The San Francisco call., 1904-03-27
The President
q True Citizen

other than the highest citizen In
the United States - Theodore
Roosevelt, the President. 1t is
frankly a book Of adulation, for it is
from Jacob Riis, than whom President
Roosevelt has no more stanch friend
and true admirer. It is equally as
frankly largely a personal record, for
Jacob Riis has had probably closer
intimacy and a nearer afiliation with
President Roosevelt than any other
man in public life. It is above all else
a keen. clear cut study Of the wonder
fully versatile, tremendously forceful
man who now directs the state. Adu-
Iation there is in Theodore Roosevelt
the Citizen" because adulation cannot
justly be withheld by any reviewer Of
the subject The personal note sound
ed throughout the work does but give
emphasis of authority-the authority
which has seen and which knows. Other
books upon Roosevelt have been writ
ten and viii be written, but none will
give the living, breathing picture OF
the man that Riis does.
why have 1 written it?" asks Riis.
Just 10 boom Roosevelt for the Presi-
dency in the election that comes soon?
No, not that. It matters less that
Theodore Roosevelt is President, but il
matters a good deal that the things
prevail which he represents in the ma
tion's life. II never mattered more
than al this present day Of ours-right
NOW
There remains 70 me to speak Of
him as the friend. the man. And this
is what ] shall do, the more gladly
because so may il be my privilege to
introduce him TO some who know him
only as the public man. the President.
the partisan perhaps-and very en-
ergetic partisan he is-and so really do
not know him at all, in the sense which
/ have in mind. The public man 1 will
follow because he is square. and will
do the square thing always. not mere
by want 10 do it. With the partisan
will sometimes disagree, at least
ought TO, for / was before a Democrat
and would be one now if the party
would get some sense and bar Tam
many out in the cold for its mon
strous wickedness- OF the President
I am proud with reason. but the friend
love. And if I can make you see him
so. as a friend and a man, have given
aU4 AAAF AAAaHANA-ANe " AAAAAl a. q GNcANNG-
man as well. You will never need to
ask any questions"
This. then. is the seal OF Theodore
Roosevelt the Citizen"-to show the
man from his every side, his qualities
which make him a good father, good
friend, a good citizen and from these,
a good President. Riis shows how it
is that the President who boldly op-
posed the trusts in the anthracite coal
strike OF the winter Of 1902 acted so
because Roosevelt, the Police Commits
sioner Of New York, had scattered the
boOdlers' ring in Mulberry street in
1895. He reveals the natal forces Of
the man, the innate depth Of character
and strength of will which impels him
10 act, whether as Civil Service Com
missioner, colonel of Rough Riders or
President of the United States He
analyzes RooseVelt's methods Of
thought and action so that behind the
oft criticized ''impulsiveness'' Of the
President one is allowed to see the
swift, sure grasp Of intellect which
weighs carefully yet expeditiously
every question before action is deter
mined upon. AS Riis truthfully says,
he has only to show Roosevelt the man
and Roosevelt the President will be
disclosed. y
Roosevelt's boyhood days present no
more interesting material TO the author
than do those OF any other men for
their biographers. There has been a
goodly store Of anecdote about Roose-
velt's college days at Harvard, but Riis
adds TO II with the following story OF
how the young scholar, who had be-
come teacher in an Episcopal Sun
day school. rewarded bravery to the
detriment Of his position as an expon-
ent Of holy peace:
With Characteristic directness," SAYS
Riis, he was laying down the way of
life 70 the boys and girls in his class
when an untoward event happened.
One Of his boys came to school with
a black eye. he owned UP that he had
got IL In fight and on Sunday. His
teacher made stern inquiry. Jim
somebody. IL appeared, who sat be-
side his sister. had been pinohing her
all through the hour, and when they
came out they had q stand-up tight
and he punched him good, bearing
away the black eye as his share. The
verdict was prompt
You did perfectly right said his
teacher, and he gave him a dollar"
Roosevelt's first tilt at politics was a.
an Assenblyman in the Legislature OF
New York, where, though a graduate
from college OF barely year. the young
exponent Of the ten commandments
in politics" stood out for eight days
alone in determined attack upon the
Attorney General Of the State and 9
Judge OF the Supreme Court for corrup.
ton, until he finally swung the oppo.
sition over his way. His fearless can
DOR in attack in this instance is called
by Riis the deciding act in his career
This made him politically, notwith.
standing the disgruntled politicians
who were not used to doing things thai
way, and from Speaker OF the Assem-
bly, at "a he became Non-Partisan can
didate for Mayor Of New York. He was
defeated, as everybody knows, but, a:
Riis says, "he had contributed some.
thing to that campaign that had Hf.
in it,"
IL was in his labors as Civil Services
Commissioner that Riis finds Roosevelt
exhibiting the qualities which won foI