The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-11-07
EopoRES osEyEa--7rl:- PER 'E: !;
ORAL skETc 4

Lyman Abbott IN the oout-
Eosk October 20:
has been frequently said in the
resent political campaign that Thee
sors Rooaexelt Is himself the prlnT
cipai ssSie 81 do not think SO. Par
+ and the principles which they
and the tendencies which
Sembody are more important
any personally. however pow
an d peryasiyeS Bat Mr.. Roose
~ sssis the most interesting person
III his campaign, and also, In
~ ny 1&rnent,F b e VT most naisunder-
sod e ana for the benefit of those
reaGerssof the Outlook who are COLI
aeTing the question whether they
zishMh i'm to be the chief executive
the Gationfo the next four years,
proposeto give them in this article
trait the man, drawn from
asomewhat close personal acquant-
ances tn him which has extended
Yer a series Of years.
Roosevelt Is, without any ex-
eeptions he most outspoken man i
have ever known. 1t would not be
rue to say that he$wears his heart
upon his sleeve for this would give
he Impression Of an emotional man
hose acts and lltterances are the
product ofshfs inn pulses. But it might
&. be- said that he carries his mind upon
sleeve He Isl naturally without
reserves. and absolutely without con-
cealment He be silent, though
"a hes isS not often SOL but he cannot
seiI his meaning in ambiguous
phrases nor appear to be what he
is not. M 81 first impression was that
\ his oltspokennes would prove fatal
lis political ambitions; but i
onne8ha it careful observation has
conyineed me that between the child
like candor@ of Mr.. Roosevelt and the
phinxlfke silence Of Mr.. Mckinney
here 81 no safe middle ground. No
but is M st intimate advisers
hat n r.. Mckinley thought;
yerysHones.who is admitted to half
hours conference with Mr.. Roose-
ReIt sknoWsSSWha t he thinks. The
safeguarding Of the%one lay in his al
ostEimpenetrab1e reserve; the pop
ularityS Of til otherSis partly due to
fact that heStreats every man as
friend worthy Of his confidence
here 81 no reason to suppose thaE
was any more desIrous Of renomi-
Eations and reelection than any one.
his Predecessors; but a desire
Itch they regarded as one hardlS.
to- be- whispered in their closets te:
lemselVess he naively. acknowledged
6S8anY one who approached him. a
which he thought it right to en-
effain he did not think it undisni-
fed acknowledge He has neither,
ton nor the ability to dis
ernble. He always Is what he seems
be
this trans parency of nature
couple "a n extraordinary quick
nessHo mental action. His mind is
more rapid lin IS ordinary processes
"a Of any other man l have
personally known If the read,
s. This article has even seen an
$expsrtsbookkeeper run his eye down
column Of four3f figures and write
result at the foot with unerrng
accuracy and without hesitation, or
expert chess player take in the
ssWholes held#of& action before him, APP,
peaT@to see in an instant ali the pos.
8asibl com binatfons and the probable
Ell utcome every move, and without
~ delayHdecide and act upon his course,
form some idea of what l
naansb u quickness of mental action.
Roosevelt has so often been CALI
impulsive that presume those
Ga Who have never known him Will re-
gard MI wi tn incredulity this expires
sion$o f my conviction that he is NOT
pplsive. Such, however, is my
BIZ conyictio His acts are the result
Of process Sof judgment, not of sudden
Impulse He thinks first and acts at
terWard. 1t is the celebrity of his
g mental process, in unhesitating con-
"a enceS he#feels in the result, and the
quickness Of his action upon his co,.-
sions, which, combined, have Civ
en- him the reputation of impulsive.
"a ness. But in truth he no more acts
lIpon impulse in his political decis-
lcns8than the bookkeeper acts upon
guess when he puts down the sum
"a 81 the foot Of his column, or the
hess player on the chance when he
IN moves his pawn on his queen. De-
BT.r 90 49,.