Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-11-22

In tentative manner Mr.. Roosevelt
assumed the reins of State at the death
of Mr.. Mckinley. There was still a
very able power behind the throne in
the shape of Mr.. Hanna. By fateful
circumstances death again removed a
really big man from our inidst-one
whose nature was too deep to care for
the applause Of the multitude, and who
kept the rays of his candle well hid
The political organ twanged discordant
notes. Never had it remotely antici-
pated such fatalities. 1t was not sure
whether it should take off its hat to the
man it had Intellectually shelved or not.
Time passes and the subsequent elec-
tion day sympathetic public puts the
man in Office.
Mr.. Roosevelt is keen in reading
human nature and had observed accu-
rately. He had seen the political chap
lains vince when a thousand electric
eyes pierced the clouds of night pro-
claiming him the chosen of the people.
Can we now doubt that the feeling Of
"Divine Interception" was riveted in
him, and he believed he was the one
and the only one to lead the poor Israel
ties into the Land OF Canaan? The
cineh OF the rearing mustang was looS-
ed, and striking his hoofs into the sod
he shifted the air, knowing that any
meadow was his for the choosing. Such
l believe was his attitude at the begin
ming of his present term.
In Mr.. Roosevelt's official and private
life down TO the present day he has
combined such score of usually irrec-
oncilable characteristics that he might
be known as the "Jack-of-all-trade
president. Nothing seems to be so in
consequent or trivial that it would not
be possible to hear from him about it.
In the same way nothing seems too big
for him to tackle, and in many of his
undertakings he has been favored
seemingly more by luck than good
management and foresight. The most
modern application of that word
"tackle" occurs to us in the game of
football. In this arduous pastine after
a man has tackled and missed his flying
mark he does not as rule pursue, but
shaking the dust off goes back for a
new line up. From this standpoint Mr..
Roosevelt is quite ''tackler.
1t is inconceivable that any one indi-
vidual can be endowed with sufficient
physical stamina to keep up to the end
these Titanic rushes and onslaughts
which characterize Mr.. Roosevelt's adj
vent in office. He has set up a pace
that even he must find more and more
difficult to maintain. No matter how
much he might like to slow down (and
fancy he would) it would be abso-
lutely 0iscordant. 1t was he who in
creased the size of the governmental
machine and set it turning in its pom
derous revolutions. All the mechanism
is new excepting the old time brake,
and this is now Intellectual. There was
time when a man could become Pres
ident and leave the office at the end OF
his allotted term or terms in very much
the condition he found it. Mr.. Roose-
welt has completely changed the char.
acter of the Office of the Presidency OF
the United States. He has placed the
personality of the incumbent before al
else. In all actions from now on the
Ego must predominate.
1t was generally whispered around
The corridors of the capitol when Mr..
Roosevelt came into Office that mans
private life would be we'll gone into be-
fore his public utility was considered
There are some people who are broac
enough to judge man by his best anc
not his worst work. From an artists
standpoint Mr.. Roosevelt is inartistic
however, he does not pose in the fields
of the Muse, so nc criticism should
come on this score. His attitude has
always been physical rather than a
spiritual one. Cheeks surging with
healthful gore seems to be the proto-
type. AS partial proof of what say,
think of any portrait of Mr.. Roosevelt,
painting or photograph. In recalling
, same | believe the only two things that
. stand out with any predominence will
be his eye glasses, rather coarse
mouth and as adjunct high hat with q
frock coat twisting in the wind. Neither
lens nor brush has attempted to revea
a soul underneath. You may surround
him with all the mise en- scene for {
tremendous portrait, his surging charger
being held by the bride or cohort o.
Cabinet Ministers watching in death
. like stiffness his signature placed t'
, some monumental document, but wher
, it is all finished you have no grant
man but simply honest and plain Mr.
Roosevelt, who is not of the finest cal
ibre from soul standpoint / thinl
:, Mr.. Roosevelt would himself acknowl
edge that he was certainly not very
8 much of soul man, but that he wa
; decidedly practical. This is where al
q Inconsistency of character comes in
:. One of his strongest occurencies il
speech is directed to the domestic heart
and how husbands and wives shoul
: comport themselves. AS a rule tn
!, chief charm in connubial bliss an
! strength of attachment is held by tn
!, spiritual rather than the physical side
= Mr.. Roosevelt appeals only to the lat
= ter and disrobes whatever beauty ma
- be in it.
J. Mr.. Roosevelt demands the homap