The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-25
ROOsEyELT,s FRANkNEss.

Many stories are in circulation of the
Presidents breezy frankness. If half
of them are true it is not to be won
dered at that Congressman are a lit
tie backward in going to the White
House to talk over political matters,
particularly to ask for offices for their
friends. It is said that he does not
desire any confidential talks. There
are generally several persons in the
room in which he receives visitors, and
he seems to want everybody to hear
what he says to each one. And some
of the things he says are not calculat-
ed to make a patronage seeker feel
comfortable. There does not appear to
be any doubt, however, of the Pres
ident's honesty-that is, that he de-
sires to appoint the best men to Of
flee. He is able to put aside his preju-
dices and forget Sights. For instance,
the friends of Mr.. Bower, collector at
San Diego, Cal, asked for his re-
appointment the other day. The Pres
ident recalled that he was a member of
the Civil Service Commission when Mr..
Bower was a Congressman, and the
latter. IN an interview, said that the
civil service was a fake and that
young Mr.. Roosevelt was a fal1ir But
he reappointed Mr.. Bower, saying that
he was an honest and capable man,
and that he bore him no i'll will for
what he had said twelve years ago.
A New England Congressman gives
an account of a conversation which
he heard in the reception room at the
White House between the President
and two young men from Alabama. 1t
was as follows:
"As l got up to go he looked over to
two young men who were waiting.
You are from Alabama aren't you?'
he asked, and before they had time to
answer, he added: You want So-and-
So appointed?' The young men replied
that they did, but before they could
explain why. the President told them
that he was sick of hearing of their
patronage squabble. You say the 9TH
err candidate for this office ought to
be in Jail, don't your he went on. Yes,
sir; he ought to be there was the re-
ply. We'll, now said the President,
his friends assure me that Your man
ought to be i'm Jail. ] assume that you
are both right. / wish YOU would go
to the Attorney General and put in
writing the reasons you have for be-
lieving that the other candidate should
be sent to the penitentiary, and I Will
have a similar statement made ND in
regard to your candidate then wen
let the Attorney General look them
both over and decide what is TO be
done. Perhaps, if you know anything
good about the man you are bacKing
you had better put that in writing,
too, and give IL TO the Attorney Cen
eral' That was all ] stayed to hear
but II struck me as characteristic"
IT is said that this sor. Of talk is
Characteristic of The President. II it
u.s. it is easy TO understand why Il IS
that there is heslt lt'on 10 80 20 the
White House on patronage seeking er-
rGnds. 1t is not the sort Of talk that
marked interviews with the mild
hammered Mckinley. II was easy 10
have a confidential talk with the lat
ter, and those who went TO he White
House on business OF any kind were
made to Feel that they we've not only
welcome but that they had The best
kind Of "A right TO be there. Mr.. Roose-
welt, however cannot change his ma
ture. Because OF his honesty OF pur-
pose the people viii excuse his rather
breezy, IL not brutal. frankness.