The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-02

Roosevelt Taft and Wilson Reveal
Themselves.
tFrom the Worlds work.)

Ns' W. ''Vti9 - WOIk.J
This article Is Intentionally a mere
collection OF personal impressions; Il
10 confessedly subjective. I am going,
In conclusion. to set down here recol-
iections Of three evenings. one with
each OF the rivals. and perhaps the
most agreeable hours ever spent
with them. They are not to be de-
scribed In detail but Of the general
spirit Of each occasion may speak:
The first was with Mr. Roosevelt.
soon after the close Of his Presiden-
oal term and near the end Of the voy-
ase ON the Hamburg. when he was
enjoying his first opportunity In many
years OF rest and retrospect. The ship
had passed Gibraltar and entered the
mediterranean; we were stearning to-
ward sunset. along the coast Of Spain.
4 joined Mr.. Roosevelt for a walk on
deck.
We gazed together at the purple
headlands. overhnng by glittering
snow peaks OF the Sierra Nevada. MIR.
Roosevelts spirits rose In sober ele-
sation as he gazed a. the land which
had been the the. re Of the long
strugg.e between Moor and Christian.
and turned from that to look down
ct the sea tabled since earliest his
tory began. He talked of the Hellenic
adventurers who had sailed out the
Pillars of Hercules. of the ghostly
fleets Of successive generations that
had glimpsed the splendid panorama
OF the shores--galleys of Phoenicians,
transports Of Iberians going to the
Punic wars--down to the magnificent
modern armadas whose prows had
Gut the indigo waters.
II was a delightful hour. for Mr..
Roosevelt has a vivid martial and ro-
mantle Imagination. But his talk was
all OF expeditions OF war. descents on
the coast. burning cities. pirates. he
roio forays. actions at sea. This /
VIII say. that he had to te reminded
that the bisge - fleet that ever sailed
these waters--a fleet at the sight of
which Olson would have swooned
and Villeneuve stared. and Nelson
been confounded--had been there by
his own orders. reminded Mr.
Roosevelt Of that. and he stopped In
his walk and looked out over the rail
and back again. and broke into a grin
and n chuckle and exclaimed:
"By George. that was me. wasn't
it."
And then he woke TO real enthu-
siasm and told with uplifted fist and
flashing eye what that fleet would
have done N II had ever had "A chance.
by George.
The second was a late autumn af-
ternCOn AT Beverly-by by-the-Sea. II
was on the eve OF the long tour %!
the country which President Taft
made vast year. by hard labor Mr.
Taft had got ahead OF his work Ga
thing most unusual for him. IL may b,
ald) and had an hour or two 70,
rest. lie used N sitting before tn,
dying log In his study and medtatinl
out loud ON the subject that rcall!
lies near his hcart-the prospect %
international peace.
was the only listener. For al
hour the President soliloquized /
would have startled conservative pa
triots could they have heard him
There was mo- length To which tn
head of the nation was unwilling L
40 to avoid bloody conflict no length
I mean. In the direction Of substitut
ing arbitration for war. There wa
no scorn which the tongue Of maj
can utter that ne did not pour on
upon the savage. childish folly q
standing men ip To shoot 80 o1c|
other because the governors of thci
countries have been unable 10 agre,
That IL ALL Mr. Tafts thoughts 81
his evening hour. tOurncd To pcaC,
With heat of conviction of whic
those who dO not know him would no
have believed him capable. hurting hi
defiance into the face of the hOllON
popular sentiment that passes for pa
triotism. Mr.. Tart talked of pcac,
Mr.. Roosevelt. on another evcnin
watching the sun go down. had bah
blcd Of battles.
The third scene was an evening Wit
sea Girt. There had been high spor