New-York tribune., 1907-05-20
SEC"Y WILSON ANXIOUS.
Believes the President Is Working
Too Hard.
tFrom The Tribune Buresu.I

Washington. May 19.-Secretary Wilson OF the
Department OF Agriculture, the dean OF the
Cabinet who has probably sat in more Cabinet
meetings with the President than any other
man and who has watched that official with the
plain instincts of the farmer, says that the Presl-
dent is going beyond the power of human en-
durance in the amount of work he is doing ana
that the pace is too great for his constitution
He saws that the President is forced to take
his vacation earlier this year than ever before
and that it is because the work is telling on
him.
president Roosevelt has a fine constitution"
said Secretary Wilson to-day. "but there is a
limit TO the endurance of any man. He works
from & O'Clock in the morning to - at night in
many instances and works diligently. He has
done so ever since he came to the Whlte
House and we who are close to him are able
to detect the effects ~ him to-day He IS taking
his vacation a little earlier this year than ever
before. and l believe it is because he finds IL
necessary for him TO do -. Few men couia
have stood UP as he has under the strain OF the
work he has done
AS Cabinet officer l more thoroughly
convinced of some other things than are people
who know the President less intimately. Prob
ably the greatest of opportunities of studying
him al first hand is given the members OF the
Cabinet. We meet him closely, as man TO man.
and there is no occasion for maintaining any
relation other than that of absolute and open
frankness. We meet him twice or three times
each week, and have been doing so for num-
ber of years. l believe that his Cabinet sees
the President in his best light and that the
men who have been longest in the Cabinet have
the greatest appreciation of him. The PreSl-
dent looks every matter squarely in the face and
forms his opinion upon IT according to his con-
sCientious conviction That he has in most cases
been right in his judgments has been proved by
the results h. has obtained.
Besides being absolutely honest he goes a
step further, and is absolutely fearless. The two
qualities combined constitute q great power, and
go far toward making -ReGseN elt-the greatest
man Of his time. Oh yes. he acts impulsively
sometimes. and in doing makes mistakes, but
who would have him do otherwise? He would
not he Roosevelt if he did not do so, and IL Is
a part of his fearlessness that makes him do
In the Cabinet have come more and
more TO that he is sincere and true 10 his
beliefs. and We know better than anybody else.
There is one other great quality that the
President has which goes far 10 make him the
power that he is That quality is a correct un-
derstandins Of the whole people. His is not an
appreciation of the man in any grade OF so
ciety or line Of activity. He knows the whole
people. and especially the sturdy Drawn and
sInew that goes to make up the producing mass
which really matters. He has been one Of them
and has done the things that they do and he
knows absolutely what are their needs and de-
sires.
There is one big piece OF work that should
be done by some member OF the present Cabinet.
and that Is to write history of the President.
No outsider viii ever get 10 understand the man
as the Cabinet members do. Years of intimate
association bring a clearer understanding than
all the superficial study in the world. Some
Cabinet member should do the work. The next
best thing would be for some professional writer
10 talk long and intimately with the members
OF the Cabinet and get the material from them
from which 10 make a book. one trouble es-
pecially with the magazine writer's and many OF
those who are currently believed 10 be equal 10
such a task. IS the fact that they have never
been down at bedrock with the real people. To
produce anything really good must have
toiled In the ranks. The best material being
written to-day is being turned out by men
actively In the newspaper business. who have
worked up through their own efforts but these
men are too busy 10 write hooks