The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-12

! n
ysAsHINGToNs June b Theos
dores Rooseyelt, young est President fl
the UNITED state i. will he only 9 few
days over fifty 81 ears 81 geg on cleo
ton day S.s H !, Z!
|aEProbabIy no man living or dead has
done aS greater variety OF big things
than he In half q century has
broken more proceed Tents. His every
net, offictal and private, has been q
contradiction of established usage, yet
every time he has knocked some moss
grown Yprecede emit into the proverbial
cooked hat. the world has -. declareL.
as soon as 1t has regained its breath,
that the Roosevelt way was best and
has wondered whysno one else thought
OF doing it that way years before.
Ne Roosevelt was scarce out OF college
before he claimed the center OF the
stage. and the spotlight OF publicity.
has been following him around eve.
since. In the Legislature Of New
York state. as Civil Service Commits
sioner. as Police Commissioner OF the
Metropolis. as Assistant Secretary Of
the Navy he plunged into the midstlot
events7pr, II there were no events
In reach worth mentioning, he made
them. Il IS ~ s, ME-
When the police force OF New York.
inefnclent from dry rot and cancerous
with vice. came under his control. \ he
shook it up until Its old bones rat
tied and gave the grafters scare
that they remember to this day. He
didn't quite convert the force into n
band Of evangelists. but he made tho
Tammany Tiger SILVER In its lair and
caused the name OF T. Roosevelt to
be known throughout the land.
Dr. Once upon atime. when he was sec.
ond in command to that dear. gool:
peaceable Secretary OF the Navy.
John D. Long. his chief happened to
be away from Washington for few
days. Buzz! Bling! Before the sedate
bureau chiefs in the department knew
the day Of the month. he had issued
orders that dispatched shiploads OF
ammunition to the Aslatic squadron
and prepared George Dewey fore the
day that made him famous and sent
the Spanish huiks to the floor OF Ma.
niln Bay. A u u
He was the something-lifferent pol
itician. He told his political enemies.
as well as s his political friends. the
truth. He wore his heart on his
sleeve. It was unheard Of. Before
his day, to be a politician was to be n
liar. He became the greatest polit!.
clan OF the age by telling the truth.
4. He, was the sonlethins-loing soldier,
as well as the somethlng-differen pol,
itlcian. When he went to Cuba, II
there wasn't any fighting to be done,
his men found that there was work
to do. They dug kitchen sinks. they
drilled, they got ready. and they stay
ed ready: SO. when the time for nc.
ton came. the charge up San Juan
Hill was a mere picnic to those bron.
co-busters and grizzly-eaters.
Roosevelt loves a fight better than
nine Grlshmen out OF ten. and the
strain of Dutch in his blood makes
him Stick when once he mixes In.
Like the Irish. he doesn't know when
he Is licked. and many..s the time he
his won out after he had apparently
been beaten to a finish
Colonel OF the Rough Riders and
Governor OF New York n Z. n
He sticks to his friends as grimly
rs he sticks to his foes. and the same
logged determination that makes him
fight to the last ditch for what he be:
lieyes is right, places him at the bacl,
Of. the man he claims as friend, no
matter II there be stack OF afIld1-
Wits as high as the Washington mon.
lument to, prove the man unworthy.
Just to show his friendship and his
faith Iii human nature. Roosevelt has
appointed more than one man to OF.
fee whose record reached back to the
door OF the penitentiary. But 1t should
be said in the same breath that he
has shown its incorporating fair
ness by. turning upon men found un'
worthy OF his trust and has over
whelmed them with his wrath.
There's nothing halfway about The
odoro Roosevelt. He likes a man
with all his heart and soul and vigor
II he doesn't like him he hates the
ground he walks on hates his fam
ily. his relatives. his ancestors. anf
his birthplace. What Is more, he 1!
not ut all slow to let the fact bt
known. q,
Much as he loves a fight. he love,