Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-13

Al oASCSASS.
Daniel Webster was once characterized
as "a steam-engine in breeches." This ap-
pellation fits Theodore Roosevelt-the In
carnation of restless energy-much better
than Webster, whose great powers of mind
| and body were displayed with stately dig
nifty that did not comport with the driving
powers of q steam-engine.
Theodore Roosevelt Is steam-engine
working always under high pressure. He
works all day under full steam, and when
he takes an hour or two in the evening for
recreative exercise he goes off like steam
engine. If he starts out for walk he
PUSHES at a pace that speedily put him
out of sight of the companion who has I'M
warily accepted an invitation to accom-
pany him. If on horseback. the result is
the same. Away he goes in the lead.
making desperate jumps over high fences
and wide watercourses. If he hunts bears.
or plays golf, or foot ball. or lawn tennis.
it is ever in like fashion; whether he hunts,
rides, walks or plays, he always goes at
it in steam-engine style.
With his remarkable equipment of
strength of mind and body and his appar
emily unlimited powers Of endurance, he
seems qualified to continue THIS hot pace In
definitely. But very few people are built
that way and 1t is not a wise thing to do
to encourage the unfit multitude to run
their motors at high speed when they
have not the strength or intelligence to
guide them properly.
The Strenuous Life.
Mr.. Roosevelt said in his address on 1.-The
Strenuous Life" delivered in Chicago, April
TO- 1899:
II wish to preach not the doctrine of ig-
noble ease but the doctrine of the strenu-
Gus life, the life Of toll and effort, or labor
and strife: to preach that highest form Of
success which comes not to the man who
desires mere easy peace. but to the man
who does not shrink from danger. from
hardship, or from bitter toll, and who out
of these wins the splendid ultimate tri-
umph.
This is admirable doctrine in a way, and
in this case at least MIR. Roosevelt prac-
tees what he breaches by devoting all his
energies to the exposition of the life of eff
fort. labor and strife which wins the splen-
did ultimate triumph. But it will be noted
that he nowhere has word urging the
practice of the rules of equity, even-handed
justice, the spirit of liberation, and the ex-
ercise of the reasoning powers, and calm,
temperate judgment in the transactions of
life.
He breaches always the gospel of hurry.
You must not be lazy, and you must do
things always on the rush. This impetuous
haste with which Mr.. Roosevelt does things
is the cause of many of his errors Of judg-
ment.
Roosevelt Unique.
Theodore Roosevelt is unique speci-
law to himself. His activities range from
the colossal to the infinitesimal. BY a mas
terly feat Of craftsmanship he puts end
to a great and appallingly destructive war
between two nations on the other side of
the globe; earning thereby the Nobel prize
and the applause OF the world. Then he
stoops to a petty, fussy attempt to prevent
his cabinet officers and other subordnates
and visitors to the White House from talk
ing to the reporters.
President Roosevelt has performed a won
derful work at the time when 1t was most
needed. His appearance in the field just
when the Harrimans and the Rockefellers
and the rest of the grabber gang were in
the act Of strangling all individual enter
prise and effort was as opportune the
arrival Of the Monitor at Fortress Monroe
when the ironclad Merrimac had come out
to finish up the work of destroying all our
wooden navy.
Press and Presidents
Our rulers. state or national, since the
days of Gov Berkeley, have. with two or
three exceptions, been on friendly terms
with the press. Andrew Jackson owed the
success Of his administration, next to his
own vigorous personality. to the services
of the able newspaper men he had around
him, who supported his policies, cudgeled his
enemies and licked his crude but forceful
utterances into shape. While he had capa-
BILE men for his official advisers, he relied