Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-06-22
ROOSEVELT.


had since the days of Jefferson"
These words we're spoken to me in
Washington the other day by gentle.
woman who has lived long, travelled
much and observed closely, and who,
by reason of her high social position,
has had the entree of the White House
for thirty years or more.
quoted the utterance to Mr.. Roose.
welt soon afterward, when I had the |
pleasure of passing an hour or two |
with him in the private, residential
part of the Executive Mansion. His |
answer was quick. as his answers are
apt to be when anything interests him.
II am democratic he said with ON.
phasis on the verb. "if the word dem.
ocratic is used in its legitimate sense.
But have no patience with that vul.
carly ostentatious avoidance of osten.
tation which sometimes calls itself
democratic have no sympathy with
the thought that in order to be demo.
cratic one must put aside respect for
the gentle decencies of life and make
a boor or clown Of himself. | believe
thoroughly in the simplicties and hon.
esties of life and in the fellowship of
all honest and sincere men. But II
doesn't appeal to me when a man re.
fuses to wear the customary garb of
gentlemen lest aristocratic pretension
be attributed to him."
You do not think, then" inter.
jected, that one need go to public
dinner without cuffs in order to dem.
onstrate his democracy"
The President laughed. and his
laugh was sufficient answer to my
question. But presently he added:
1T is my endeavor to make of the
White House during my term not
second rate palace, like that of some
insignificant prince, but the home of
self respecting American citizen who
has been called upon for time to
serve his countrymen in executive of.
flee. There seems to me to be a world
, of difference between democracy and
demagogy. The one is based upon an
honest and sincere respect for ones
fellow men, the other involves the sac.
rifce of self respect in an appeal to
vulgarity and prejudice"
As Mr.. Roosevelt earnestly said this
could not avoid recalling that pas.
sage In the novel called Democracy"
In which 1t is recorded that a certain
Senator OF the cuffiess sort gravely
doubted the prudence Of taking daily
bath, lest the practice be regarded BY
his constituents as "savoring OF eris.
tocracy."
The keynote Of Mr.. Roosevelt's con.
duct while occupying his exalted sta.
ton is precisely this: He is first OF
all a gentleman, with all gentlemans
self respect. He is, secondly, an Amer.
lean citizen so strongly imbued with
a sense of the dignity of American cit.
izenship that he makes his respectful
bow to 1t whenever he meets It. He
is, thirdly, the chosen representative
of seventy.ive millions of people. Sc
lected from their number and by their
, willing SURFACES to occupy the highest
office within their gift. He maintains
all of dignity that his high office de-
mands of hm. He has ali the winning
and easy courtesy for those who ap.
proach him that any gentleman shows
to the stranger within his gates. And
with due respect to these imperative
obligations, he has all that any Amer.
lean citizen can have Of frank and
generous recognition of other citizen.
ship than his own.
had promised Mr.. Roosevelt that
| would not question him about high
anairs of state and did not. But
somehow we got to talking presently
about the police situation In New York,
subject In which he was naturally
| '>'' '""Nh ihttiesteu, because, as
said to him, he was himself the autbor
OF the situation.
How is that?" he asked,
why, II was you who first demon.
strated the fact that it is possible for
an honest police administration IN
compel the police to honest WAYS. You
thus created a popular demand for
| honest police administration which
/ Will not down at any mans behest"
; Tell me-" he said presently. tell
me what the situation really is"
briefly explained, and after some
moments of thought he said:
THE difficulty seems to DE Inherent
In the conditions. II reform admin.
istration honestly endeavors to carry
out reform 1t makes an end of itself AT
the end OF Its term and insures the re.
turn OF Tammany TO power. with all
that Deveryism means. If a reform
, administration fails or failers In car.
rying out the pledges of reform on
! which 1t was elected 1t utterly loses
the confidence and support of the re-.
form forces, and that again means n
, triumph for Tammany at the next
election. with the return Of Deyery
In. "a L. l.. (. 4.