The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-23
Theodore, "The Strenuous;
Alton r.. The Better Strenuous.

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Editor OF The Times Dispatch:
Sir,-It has for ages been a custom to
attach 10 1nonarchs and other copspic-
uous personuges significant sosorquets.
In some cases this has been done to
whole nations and countries as when
the Chinese are called the Cclesdals.
j. anu Palestine the Holy Land. ludea had
her Abraham, the Faithful, the Friend
OF Cod and her Moses, tho great Law
giver. Egypt styled her kings Hksos
and Pharaohs. .iireece had her Scion,
the Wise: AriStide& .tht' Just, and Arts
tote, the stagyrite. Rome had Cate.
tho Censor. IcabrEs Cunstntor, and her
twelve Caesars. France had Charles. the
Il Great, and Charles. the Bold. She also
Mad a line OF Rois Fuineants. Italy had
Lorenzo, the Magnificent. Germany has
had in our times, Bismarck, the Man OF
Iron. Russian names are enough with
( out either prefix. suliiX. or a1liN. Russia
has had her Peter, the Great,
England has had Alfred. the Great;
Edward. the ConfeSsor; William, the
Conaueror, and William, the Red hair
& cd: Richard. Cour &c Leon: that grand
old man, Gladstone. and Wellington, the
But our own lhlcst country has
followed this almost universal custom.
q General Wayne WAS Mad Anthony;
General Lee. Light Horse Harry;
George Washington, the American Ta-
bius and tho Father OF his Country; Pa
trick Henry. tho forest-born Demosihe-
mes; Andrew Jackson. Old Hickory;
Henry Clay, the a!l Boy Of tho Slashcs,
and now IN the presidential chair, which
jackson gained and Clay lost Is en-
sconced Theodore Roosevelt, the Siren
nous The assassination of Mckinley
put him there and he publicly promised
TO continue the policy Of his predccEs-
scr. But he Is OF very different tenn
permanent and has been much too strenu-
Gus TO fulall his pledge.
Strenuous does not necessarily import
something good and commendable. II
means eagerly pressing or urgent;
strongly nslstent." These qualities may
ne displayed in wrong and even tnju-
rious directions. This is clearly poAned
out In the New Testament, ana as our
President is a Christian and taugnt IN the
q Sunday-schools OF two denominations
whilst he was a student al Harvard. he
vii! not deny this authority. st, Paul
writes TO the Romans, "rhey have q
zeal OF Cod, but not according TO knoWl-
edge" He wrote to the Galatians III
els good to be zealously affected always
q IN a good thing, "Iealously affected
Is an apt definition Of strenuous, hut II
must be "iu good th!pg." A man may
he a strenuous burglar thief, robbel
and murderer. indeed. When Mr.. Roosc-
welt was rahthins with c6whpys ~ the
West. the horse thieves were 20 strenu-
Gus that the strenuity OF The YiEilanleS
was exerted IN executing those thieves
by Wholesale. And Mr.. Roosevelt tusti-
Ned 1t, though vengeance was also visit
ed upon the Innocent; because horses
out there were so valuable to their Own
ers. How does he prize the virtue o.
Southern women compared with COW,
: boys ponies and Rough Riders streds'
lie has been less tolerant towards lynch
Ing In the South than Of the wtoiasai,
destruction Of human life by the yIgi
lantes OF North Dakptu.
Strenuosity may be a good thing !
4 properly directed. and Is q good word, H.
n ,mpetuosity. etc, though II IL not foun'
~ soms good and large d!etlonlrles
There was ali old word, strenV!tg, llk
incongFuity, elc.. which became pilspi&te
There Ii no sniIe!eat reason 8ny bot
of these terms should not be employed
Nv, What they signify can only be benc