Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-11-24

take their medicine.
There is a great deal of talk here to
the effect that President Roosevelt
will find good government post for
Senator Cockrell of Missouri. whose
time expires March next and who is
to be succeeded by Republican. Mr.
Cockrell Is a very popular man with
the administration people, Democrat
though he is. Although his specially
in the Senate has been to serve as
watchdog of the treasury. the Repub-
licans have always found him most
reasonable, sensible and patriotic
man. He has never believed in the
sort OF economy which saves at the
venthole and wastes at the spigot- In
White House circles there is a gener
ell expectation that the President will
give the pension commissionership 10
General Black next March and ash
Senator Cockrell to take the vacant
place on the civil service commission.
Mr.. Cockrell was OF great service TO
former Secretary of War Root in help
Ing pass the army reorganization bill
and the militia bill, and Mr. Root. who
Frederick the Great statue repaid his
oDngation today by saying for publ
cation: Il suppose the Republican
legislature of Missouri is bound to
send Republican TO the United States
Senate but l would be pleased If par
tisanship could be forgotten long
enough to retain the public service OF
a man who is as deserving as Senator
Cockrell. His long experience. his
ability. his industry and attention to
business his high sense of public duty
and his standing as citizen make him
an invaluable public official. As Re
publican opposed to him in politics
can say that | sincerely regret that
the government is to lose man like
Senator Cockrell.'
Everybody is specializing about
cabinet changes these days, but Pres
ident Roosevelt is keeping his own
counsel to an unwonted degree. Mr.
Roosevelt is a good-natured man, and
he likes advice and is willing to talk
things over with his friends He is
patient ii a remarkable degree with
men who want public appointments
for themselves or for friends. But
there is one sort of office-seeking the
President will not tolerate. He draws
the line at places in his cabinet He
holds that the cabinet is his official
family and that it is an impertinence
for anyone to seek a place in it or to
Lring Influence" to bear in that di-
rection.
Not long ago a minor official in one
of the departments suddenly con-
ceived the notion that he was of cab
met size. He started pulling wires.
He had letters and kilograms sent to
the President He got senator's to call
and urge him upon Mr. Roosevelt. The
President was amazed. He was also
disgusted. The minor official did not
get seat in the cabinet He came
near losing the job he had.
To this day the people of the Uni
ted States do not know how near
they came to losing a chance to vote
for the reelection of President Roose-
welt. Two weeks before election the
President was riding in Rock Creek
Park. While galloping across bridge
rotten plank. The animal turned a
complete somersault. Mr.. Roosevelt
was thrown violently and alighted on
his head upon the bridge He was
stunned but not unconscious. He
picked himself up. caught his horse,
remounted and returned to the White
House. The skin was knocked off his
right temple and big lump appears
to mark the spot. Fortunately the
President was not seriously hurt, and
he suffered no Inconvenience from the
fall. But Just think what deuce of
mess the country would have been
in had the President broken his neck.
which he came within an ace of doing
There would not have been time to
call national convention to nominate
another candidate for President be-
fore the election. The people would
have been compelled to vote for the
Roosevelt electors. and probably the
Republican national committee would
then have called a convention to name
candidate for the electors to vote
for or they might have determined to
vote for Mr.. Fairbanks for President.
AT any rate the country would have
been thrown into a sea of utter con.
fusion, and it is not profitable to
speculate further upon the possibili-
ties that did not arise.
President Roosevelts daily ride is
quite an event for the small boys and
girls in the northwestern part of the
city. The President nearly always
makes for Rock Creek Park and the
charming country in its vicinity for
his late afternoon outing The boys
and girls have fallen into the habit OF
looking out for. him and not infre-
quently they line up on Sixteenth
street or Columbia road and salute
him as he passes by. The President
never fails to return their salutation.
and many are the boys and girls in
Washington who have rushed home
and related with pride how the Pres
ident bowed to them or waved his hat
at them from his saddle. On. day
strangers driving in the city saw the
President stop his horse and speak to
a small mite of a boy by the roadside