The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-08
MIR. ROOT'S RETURN TO THE CAR
met.
Its Significance Discussed by an Old Pr
ittical and Pers mi Friend.


Roots return to the Cabinet that the motive
| impelling him is his ambition to succeed Mr..
| Roosevelt as President. and it Is not UNI
! reasonable assumption, Mr.. Root in going to
| Washin gton will give up probably the greatest
professional income at the New York bar. OF
which he is unQucstonably the leader now
that Mr.. Choate has practically retired from
the strenuous labors OF his profession.
Mr.. Roots present age of 90 years, too, ia not
much above the average period OF life at which
our Presidents have beer elected. Even in
1908 he will be younger by five years than was
Harrison at his inauguration in 1871. two
years younger than Zachary Taylor and
three years younger than James Buchanan.
He will he only one year older than were John
Adams and Martin Van Buren,. but he will be
twenty years older than was President Roose-
welt when he was naugurated last year. Mr.
Root too. is In the prime Of his development.
| physically and intellectually. His life has
been throughout under hard pressure. yet no
| man Of my acquaintance has preserved moro
| fully his youthful vigor. and have known
| him ever since he began the struggle in New
York. For all practical purposes he is young
| man still. except that he has his powers better
in hand than when first met him. a singularly
attractive youthful personality. but the slim
illus Of his ambition Is in no wise lessened.
1t Is somewhat interesting. II not sug eestive.
that the average age Of our Presidents has
declined from about So years before the civil
war to 81 years since then. Except for Tyler.
inausurated at 81 years. Polk and Fillmore at so
and Pierce at 40. the average for the Presidents
before the civil war was nearly 80 years. or
the age OF John Adams. the second President.
and five years greater than that OF Washing
ton. Since the civil war we have our young est
President, Roosevelt, 43 years Of age at his
inauguration in 1901, or six years younger
than Franklin Pierce. the youngest before the
war. Gen. Grant was inaugurated at Al years.
Garfield at 40 and Cleveland at "a.
These facts suggest no more than that
perhaps Mr.. Root at o. years in 1900 will be
above the average Presidential age in both
periods and very much above that since the
war. IL. however, his vigor persists he will
be practically as youthful as any of them.
Moreover. at this period the persstency of
the powers OF a strong man lasts longer than
formerly. The average age or expectancy of
life has increased At so years a man Is now
much younger so far as concerns fitness for
the strain Of great affairs than he was in the
early days of this republic.
Mr.. Roots age therefore, will be no hand-
cap on his ambitions. 1t may rather COM
mend him the more to the Judgment of the
public for We are now In period when the
ripeness OF maturity. it's calmness, poise and
reserve are more than ever needed In the
conduct of the national Government. Mr..
popularity-a popularity so great that for the
moment he seems to have largely obliterated
partizan lines in national politics. but three
years hence the country may feel the need OF a
rest from his strenuous agGressiyeness. IL
may want the repose of con fdcnce in a calmer
helmsman. and already there appear signs OF
conservative reaction
1t may be assumed that Bryan will be the
next Democratic candidate for President
The effort which has been made since the
awful defeat of Parker to shelve Bryan in
favor OF an even more extreme radical seems
for the moment to have been brought to
halt The Republican candidate, however.
will be representative of conservatism in
comparison with Bryan. and II the public
temper remains as it appears to be now
seasoned statesman OF the equilibrium of Mr.
Root would meet its demands in 1908.
This brings me again to the question-Is
Mr. Root going again into the Cabinet because
of any fixed conviction that he will be the
Republican to succeed Mr.. Roosevelt? don't
believe il. Mr.. Root is not q man Of illusions,
but is coolheaded, philosophic statesman.
and a practical politician. also. This is a time
anomalous in our political history. Never
was 1t 30 impossible as now to see ahead into
the political possibilities OF the future. The
election Of Mr.. Roosevelt has brought about
confusion OF political sentiment OF which the
most far seeing statesman cannot even so
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