The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-15
ROOSEVELT NEATLY CAUGHT.

The Eastern papers arc telling
curious story about dinner at which
Col. Roosevelt was very unexpectedly
and very neatly exposed in ono of his
dcmagogic outburstS The story is that
a little dinner was recently given in
New York by the fricuds Of Oscar S,
Straus, the eminent diplomat who was
Secretary of Commerce aud Labor nm
der President Roosevelt. Among tho
guests AT the dinner was Col. Roosc-
welt himself When il came to his
turn to speak. he said:
Mr.. strsus was Secretary OF the great
Department Of Commerce ana Labor. |
put him at the head Of that department
because | wanted tho very best man in
the country for thc place. When | Sc
lected him ! did not consider his race
or iis religion. / did not care whether
lie was French or German or Jew, or
what his politics waS-or anything like
that. | selected him becauSc | thought
was not influenced 10y any consideration
Of race or religion. or any political eN-
pcdicut. And he justified my choice.
Great cheers followed this announce
mcu., which was most crcditablo to
Mr., Straus; and indeed Mr.. Straus
deserves all the good things that eau
be said Of him. But there was a snuff
fer IN preparation. Jacob n, Schilf.
the great tnancicr was also one. of
the guests lie is hard OF hearing,
aud did not gather what Col. Roosc-
volt had been saying. When il came
10 his turn 10 speak, he rose aud said:
am glad 10 have had something to
do with the selection of Mr.. Srraus as
Secretary OF Commerce and Labor. When
Mr.. Roosevelt was President he sent for
me ana told me nc desired 20 name the
most prominent aud most honorable He
brew citizen Of New York for Secretary
Of Commerce ANA Labor, and asked me
TO help him select the man
Just there he was drowned out by
roars of laughter and shouts Of ap-
plause: and it is said that in this ''thc
Colonel joined. But ii certainly
must have taken good deal of harJi.
hood on his part To ioin in laughter
of tina; kind, which was at his own
discontinue. aud nj the exposure OF
him as shifty demagogic who had
been saying the thing which was
not. He claimed that he himself Sc
lectsd Mr.. S.trsus because he wanted
the very best man in the country for
the place, and did not consider his
race or religion, cared nothing about
whether he was French, German. or
jew. or even about his politics. But
Mr. Sebif. in his plain. unvanished
talk, put down this Falstaniau BON
bast with a clear recital of tho facts.
Mr.. Roosevelt did not appoint Mr..
Straus without reference TO creed or
race, but appointed him because of his
creed and race, and went TO Mr.
Schiff for .hc recommendation of some
Hebrew citizen of New Yorl. who was
prominent and honorable And 80 u
plain tale again put down this modern
Falstaff.
Now, there is NO ono who objects
20 Mr.. Straus. lie was a 6rst-class
cabinet officer; he has done excellent
worl, in the diplomatic service of the
United States. He was cmincntly
worthy Of ,he position that he held
as Secretary. and also Of the other
P"olNi""H N"i'H Az HAS hcIu' ulpioAdtit
aud otherwise. But, what a puncture
Of the self-inhated Roosevelt balloon
Mr. Schif Fhade, II was pitiful a,
well as comieal. The incident show.
Roosevelt in his true character. as one
who is willing 10 thvaL. the truth 20
make point, and 10 entirely discrcdit
his own act when, on subsequent
OCCASION, lac thinks he can make q
point by SO doing. And this is the man
who has so eonspicuously called 50