Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-23


ed to be correct. and their relations became
so close that when the new Department OF
Commerce and Labor was created Mr.. Cor
| telyou was promoted to be it's first execu-
| tive head, his place being taken by Will
| lam Loeb, jr., who had been private secre-
| tary to the President before he came to
Washington.
| President Roosevelt not only retained all
| the cabinet members and other prominent
Washington officials of the Mckinley adj
ministration. but he made no material
| change in the diplomatic and consular serv-
| ice, and most of the ambassadors and min
| listers who were appointed by President Nc
| Kinley are yet in office.
Followed McKinley's Policy.
The wise policy of President Roosevelt
| in adopting the policies and appointive
| brains of his predecessor was shown in the
| fact that there was not the least disturb
ance in governmental affairs and no i'll
| feeling. Naturally the succession of SO
young a man to the presidency was not
| fully agreeable to many of the prominent.
| Old-time republican leaders. who had de-
! ferred to the leadership of Mckinley be-
cause he was firmly established in the
| love and regard of the people that they
| knew any efforts to fight him would be I'M
successful. This natural antipathy to the
| new man made early impression in
| Washington, and the course of President
| Roosevelt through the hundreds of diff
| cult questions arising for solution by him
| was watched with closest attention. Mis-
| takes of craftsmanship and leadership
| would have been quickly used to the detrt-
| ment of the President and the profit of
those who felt that this young man was
| liable to do the wrong thing. These pessi-
| mistic views have since undergone change,
| and the President is now as firmly estab-
| lished in the good will of the leaders of his
| party as he is with the masses of the peo-
pie. His course was scrutinized in every
| way possible, and he showed that he could
| be trusted. Errors and flaws were no
| longer sought for and for more than a
year any opposition to the President that
might have been felt has been dissipated.
| President Roosevelt's first message to
| Congress followed the line of policy fore
Swallowed in Mckinley's last speech at Buff
| falo. He soon made visits through the
| various states, finding a warm and cordial
| welcome, alike generous in New England
| and the south His recommendations were
Acknowledged to be wise and conservative.
| and, while Congress did not adopt all of
them, 1t gave to each careful consideration.
| Some Executive Acts.
| One of the most conspicuous acts Of the
| President was that in reference to the coal
| strike of 1902. He took action that restored
| order and secured a return of the miners
| to their work. at the same time making the
workingmen feel that their cause had not
| suffered from his counsel. He received
| universal praise for his. course In that
| memorable affair.
| In the complications arising from the
| Venezuelan difficulties in 19O2-O3 he main
| tanned the Monroe doctrine In all negotil-
| tons with European powers interested and
| was honored by the government of Vene-
| Zuela in being named as an acceDta BILE
| arbitrat tor. which duty he gracefully avoid
| ed by proposing The Hague tribunal as he
| proper means for arriving at a peac full
| solution.
| Another notable example of the l,resi-
| dents wisdom and fairness hjs
! fast insIstence that this country should do
! Its duty by Cuba in the matter of arrang-
| ing reciprocity treaty. He did this in
| the face of severe opposition from the beet
| sugar states of the west and extreme pro-
| lection advocates. but his view was finally
| adopted by Congress. and the treaty has
| been In operation for some time
In all Of his messages to Congress for tn :,
| first year or so of his administra ton Presi-
| dent Roosevelt referred to the necessity for
| laws by Congress dealing with illegal COM
| nnatlons OF corporate interest. and he pro-
| mulgated his ideas despite allegations that
| he was unsafe and that he would disrupt
| the financial interests Of the country He
| directed Attorney General Knox to make
| an investigation and to apply such laws as
| were in existence to the combinations he
| considered were offending. Mr.. Knox pro-
| ceeded under the Sherman antitrust clause
| and won brilliant success. He was given
| ana by appropriations from Congress au-
thorizing him to employ all the legal coun-
| sci necessary.
Before he became President MI. Roose-
| Welt enjoyed high social. literary and aca-
| dem1c distinction. He had been elected a
| member Of the Columbia Historical Society
| to which he contributed papers on the
| Dutch colonies of New Amsterdam: the Ma
tional Geographical Society. the Union
| League Club and the Century Associa .ion
| OF New York city; the Anthropoogical So
| ciety OF Washington the American Museum
| o. Natural History. Of which he was a
| trustee as he was of the State Charities
| Association and of the Newsboys' Lodging
| House of New York. of which his father
| was the organizer and liberal patron. BE
| sides his literary achievements he has been
| daring hunter of big game. He Is con-
| spicuous in this respect among American
| sportsmen. Trophies Of the chase adorn
| his home at Oyster Bay and the state din
| ing room in the White House. In 1887 he
| organized the Boone and Crockett Club, be-
| coming its first president. The objects q
| the club are the hunting Of big game and
| the exploration and preservation of game
| and forests. February 2. 1899 he instituted
| and was the first commander of the Naval
| and Military Order of the Spanish-Amer-
| lean War. and became a member of the
| Rough Riders Association. organized in
| Cuba before the disba ndment of the reei-
ment. and of the Spanish-American War
| Veterans. Incorporated December Il. 1S,.)
| He was made an honorary member of thu,
| Union League Club of Chicago in 1902 and
| CT the Alpine Club of London. He receive ,
| the honorary degree of LID. from Column
| bia in 1899. from Yale In October. 1901. ami
| from Harvard In 1902. He was elected
| member Of the Harvard University board
| OF overseers in 1895.
His Literary Work.
| The President has dome n great deal OF