The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-27
From the New York Times.

p1v James of Harvard university con-
 tributed to the American Maga-
 zine an article based on the proposition that men should use more of the vast
 store of energy which they actually pos
 sess; that they should break away from the habit of inferiority' to their full
 selves. In the April number of this mag
 azine a contributor who signs himself K" applies this idea to the character
 and career of President Roosevelt. He finds the key to MT. Roosevelt in the pos | sibility of energizing average capabilities to the point where they are able to &C., complish marvels.
 The declaration that the President ex- ercises an amount of energy undreamed Of by most men is one that nobody will dis pute. The most interesting part of this investigation of his career and work lies in it's argument that MT. Roosevelt pos
 sesses no capabilities beyond the aver age The author of the article believes that he is merely commonplace. His achievements are declared to be purely the work of an ordinary man energized to the last degree TX" argues that MT. Roosevelt's popularity springs from the fact that the mass of people recognize him as one of themselves. He is not above them; he is just of them He thinks about the things they think about, and talks about the things they talk about, in precisely their own language. voicing pre- | cisely their own sentiments. "K." reminds | us that young Roosevelt took no prize at Harvard either in scholarship Or sports. He has never been a good shot, confess ing himself that his eyes are bad and his hand is mot very steady" and yet he
 has killed every kind of game by practice | and perseverance. AS a reformer he &C., | complished some good, though his heart never famed with the fire of Savonarola l or a Phillips. He was gallant soldier,
 but did not display any military genius. | In short he is "K." would persuade us, an ilustrious example of what most orr dinary capabilities can do when they are applied unceasingly and with their full energy to the work nearest at hand.
 It is very much to be doubted whether an adequate description of the President
 can be found in any such thesis as this.
 Mr. Roosevelt is phenomenon whom 1t will take a good many theses to explain.
 But one can go at least so far along with "K." as to admit that, as writer, MT. Roosevelt belongs to that class of | producers of literature who meet the en- | tire appreciation of hundreds of thou l sands without ever contributing as to
 matter, a new idea; or, as to form, so | much as noteworthy sentence. MT. Roosevelt has written voluminously, but | he has not coined single phrase that fingers in the memory, and he has not introduced a single novelty into the world 1 of thought. His words run along hon. estly. They are never subtle They touch
 no springs of profound thought They l raise no questions They reveal little 1 consciousness of the great themes which 1 have moved philosophers and poets since 1 the beginning of time. To the intellect l ual they have no message, seeming but l platitude or perfunctory homily. Yet, | to the average man they are instinct with power; they are the utterances of
 John the Baptist calling to repentance. MT. Roosevelt does not pretend to be a poet or a dialectican. He says of him. self: 1T am no genius. The things I talk 1 about are not new; they are the plain, | familiar principles of right and wrong 1 He breaches the exercise of plain, ordi- nary virtues of a rather Commonplace l type-common sense, common honesty. | And yet it is fact that In the history | of America no mans words have had 1 more weight or have met wider or more | instant response.
 | Whether, then, 1t be the case or not, that the President is commonplace man, it is sufficiently significant fact that his utterances, though commonplace. are of immense popularity. It is the inalienable right of every free-born citizen to be an average man-and most of our fellow countrymen have embraced this right and hold it sacredly. A world inhabited by men of genius would be sad one after all. Genius Is disturbing. It is inclined