The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-11


nature. President Roosevelt owes much
today to Mr.. Storer and myself.
1t was through me and my influence
that Mr.. Roosevelt was made assistant
secretary of the navy and it came about
in this way:
Mr.. Storer and 1 went to Canton to
pay President and Mrs. Mckinley
friendly visit and also to ask for the
appointment of Mr.. Roosevelt to be as
sistant secretary of the navy.
I told the president that I was not
there to ask for anything for my hus-
band, but that I did want an appoint
great personal favor if he would grant
my request and make Mr. Roosevelt as
sistant secretary of the navy.
He at first opposed it by saying that
MI Roosevelt was too much Of a fighter
and he feared it would not be a wise
appointment to make"
Mrs Storer also remarked that she
and Mrs. Roosevelt had been intimate
friends for years. SO intimate that while
the family was occupying a modest
home in Nineteenth street in Washing
ton, where Archie Roosevelt was born,
Mr.. Storer was asked to stand as god
father for the lad.
When asked why President Roosevelt
had made any statement, Mrs. Storer
said:
Before his election as president he
had worked hard and had three people
working for the election of Archbishop
Ireland as cardinal. After his election
pie would find him out that he has de-
MED all these things and turned against
his eldest and best friends"
MI Storer gives out another letter
from the president addressed to Mrs
Storer, with the following explanation:
Il give In full a letter from the
president in answer to what he said
was written by my wife / do this both
because 1t is a letter for him to be
proud of from it's full appreciation Of
eminent public n4enA (aparts from any
reference to myseIf)a and also TO show
that my wife's letter to which this was
an answer, now spoken of only with a
sheer, was considered differently by Mr..
Roosevelt at the time it was received:
Letter Storer Is Proud OF.
Executive Mansion, Wash. Oct 4,
1901
My Dear Maria: You need never
be afraid of writing me or asking any
thing If It is in my power to grant it,
shall do so. If for any reasons.
whether political in the narrow or in
the larger sense I can not I shall tell
you SO frankly. Personal reasons can
never exist when 7 do not do anything
you say. Bellamy was right about its
being needless to write me in order to
keep him in Madrid. think of both
of you all the time and have gone over
several times possible plans.
:" First. as to the cabinet it is very
unlikely now that I shall change any
member of the present cabinet. You
have probably seen that I have asked |
them all to stay. The secretary of war. |
Root, is one Of the very strongest men |
before the people in our whole party. |
His Canton speech was the most eff |
fectiVe delivered in the campaign last !
year. His advice is invaluable, not |
merely in reference to his department. |
but in reference to all branches of the |
service.
Needed Catholic In Cabinet.
As for his department, II Is at the |
present time the most important in the /
no HI
lie calamity to have him leave the cab |
met now and I use the words public |
calamity advisedly- He is a sick man,
a condition which gives me great I'M
easiness. not because there is any fear
of his death but lest he may have to |
give up his work here. If he went out
should have to consider nothing |
whatever but the question of getting |
the best man the entire country afford
ed for the work necessary to be done.
1T may be that after carefully look |
ting over the matter I should conclude |
that Bellamy was the man for the
It may be that 7 should have /
TO conclude that some one else of \
whom I have no thought would be the
best man, and if so I should be In
honor bound to take him and not to I
consult any personal preference of
mine in a matter SO vital TO the coun-
try.
It do not believe that Secretary
Long intends to leave the navy. In
this department 1 am sure without
further thought that Bellamy would
be admirable, but in filing any va
cancy in the cabinet, 1 would have to
take note of all kinds of considera-
lions.
I should count Bellamy's religion
in his favor for a cabinet place Other
things being equal should like TO
have a Catholic in the cabinet I am
sure that in the navy department he
would do exceedingly well as secre-
tary.
I do not know whether geograph-
instance, ] should like much to get
Pacific slope man into the cabinet and
particularly in the navy department,
and I do not wish to leave New Eng
land unrepresented At present see
no Pacific slope man who would be
competent to fill the position. More
over, If possible I should like to get
one or more members OF the cabinet
who are in close touch with the people |
carrying weight when they explain the |
policies, purposes and acts of my ad- |
ministration.
81 This is the one point in which the |
present cabinet is not as strong as it /
should be.
." I do not believe that a finer, ADLER, |
more high minded body of public serv- /
ants was ever got together around a /
president; but there IS no one OF them, /
with the possible exception OF Root /
(who IS 50 busy that he can hardly /
ever speak,, who can appear before the /
country with the prestige OF a great
~-~1ttscai i0e So 70 a~rfafs- erd Oh I'M l