The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-01-16
DAVIS SCORES ROOSEVELT.

Webster Davis, Of Kansas City, is one
OF the brightest men and brilliant ora
tors OF the west. He is democrat,
though he was formerly republican,
and was assistant secretary under Nc
Kinley during his first term. He was
sent to South Africa by The ''Administra.
ton during President McKinley's first
term. Mr.. Davis was sent to South
Africa by the administration to investi.
gate the situation in the Boer war, and
returned enthused with the gallant fight
that little, struggling republic was max
ing against avaricious old England for
liberty His report was not satisfactory
to the administration and he resigned
his Office and went out over the country
lecturing in the interest Of freedom for
the Beers. sHe was still trying to be
republican and tried to get an audience
before thesconventions of his party, but
unfair and partisan biased as the party
was, he was denied that privilege in var.
lous state conventions and in the na.
tional convention at Philadelphia in
1900. He was given an audience at the
Kansas City convention and came out
and espoused democracy and pure
Americanism.
Webster Davis has criticised Roose
velt, the impetuous, unbridled new pres
tident, and his criticism is Of such an in.
terest that we reproduce it herewith.
1t camesfrom Kansas City in the form of
q telegram, the last of the year, and was
as follows:
Roosevelt will be nominated for
tthe presidency and defeatedfor Office"
said Webster Davis, former assistant
secretary Of the interior, in President
McKinley's first term, to-day. He
knows the president well and, discuss.
ing the man rather than the situation.
|continued: =.
President Roosevelt is not halter.
broken. No, he has not shed his milk
teeth. He signed round robin for
which he ought to have been court mar.
tailed, inasmuch as he was in the face of
the enemy and last week he degraded
the general commanding the first line Of
defense fora little break While Mr..
Roosevelt himself was inditing letters
criticising bis superior officers and chsl.
ienging the; national administration for
leaving the army insG Gaba, the. millions,
from President Mex Kialeys down 10 my.
self and other humble citizens on tile
sidewalk were weeping for love at the
sound of the names of Dewey and
Schley. \
sin sheer good nature, if not broad.
mindedness, President Mckinley let 90
uncensured the round robin to which
the signature of Mr.. Roosevelt was at
tached and in the breadth of his COM
mon sense which marked his admins
tration he even needed 1t.
"Now comes the signer of that offense
against the articles of war, Colonel
Roosevelt of the round robin and re.
fuses to pass newspaper interview un-
censured, and, so far from needing it,
disciplines the author of minority re-
port President Roosevelt delivers a
disgraceful scoring upon the head of
Admiral Dewey and through the press
humiliates General Miles.
"But this does not surprise me.
While in Washington l was on even
footing with Mr.. Roosevelt. He was,
like myself, an assistant secretary of
the cabinet. He was distinguished then
among the rest of the assistant secre-
taries as an Ishmaelite. At functions
his neighborly qualities were confined
to shutting his eyes and gnashing his
teeth, but in official circles he was more
communicative. His chief, Secretary
Long, was constantly prodded by him.
zone of the most genial of men, much
like the late president, Secretary Long
was sadly disturbed by his turbulent as
sistant secretary and the outbreak of
the Spanish war afforded him positive
relief when it invited MI. Roosevelt to
90 into the field. That had shaken the
dog, but it did not succeed in wagging
it.
president Roosevelt is sincere, pat
riotic, enthusiastic and unbroken. He
is not bridlewise and bis follies are his
own. He would not listen to the advice
of anyone when he was an assistant
secretary and that propensity seems to
have been much enlarged since he has
been called to the executive chair.
''No one will charge him with neglect
| ing to further the interests of the repub.
lie or arraign his patriotism, but no one
in official circles will accept his judg.
ment.
"The audience in the parquet, the or
chestra circle and the first two balconies
will pay no attention to him. He is
taking his lines and will not stick to the
text,