The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-10-24
BY JACOB A. RIIS.

BY JACOB A. RIIS.
Author of "The Making of an American"
The Sunday School Times prints the fol-
lowing copyrighted article on (or incidents
of) Theodore Roosevelt, by Jacob a. Riis.
Five days since struggling canoe
ist brought word, from the settle
mentS, OF the dreadful trouble in
Buffalo, that stirred bitter, vengeful
feeling in our hearts against the enc
mics of mankind whose madness is
ever murder and more murder. just
now the mail brought me d belated
letter from Theodore Roosevelt, writ
ten at Buffalo, which ends with the
hopeful words: Il now believe that
the President will surely recover
and the news of how grievously that
hops was disappointed. Theodore
Roosevelt is today the President Of
the United States. Alas for our
human hopes. Ii it was his honor
able ambition to so serve his day and
his country as to earn its highest
trust, | know that there is no sadder
heart today in all our land than his;
for above all the traits that endear
Theodore Roosevelt to his friends is
that of oyalty-loyalty to chief and
to friend. President Mckinley was
| both.
In the newspapers that told Of the
Presidents death, | caught among
the messages Of faith and confidence
note of timid inquiry, All echo, AS it
seemed, of the old days ill Mulberry
street: Yes, we know he is coura-
geous and strong; we know his high
ideals, his fearless purpose, his spot
less honor-we own it all, and we are
proud of it; but is he-quile-safe?"
The answer was there, in the new
Presidents public declaration that he
would make no change, that things
should remain as if the old chief had
not died. There was no occasion for
the inquiry. In fact, there never had
been. The bitterest critics of his ad-
ministration Of the police in New
York know now, if they were capable
of learning, that his practical wisdom
in dealing with that task was as great
as his unhesitating courage. That
task was to rescue the police from it's
partnership with corruption, and with
unerring instinct be struck at the
slough in which the corruption grew
the saloon. In no mans hands that
lives and owns American citizenship
today are the country's honor and
welfare safer than in Theodore Rooss
velt's. And the country knows it
we'll
Men who called him hasty in the
old days have lived to heartily wish
that they had spent their energies
pushing on the load he dragged al
most alone, instead of trying to per-
suade him from doing his duty in the
interest OF expediency, or denouncing
him for not needing them. Not that
the one thing or the other made any
difference to him. That the load was
there to be dragged up the hill was
enough for him. He stopped neither
to consider tho size Of it, nor how
steep was the hill. Above all, he did
nothing hastily, but Of deliberate
purpose, most carefully weighed and
thought out. In those days | wa.
with him every day, almost every
hour, and | knew not only what be
did, but how he did it. One differ
once between him and his critics was
that he had given his life to the pa
tient study of the problems upon
which they jumped with such head
long haste, anxious only to prevent
..trouble,n and hence that he was able
to see clearly where their fears made
them blind; another was that, fore
seeing clearly, among other things,
the consequences to himself, he was
not afraid, for beyond and behind
them he saw ever the duty he had
sworn to do faithfully.
SO it came about that during those
turbulent times Mr.. Roosevelts aP-
peal was ever to the moral forces OF
the community, to the forces making
for decency and order, and it was
their support that was his backing
The direct way to thing was always
his. When there was trouble with
labor he sent for its leaders, and put
the question straightforward they
wanted; aud when, not knowing the.
manner of man they had to do with,
they tried clustering. he put them
right in ten words, showing them
clearly that they were their own
worst enemies in formenting trouble,
and that, meeting him on that ground,
they would lose the fight-then turn
ed back to the subject under advise
ment as if nothing had happened;
And they applauded the man. and
showed that they themselves were
men In doing it. When he was Gov
ernor, and wanted TO see how the
laws regarding sweating were carried
out, he sent for the labor men. told
them what he wanted, and asked them
to help him. Afterward he went him
self. and saw what was done and what
was not done. 1t was so always. 1t
was thus that he, as very young
man serving in the Legislature. went
to the bottom of the tenement-house
cigar-makers grievous troubles, and
having made out their side very clear
Ily, took it without hesitation, to the
amazement Of the cynics, who, speech-
less, beheld ''silk stocking" take up
the cause Of the poor because 1t was
the cause Of right. And it was SO
that as Police Commissioner and Gov
erner, he gave his nights, as his days
To the personal inspection OF the
wrongs he was asked to right. Rav-
inc ascertained the facts, he went to
the men who ought to help. and told
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