The Washington herald., 1907-04-07


dotal biography of the President, by
George William Douglas. who has aimed
by giving a series of WeH-authenticated
anecdotes about him 10 present a por-
trait OF the real man. It is Roosevelt as
he Is known TO his contemporaries, and
the anecdotes show him in some Of the
most intimate phases of his life
Ii may be said to be more or less a
hattering picture that is presented in
this volume, as the author has taken lii
tie or no notice OF the criticisms of par
tisan opponents OF Of the unpleasant tales
told by them. The volume contains ma
terial that has taken several years to
accumulate, and the task of Mr.. Doug
las has been practically that of the edi-
tor. The anecdotes are classified in such
a way as to make the narrative more or
less connected, and it is a mighty inter
esting story, and one that should be read
by every good citizea
Mr.. Douglas, IN collecting these anec-
dotes about President Roosevelt, ac-
knowledges with gratitude the assistance
OF Gen. Charles +. Henderson. Senator
Henry Heitfeld, II. H. Kohlsat Judge
Alton B. Parker Baron Speck Won
Sternburg the Hon ST. Clair Mckelway,
the Hon. s. n d, North, the Hon. Rock
wood Hoar. the Hon. Timothy L. Wood
ruff, Justin Mccarthy, jr, Senator
p. c. Knox, Representatives William p.
Hepburn. John F. Lacey, and William c.
Adamson. the Hon. lothian p Aids. Col.
William A. Castor, Judge O. J. Semmes,
Col J. R. Nutting, William w. Sewall,
J. A. Ferris, Daniel Velsor, Ralph Smith.
and many others.
For permission to reproduce the very
fun extracts from this volume. which fol-
low. The Washington Herald is indebted
TO the courtesy Of D0do, Mead, & Co,
publishers. New York.
In his Introductory chapter Mr.. Doug
las says;
Theodore Roosevelt is a force; his enc
mics say an erratic and irresponsible
force; his friends insist that he is a benef-
icent and inspiring influence. All, friends
and enemies alike. agree that he is a
force TO be reckoned with. Ii is too early
yet to decide on the exact nature of his
influence on his times. We are toe near
him and all other contemporaries to judge
them accurately. But it is evident TO all
observers that Mr.. Roosevelt is very
Humankind very fallible. as all men are
but wiUhaE sincere and honest.
Public Opinion of Him.
AS he has grown with the passing
years the opinion of him held by his
contemporaries has changed in many
ways. For instance, one public common
tatOr wrote of him in June. 1900 that
Roosevelt is no hero or genius. but just
fire, brave, hearty. honest. manly fell
low, trained ia many schools of life. alb
solutely democratic. absolutely American,
ambitious with "a high ambition and hav-
ing singular gift for inspiring a per-
s0nal liking or dislhug. as the case may
be. There is nothing of the dummy or
wax figure about him. You may swear by
him or you may swear at him, but you
can't be Indifferent about him. He owes
almost as much to his enemies as TO his
friends. Newspapers have tried to write
him down. He has been sneered at, jump
ed upon, mathematical. He never held
any but subordinate offices until he was
governor, and yet by perseverance. by in
dustry by main pluck and essential en-
ergy. he became a leading figure In the
public eye, a man to be reckoned with.
Reformers and machinists have had their
quarrels with him. Mugwump and unre-
generate fists have been shaken in his
face. All the time he has been pegging
away at something worth doing. and he
has tried 10 do it well, whether he was
writing books or Iegislating at Albany,
or c0Wpunching, hunting mountain sheep,
or spoilsmen. or Spaniards.'
The book deals very fully with the an
cestry OF President Roosevelt, ancestry of
which he is pardonably proud. OF one of
his ancestors Mr. Roosevelt once said:
James Dunwoody Bulloch was an adj
miral in the Confederate service. OF all
the people whom have ever met he was
the one that came nearest TO that beauti-
ful creation of Thackeray-CoL New
come. Men and women, don't you think
that I have the ancestral right to claim
a proud kinship with those who showed
their devotion 10 duty as they saw the
duty, whether they wore the gray or
whether they wore the blue? All Ameri-
cans who are worthy the name feel an
equal pride in the yalor of those who
fought on one side or the other, provided
only that each did with all his strength
and soul and mind his duty as it was
given him to see his duty"
Tribute 10 jackson.
ION this same trip to the South the
Presidents train stopped at Charlotte,
n. c. A committee Of ladies, headed by
Mrs. T. J. Jackson, the widow of stone
walr' Jackson. was present at the station
TO greet Mrs. Roosevelt. When the Pres
ident was introduced to Mrs. Jackson, he
exclaimed:
What! The widow of the great Stone
wall Jackson? Why, it is worth the whole
trip down here to have .. chance to shake
your hand.
He reminded her that he had appoint
ed her grandson. jackson Christian, TO
eadetship in the Military Academy at
West Point, remarking as he did so: He
is mighty fine fellow, Mrs. jackson, a
mighty fine fellow
And Mrs. jackson. in speaking of the
matter later was as enthusiastic in re-
ferring 10 the President as he had been
in speaking Of her husband"
IT is because of his close connection of
blood with SOutheTners that the Presi- /
dent has always had intense sympathy
for that section.
They tell "a story in Texas of how he
rebuked noisy traducer OF the South in
Washington, soon after President Harri- /
son appointed him TO the Civil Service !
Commission. He was in a company of
men one evening, when one of them re-
ferred cOntempJuously 10 the Southern
people as traitors. Mr.. Roosevelt remon- /
stTated mildly. But the man insisted that
the people in the South We're traitors /
Again Mr. Roosevelt protested. saying /