There's Il
gratifying amount of you in his talk,
though II Is not at All strainediy super
cilious. There is no difficulty i'm de-
ducmg the presidents opinion of amy
public man whose name may come up
in casual conversation. lie doesn't say
ii gerat deal but YOU can gather his
estimate pretty clearly, and YOU are
entitled to form your opinion of his
when he speaks out before
from six to eight persons, though, OF
course, you must put IL away back i'm
your head and not blab it, Neverthe-
less, the presidents frankness in these
little estimates will get out, and in
some instances viii make him pow
erful enemies. What he likes most is
IL man, and the mans politics counts
for little with him.
IL is very easy to understand why
ofiicialism doesn't under
stand him, He is person without
frills and fangles and he has an esti-
mate of mere ofiicialism that is not
iiattering. After you have met him
and talked with him you are assured
that, Notwithstanding the cartOonsts
and politicians who think the coun-
try's going TO hell because they are
not listened to exclusively, the presi-
dent is as safe IA man as any who
eyer occupied the place. He is not