The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27
PLAIN AMERICAN CITIZEN
ROOSEVELT THE MOST DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENT IN A CENTURY.
His Idea of What it Is to he Really
the Executive Residence.

George Cary Eggleston in New York Her
aid.
Mr.. Roosevelt is by all odds the most
democratic President we have had since
the days of Jefferson"
These words were spoken to me in Wash
ington the other day by a gentlewoman
who has lived long, travelled much and OBJ
served closely, and who, by reason of her
high social position. has had entree of the
White House for thirty years more.
/ quoted the utterance to Mr. Roosevelt
soon afterwnrd. 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 inter-
ests him.
II am democratic" he said, with empha-
sis on the verb IF the word democratic is
used In it's legitimate sense. But L have no
patience with that vulgarly ostentatious
avoidance of ostentation which sometimes
calls itself democratic l have no sym
pathy with the thought that in order to be
democratic one must put aside respect for
the gentle decencies of life and make a
boor a clown of himself. I believe thor
oushly in the simplicities and honesties of
and sincere men. But it doesn't appeal to
me when man refuses to wear the Gus
tomsry garb of gentlemen lest arlstocratc
pretension be attributed to him.
You do not think, then" l interjected,
that one need go to a public dinner with
out cuffs in order to demonstrate his de-
mocracy?'
The President laughed, and his laugh was
sufficient answer to my question. But pres
emily he added:
TT is my endeavor to make of the White
House during my term not second rate
prince but the home of a self-respecting
American citizen who has been called upon
for time to serve his countrymen in ex-
ecutiye office. There seems to me TO be a
world of difference between democracy and
demagogy. The one is based upon AN hon
est and sincere respect for ones fellow
men, the other involves the sacrifice of
self-reSpect in an appeal to vulgarity and
prejudice"
AS Mr.. Roosevelt earnestly said this l
Gould not avoid recalling that passage in
the novel called Democracy" in which III
is recorded that certain senator of the
cuffiess sort gravely doubted the prudence
of taking a daily bath, lest the practice be
regarded by his constituents as "savoring
Of aristocracy."
THOROUGH GENTLEMAN
The keynote of Mr.. Roosevelt's conduct
while occupying his exalted station is pre-
cisely this: He is first of all a gentleman,
with all gentleman's self-respect He is.
secondly, an American citizen so strongly
inbued with a sense of the dignity of
American citizenship that he makes his re-
spectful bow to it whenever he meets it,
He is. thirdly, the chosen representative of
7OeO0,00 of people, selected from their num-
Der and by their willing suffrages to occu-
by the highest Office within their gift He
maintains all of the dignity that his high
oftce demands of him. He has all the Win
ming and easy courtesy for those who APP
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 American citizen can
have or frank and generous recognition of
other citizenship than his own.
When he comes out of his sanctum. as L
saw him do little while ago. to greet the
miscellaneous throng of persons who daily
call, with no purpose but the idle one of
shaking hands he does so precisely as he
might enter his drawing room at Oyster
Bay to converse with assembled guests
There is no formality or air of state i'm his
demeanor But there is equally nothing of
assumed familiarity. He does not sit or
stand, as former Presidents have done, to
have his guests presented" He simply
moves about among them as one does in a
parler, greeting each pleasantly. saying
whatever there is to be said of friendliness
or courtesy. and, IL one previously haown
to him happens to be in the assemblage,
grasping his hand with special cordiality
and making pleasant reference TO some
previous occasion or meeting.
In brief. President Roosevelt receives his
morning callers in the White House pre-
cisely as plain Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt has
always received his callers i'm his own
home. And he sends them all away at last
happy and with the feeling that there has