The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-06-25
Theodore Roosevelt
TUDY or THE MA

I1C mas meant every WORD ne SAID
and the people have believed every
word he said, and with him this con-
vention agrees because every word
has been sound Republican doctrine"
When Chairman Root uttered these
words at the opening of the Chicago
convention he included and suggested
many OF the facts that nominated
Theodore Roosevelt for president long
before the delegates met at Chicago
to hold national convention.
He has meant every word he said"
This one quality has characterized the
utterances of Theodore Roosevelt ever
since he first entered public life, and
that was years ago, for the ink was
scarcely dry on his college diploma
until he had been given preferment by
his fellow citizens. And it is reason
able to suppose that this knowledge of
the man was one of the things that
contributed to his success at the out
SET The people knew that they could
safely depend upon him. He would
not deceive them. The individual and
the world like a man when they know
they can put finger on him" Given
this one quality and there are others
of similar nature that go to make
the desirable friend, the trustworthy
business man, the useful citizen, the
competent office-holder, and the foun-
dalton stone of a useful career has
been deeply laid. But let man
lack this one quality and there is
no other-no combination of other
qualities-to serve as a satisfactory
substitute for it.
For this includes strength and the
determination to use this strength.
Still more, it means determination to
use this strength for the right, for 9TH
| erwise, however lofty his purposes,
he could not be depended upon to crys-
| tallize them into achievement.
"The people have believed every
| word he said, continues the chairman
| of the convention. Why? Because
they have come to know him. They
not only believe but they feel that he
is sincere. And they naturally and
| reasonably warm to such man.
Again, however, we have something
added to sincerity, for a man may
be sincere and still be misled. But
Theodore Roosevelt is not theOrist
| or visionaire. His aims are lofty,
he has high ideals, but he lives as far
from cloudland as any man that has
| ever been in public life.
This suggests another quality that
| makes Theodore Roosevelt a rare man.
For ages there has been a perceptible
distinction between the thinker and
the doer. Plato and Socrates were
thinkers and the world has their
| thought today; but Percles both
| thought and did things, and however
| we may revel in the sublime realms
of Plato and Socrates, it was Peri
cles who contributed to the glory of
Athens that which chiefly appeals to
us today.
We suspect that Bismarck appeals
| more to the average human being than
a Gladstone, the one was a man of
| deeds, the other an orator. But The
| odore Roosevelt combines the two
| qualities, that of the thinker as well
| as that of the man of action. He
| writes an essay on american Ideals"
IN which he treats of the things vital
| thinker; but civilization has been
waiting for a century for the Panama
canal, and he makes that great world
| highway a possibility. Thomas Jeffer.
son wrote we'll and reasoned about tho
| rights of man, ami set down abstrac-
tons with 9 wonderful clearness, but
he bought Louisiana Territory, and he
| will be remembered in history chiefly
| because Of this one thing that he did
| in opposition to the theories set down
| in his distractions. This suggests
another distinguishing trait in Theo-
| dore Roosevelt, because he is not re-
quired to violate his own theories in
| order to record achievements. His
public acts are in accordance with his
| published principles and the country
| approves and applauds because the
| people feel that both his theories and
| his deeds will withstand the test Of
actual experience.
This is why Chairman Root was able
| to add the third element in the SEN
| tence quoted at the beginning of this
| article-"with him this convention
agrees because every word has been
sound Republican doctrine"
And this suggests striking anal
ogy between the life of this man and
| the life of this party that has just
| placed him in nomination for an office
| the highest that the world has to be-
| stow. The Republican party cer1e
into existence half century ago be-
cause the times then demanded a par
ty not only with high ideals, but also
| with the ability to accomplish what
| it set out to do. There were other
parties then animated by the sub
FINEST of purposes, but their methods
| were impracticable. Out Of these con-
ditions sprang this party, not only
moved by the Hottest spirit. but also