The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-27
LUCK OF ROOSEVELT
His Career Shows What Fortune
Taken at It's Tide
Can Do. III
His Momentous Decision to Go Into
the Spanish War and What
It Did.

New York Sun Special Service. :. @a.
Chicago, July 25.-Walter Wellrnan in a
New York special to the Record Herald
says:
Who is the luckiest man in American
public life? I heard this question dis
cussed the other night at an uptown club.
II consider Theodore Roosevelt the
luckiest man we have ever had in Amer
lean public life," said one of the party.
Five years ago he was an assistant Sec
rotary in one of the departments at Wash
1ngton. He had made a little reputation,
but it was chiefly as writer of books and
as a controversial civil service reformer
who was at any moment ready to argue
any question on earth with ANYBODY In:
| politics, he Was Of course, a republican,
but was always regarded as mugWump7
and dreamer and never as a Straight party
man. .E..r
HE had no following and if things had
been permitted to continue the way they
were going, it was pretty sure that he
could not hope to rise much higher. He
was not in line for political preferment
and the outlook was that he owuld remain
a bureau chief, writer and a dabbler in
reforms. = - = ~.
His financial affairs were not in good
condition. either. He had lost his pat
rimony the most of it in western lands
and cattle. He owned his little home down
at Oyster Bay. but for ready cash and
family expenses was dependent wholly up
on his small salary as assistant secretary
of the navy and upon the proceeds Of his
literary work. In those days Mrs. Roose-.
welt knew what it was to economic in the
family expenditures and to watch the gro
GERS and the butchers bills with great
care. To her credit, be it said that she did
it well.
MIR Roosevelt decided to make a
and the execution OF 1t We're
CHARACTERISTIC Of the man. Mrs.
xJs.d 5t.11
influence to deter him. She begged in
vain His friends did not approve, either.
but nothing they could say had any effect
upon him. They pointed out that the land
war against Spain was likely to be short
and not very glorious because of its one
sidedness; that he would have to run not
only the risks of battle, but the greater
hazards of disease and physical break
down; that perhaps he could not afford to
leave his wife and children unprotected
in case of accident No matter He gave
up his place in civil life, where he had
of which he knew nothing. He literally
risked everything he had upon a single
cast of the die and won.
'San Juan hill made him the republican
candidate for governor of New York. His
luck stuck to him, as he was elected by a
slender majority because Croker blundered
in refusing to renoninate on the demo-
cratic ticket much-loved jurist. Luckier
still, Plat awnted to get him out of the
way in New York and Quay wanted to
punish Mark Hanna. Therefore, Mr.
, Roosevelt was nominated for vice presi-
dent and became president thru an acct
dent His luck has stuck to him in the
White House. Everything he has done has
been lucky. He managed to get the big
, financiers down on him and the masses
; of the people with him, and now he l.
morally sure to be the first vice president
in the history of the nation to win nom.
nation for president from his party, with
e | a most excellent chance of being elected
' at the polls. If this is not a chapter O
luck, don't know what you could cal
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