The Washington herald., 1908-04-05
Nr. Roosevelrs strenuosi,y Explained.

An anonymous writer in the American
Magazine for April undertakes 10 explain
Theodore Roosevelt. ana succeeds some
what better, we think, than most COM
mentators who have attempted that ana
Btic task And he has succeeded with
out doing violence either to science or
nature, as did Allan McLane Hamilton
when he tried TO prove the President a
victim Of paranCia refoTmatoria. although
curiously enough our unknown author finds
clew to the Duzzle-if it be a puzzIe-in
Prof. William James theory Of the hid
den energies of humanity We all accom-
plish less than we might. according 10
Prof. James, because we lack the capacity
Of energzng or making the fullest use
OF our faculties. Mr.. Roosevelt has that
capacity highly developed. He is able to
energize all his faculties. and his com
mand of his capacities is even more re-
markable than the capacities themselves. .
He is neither erratic nor eccentric. as the
American Magazine critic sees him HE
Is profoundly normal, physically and
mentally, which genius is not. His habits
and life are temperate; he is abstemlous
in eating, drinking, sleeping; for that is
part o. the care which be gives mis- en-
ergizing machine. His family life is nor
mai, and he exhorts all America to a
similar normaiity. He exercises every day
with the regularity of clockwOrk. II may
seem violent exercise to some: to Roose-
Nelt 1t is the normal exercise Of his highly
energized life. His religion is normal and
expressed normally. RE has the normal
capacity for friendships. Contrary to the
belief of some people the President is
the very incarnation Of order and regu-
larity in his work. That is part Of his
system of energizlng."
our critic attributes Mr. Roosevelt
success. therefore. to his extraordinary
capacity for energizing-for using every
ounce Of every capacity he possesses; 81
he is man of ordinary abilities who has
succeeded through the simple device OF
self-control and self-disciplne His YER
satility and energy are only commonness-
the possession Of human qualities COM
mon 10 the average man-energized TO a
high degree. Mr., Roosevelt has accom-
plshed what he has in the political Arena
n the simplest possible way. by beins
exactly like US. the people Of the United
States; by acting, not on his reason. but
on his instincts. which are the instincts
of the country, by trusting the multitude
NO President we have ever had has been 50 close
to the real. though inarticalate. feeling Of ou
people. North. South. East, and West. as Roose
velt Little localities like New York and Boston
hate him. but New YORK City is only a financial
province of the country las Boston Is sort oi
atTophied intellectual provircej. and not American
in the largest sense. George Washington vas
distant aristozat Lincoln man Of loaely divinity
leading AZ best bur half q the country and thai
half divided in its support of him; but Roosevelt
vhoops gleriously with the whole crowd. He i
Just Ike rs. As a people. sct swiftly aHJ
continuously and DO cur thinking -aftersard. ~
venture lwhere angels fear TO tread upon ever
thing: and do few things well We too inpul
NEs. and or impulses are good. but too ofteI