The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-30
His WAYS
UNAFFECTED

Washington. Nov. 29-The President
does not intend to afford any cause for
criticism on account of impulsiveness
which is generally supposed 10 be his
greatest fault he is consulting every
body about his message and with the
greatest candor in order to obtain an
accurate idea OF public sentiment. The
chief points of inquiry are tariff revision
and reciprocity. No person Of import
ance calls at the White house without
being questioned as to public sentiment
on those subjects. ana naturally a good
deal of advice of more or less value is
being handed out 10y the statesmen who
are coming to town to attend the session
OF Congress. The President has written
severali senators and members in whose
judgment he had great confidence. asking
them 10 come early so that he may he
able to confer with them before he
finishes the recommendation for iegisla
ton in his message. and he wants 10
send that document to the printer next
Friday.
no President Of recent years. none since
lincoln. has consulted so freely or has
been SO anxious TO get next to the peo-
pie" as President Roosevelt. He has
great respect fer public opinion and
while he does not SO 50 far as 10 ac-
cept the theory that the voice of the peo-
PIE is the voice of Cod. ne realizes that
this is a representative government and
that he is ana should be merely the se-
lected instrument for expressing the pop
ular win Mckinley had a Eood deal Of
the same feeling. but had more confidence
IN his own ability to judge public sent-
ment than Roosevelt has. Lincoln great
strength as q politician lay in the same
belief lie knew the value of popular
support and his lowiy birth and carly
experience were Of great advantage 10
hia IN understanding human nature. He
looked TO the masses Of the plain peo-
pie" as he called them, for guidance
with fun faith in their honesty and ca
pacity He took no steps without admit
ting the nation 10 his confidence. Before
he acted on any important question he
felt the public pulse and when NJ had
thought The people were ready he acted.
and not before. While he was great
leader and shrewd manipulator Of puhic
opinion he often asserted that while L
eli Of tie time and 81 or the people
part OF the tire. no man could fool al
OF the people an of tire u~-e With this
great common sense ard sl,-c7urre heud-
ing sympathy he en5oavorcd 10 discover
what was ia she puo'ic mind and how
the public consci nee wiuld regard them
before ne assumed any great responsible
tiles
President Roosevelt has been criticised
for using hair trigger. and is tryias 10
correct that fault. Fe has very positive
views on every subject and is never
afraid TO express thszl rs az individval
but as President of The whole United
States and both political parties De feels
that he oueht T. know What Is wanted IS
well as whet IS needed by the people
before he draws g bead upon H. lie
has ch nsad very much during the last
year il his habits C.. Thought and methods
of work. lie is growing into he practice
of collecting data from all points Of view
upon important subjects before he forms
his own conclusions. and while he is not
s. deliberate as Mckinley was, he does