The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-28
Roosevelt and Harvard 4.

Who is the great American humorist
from whose full-orbed Imagination shone
the story that the Hon. THEODORE RoosE-
WELT aspires to he the successor Of DR..
CHARLES WILLIAM Eliot as president Of
Harvard University' Whoever he is,
he has shown preeminent talent and the
pride to shun the glory which would be
his were his name revealed. DR.. ELIOT,
who is a good deal Of an athlete himself.
says with little touch OF ssperity that
he is in good health and that the corpo-
ration has as yet taken not the slight
est concern toward choosing his sue
cessor." No doubt. Serus in cplum :
Long and many be the years before that
frank, vigorous and compelling person.
age gives up the helm of things at Cam
bridge. And. for some time to come, the
most distinguished and active member
of the class Of 1850 will have another presi-
dency to I'll OF banker for.
But the devil-wagon Of Time rattles
along at tremendous pace. Before long
the serious thinkers will be thinking
seriously again on the old problem: What
Shall We Do With Our ex-Presidents?
Mr. ROOSEVELT has a permanent stock
of youth, a passion for motion, emotion
and commotion, the habit OF speech and
the desire to instruct and improve man
kind His is no spirit for the haven and
the hermitage. He must shine in action,
not rust In retirement. He must express
himself or die o. suppression. We cam
not think Of him rs coming 10 the
shrouded dignity Of the Sage before he
is 30. He must preach. He must pal
pitate. He must stir. He must do.
Race suicide, the duty to be strenuous,
and hundred other topics might employ
part Of his energy, but only part. He
must administer as we'll as indoctrinate
He must be power as well as light. Per-
haps the National Civic Federation will
be branch OF the Government by the
time when he il readyeto seek new fields
OF activity and beneficence. As presi-
dent Of that federation he might bring
to bear upon the industries Of the coun-
try that sound judgment ample knowl-
edge of business conditions and con-
sentative habit OF mind which have been
of 10 much service to him in his chosen
task Of regulating commerce and salts
fying labor Even more attractive to
him might be post OF more conspicuous
leadership, such as tho presidency Of one
Of those great labor organizations where
power unchecked by responsibility offers
such opportunities to strong and benev-
olent genius. Surely it is no disrespect
to JOHN MITCHELL to say that in RoosE-
WELT are many MITCHELLs.
Still, il is not impossible that the UNI
known great American humorist has
foretold the truth in jest. Harvard
must be especially inviting as change
and relaxation to man overlooking with
ideas and conscious Of calling TO ad-
ministrate. We know that the most i'm
portant thing in the universe Is athletics.
Whence shall the rulers and councillors
and captains Of public affairs bc taken'
Mr.. ROOSEVELT has given the answer by
his attempt to induce the immortal HEr-
fELFINoRR to take Office. To impart the
gospel OF the athletic life to the eager
young thousands at Harvard would be
high pleasure as well as duty to Mr.
ROOSEVELT. Besides, he would DO the
whole Athletic Committee. lntercol-
legiate athletic relations are more tick
lish 10 handle than the most delicate
international controversies. The Man.