Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-04
OUR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT
Most Democratic Chief Executive Since the
Days Of Jefferson.
VIEWS OF CRITICAL INTERVIEWER
Mr.. R~OoseveIt's Idea of what IL IL to
BE Really DemOcratic-The SIREN
nous Life in the white
House.

"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, writes George Cory
Eggleston in the New York Herald, by a
-gentlewoman who has lived long. travelled
much and observed closely, and who, by
reason OF her high social position, has had
entree Of the White House for thirty years
or more.
l quoted the utterance to Mr.. Roosevelt
soon a~fterward, when l 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 in
terests him.
Il am democratic" he said, with empha-
sis on the verb, "if the word democratic
is used in It's legitimate sense. But have
no patience with that v~ulgarly ~ostenta-
tious avoidance Of ostentation which some
times calls itself democratic have no
sympathy with the thought that In order to
be democratic one must put aside respect
for the gentle decencies OF life and make
a boor or a clown Of himself. l believe
thoroughly in the simplicities and hon.
estes Of life and in the fellowship OF all
honest and sincere men. But II doesn't
appeal to me when a man refuses to wear
the customary garb of gentlemen lest aris-
tocratic 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
democracy"
The president laughed, and his laugh was
sufficient answer to my question. But
presently he added:
White House No Second Rate Palace.
1T is my endeavor to make Of the White
House during my term not a second rate
palace, like that Of some Insignificant
prince, but the home of a self-respecting
American citizen who has been called upon
for a time to serve his countrymen In ex>
ecutive 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 1
could not avoid recalling that passage In
the novel called Democracy" in which
1t is recorded that a certain senator OF
the cuffiess sort gravely doubted the pru-
dence of taking a daily bath lest the practice
be regarded by his constituents as "savor-
ing of aristocracy."
The keynote Of Mr.. Roosevelt's conduct
while occupying his exalted station is pre-
ci;sely this: He is first OF all a gentle-
man, with all a gentleman's self-respect.
He is secondly an American citizen, SO
strongly imbued with a sense Of the dignity
Of American citizenship that he makes his
respectful bow to 1t whenever he meets 1t.
He is thirdly the chosen representative OF
rs, 900, 900 people, selected from their num-
Der and by their willing SURFACES to oc-
cupy the highest ONCE within their gift.
He maintains all of the dignity that his
high office demands Of him. He has all
the winning and easy courtesy for those
who approach 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 of frank and generous
recognition of other citizenship than his
own.
Washington Same as Oyster Bay.
When he comes out of his sanctum, as I
saw him do a 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 In
his demeanor, but their is equally nothing
Of assumed familiarity. He does not sit
or stand, as former presidents have done,
to have his guests presented" He sim
ply moves about among them as one does
In a parlor, greeting each pleasantly, say
ing whatever there is to be said Of friendli-
ness or courtesy. and, II one previously
known to him happens to be in the assem-
blage, g~rasping his hand with special cor
diality and making pleasant reference to
some previous occasion Of 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 In his OWL
home. And he sends them all away at last
happy and with the feeling that there has
been nothing of arrogance In his reception
of them and equally nothing Of condescen-
sion. This robustly healthy American citi-
zen who is our chief executive has no sym
pathy with the insolence either of AFRO
ganee or OF condescension.
1t has been my good fortune to know Mr..
Roosevelt as an acquaintance for many
years. When I first knew him he was plain
Mr.. Roosevelt. not long out Of college, en-
gagged in literary work as a vocation and
In a strenuous far Western life as an avo-
Cdtlou' LATER L nhu lTeQu0nL OCCdSlOu 70
talk with him when he was a police COM
missioner. earnestly bent upon purging the
force he was set to govern Of Its corrup-
tions and Of it's lassitude In enforcing the
law. Still later l conversed with him when,
as governor, he had that most dificult OF
all problematical bodies, a New York legls-
lature, ION his hands" In the presidency
he is no whit other than he was in private
life or In smaller official places. In all cir
cumstances he is an earnest, honest, open
eyed and resolute man, intent upon doing
the duty that lies before him to the utmost
OF his power.
Strenuous Every Moment.
That r~esolute purpose. as I understand
the man. Is what he had in his heart and
mind when he coined his splendid phrase,
THE strenuous life" He is strenuous in
every act and word and purpose. He is
strenuous with all his soul in his dstermi-
nation 10 do at his best the thing that lies
before him to do. whether 1t be to subdue
a broncho, to run down a grizzly bear, to
push his way up San Juan hill or, In higher
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