The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-02-11

his whole attention and force to what
ever he has in hand, then Of transfer
ring both instantly to the next thing.
He plays as be works, or, rather, he
makes play of his work and work of
his play. having ''bully" time in
each. They are all part of the game
to be enjoyed to the full. 1t is proba-
BILE that Roosevelt sometimes gets
tired, but, if so, he never shows it.
He is as fresh at the end of the day
as at the beginning. This is true
whether he works or walks, rides or
romps, makes speeches or shoots bears
and mountain lions.
The presidents famous rebuke of ma
ture taking came from the same corner
Of his brain-or was 1t his heart? -as
the demand for clean sport. 1t raised
about his ears a hornets nest, but If
ever man could have a perfectly
corking time with hornets he is the
man. Writers of animal stories and
some naturalists as we'll fell ON him
hip and thigh, criticising him for kill
ing game merely for the sake of killing
and saying other things about him that
everybody has forgotten. That is one
thing about Roosevelt His phrases
stick, while those Of his enemies pass
like words written in water. Whether
his structures of the animal writer's
were all deserved or not, the term
mature faker' is so pat that it will
stay and will have a wholesome effect.
Move Of Great Import.
The presidents repeated pleas against
the destruction of forests, his encour-
agement Of the forestry bureau, his
calling Of two conventions of govern
ors for the conservation of natural re-
sources and his plan of interesting
Canada and Mexico in the same cause
| all constitute a work the Importance
| OF which we cannot yet measure. Any
thing of this nature makes such a pc
culiar appeal to my own heart that 1
would not trust myself to make an IN
biased judgment of its Importance,
for to me it seems, in connection with
| certain kindred movements, altogether
the greatest cause set in motion by this
administration and one that will re-
dound more to its future credit than
any other.
One of these kindred movements is
| irrigation in the west. The plan of
giving government aid to these irriga-
ton projects is distinctively Roose-
welt policy and has given him much of
his popularity west of the Missouri
river. Already vast arid wastes have
been transformed into productive
farms, orchards and gardens. and the
effort Is yet in its infancy. 1t is the
kind of work that will bless mankind
through the centuries. If he who
makes two blades of grass grow where
one grew before Is benefactor, then
what shall be said Of him who makes
100000 blades grow where none grew
before? He is probably benefactor
raised to the nth power"
| Still another Of these kindred move
ments was inaugurated by Mr.. Roose-
welt when he appointed his farm COM
mission, but which came so near the
end of his term that it is impossible to
measure its effects. If it covers the
ground, however, if it does even q
small part Of what there is such cry
Ing need should be done, it alone will
become an immeasurable blessing to
the country.
| 1t is one of the faculties of Roose-
welt to bring almost every subject he
goes after into universal discussion. 1t
was so with his crusade against race
suicide. He has been subjected to col
umns of ridicule for attempting to reg
ulate not only governmental policies,
but the size Of our families, yet few
have questioned either the righteous
ness or timeliness of his remark that
! IF race does not have plenty of
children then that race is decadent."
1t took courage to say that, but there
was supreme need that it should be
said
Ahead Of His Age.
Even greater ridicule greeted the
presidents espOusal Of reformed spell
ing. This was hitting the trail of
progress little too hard for the aver
age American. He preferred to spell
as his fathers had spelled, even though
it were the most abominable way ever
known to any language on earth. In
this matter Roosevelt was simply
ahead of his age We shall come to it.
Give us time
One of the most noteworthy acts of
the present administration was the
presidents successful effort to bring
about peace in the anthracite coal
strike. This not only ended a trouble
some labor controversy that was bring
ing distress to thousands, but estab-
lished a precedent for arbitration of
industrial disputes.
It is one Of the anomalies Of the con-
Trajectory character St this man that,
while he has stood for the militant
attitude and has SO insisted that boys
learn how to shoot and that the nation
Sh0n16 oror no rod Gov ,.-ov ~,