New-York tribune., 1905-07-08
PRAISE FOR HAY AND ROOT
Presidents Tribute to Men Who
GiUe SeIf-Saciiifciing SerUice.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1BUNE.l

tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
Asbury Park, n. J., July AT the close of
his address before the National Educational AS
sociation here to-day President Roosevelt spoke
of John Hay and his successor. He discarded
the notes of his set speech and spoke extempo-
raneously in tribute to the services for the coun
try Of the late Secretary of State and the self
sacrificing service of members of the Cabinet
The President said:
In closing want to speak to you of how GER
tain things some of which have happened and
some of which have been suggested 10 me by
what has happened, in the past week, empha-
size what have said to you as TO the impor-
tance to this country of having within its limits
men who put the realization OF high ideals above
any form Of money making.
Within a week this country has lost great
statesman, who was also great man OF letters,
a man who occupied a peculiar and unique posi-
tIon in our community, a man whose existence
we could each of us be proud Of. because his
life refiected upon each of us for the United
States as a whole was better because John Hay
lived.
John Hay entered the public service a
young man just come of age, as the secretary
of President Lincoln. He served in the war.
He was a member Of the Loyal Legion. He
was trusted by and was intimate with Lincoln
as hardly any other man was. He then went
on rendering service after service, and OF his
merits this was one of them; He had the great
advantage and great merit of always being
able AT any moment to go back TO private life
unless he could continue in public life on his
own terms.
TIE country, until at the climax Of his career
he served for some six years as Secretary of
State in two successive administrations, ana py
what he did and by what he contributed in
no small degree to achieve for this Republic the
respect of the nations Of mankind. Such service
as that could not have been rendered save Dy
a man who had before him ideals as far above
as the poles from those ideals which nave IN
them any tint Of what is base or sordid
1 wished to get for John Hays successor the
man whom I regarded as. of all men IN the
country. the one best fitted to be such success.
sor In asking him to accept the position OF
Secretary Of State, was asking him TO SUBMIT
10 a very great pecuniary sacrlnce, ana never
even thought of that aspect Of the question, Tor
I know he wouldn't either. knew that what
ever other consideration he had to waive against
taking the position, the consideration Of how II
would affect his personal fortune would not be
taken into account by Elihu Root And he has
And now. am I speaking of Hay and Root as
solitary exceptions? On the contrary, L am
spea king of them typical Of large class OF
men in public life, and when we hear so much
criticism of certain aspects of our public life
and Of certain of our public servants, criticism
which I regret TO state is, in many cases, de-
served. IL is well for us TO remember here IN
America we have and always have had al
the command of the nation, in any crisis. III
any emergency, the very best ability TO be
found within the nation, and that ability given
with the utmost freedom, given lavishly and
generously, although to the great pecuniary loss
of the men giving It, There is not in my Cabi-
net a man 10 whose financial disadvantage it is
not TO sit in the Cabinet. There is not in my
Cabinet one man VINO does not nave 10 give OE
something substantial, very largely substantial
sometimes, which il is a very real hardship foI
him 70 give up. in order that he may continue
in the service of the nation, and have the only
reward for which he looks which he cares
the consciousness of having done service that is
worth rendering
And / hope more and more throughout this
nation to the spirit grow which makes such
service possible. hope more and more to see
the sentiment OF the community as whole be-
come such that each shall feel ii borne ir
on him, whether he is in public life private
nfe-mind you. some Of the very greatest public
services can be best rendered by those who are
not in public life-that the chance to do good
work is the greatest chance that can come &c
anv man or any woman in our generation or ir
anv other generation; that II such work can be
well done II is In itself the amplest reward and
the amplest prize.