The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-22
PRESIDENTS PERSONALITY


president made one remark which re.
calls q story Mr.. Bryan told when
ne was in Salt Lake at the time
of the last presidential campaign. The
president said $50 that when / get
guests in my own house and the public
is shut out, / adjourn being president
and take leave to be gentleman. Mr..
Bryan g story was to the effect that
when he was in congress correspon"
dent approached him one day in the
lobby of the house Of representatives
and said: ''Mr. Bryan, would like to
ask YOU a question, not in my capacity
as a newspaper man, but as a gentle.
man
Mr.. Wilson calls attention to some
thing that must frequently have struck
men in public life, although the idea, so
far as we know, has never before been
emphasized by a president. The presi-
dent is quoted on this roiut as follows:
was Just thinking OF my sense OF
confusion OF identity. sometimes
when read articles about myself /
have never read an article about my
self In which recognized myself and
have come TO have the impression
hat must be some kind OF a fraud,
because think great many OF these
articles are written IN absolute good
faith. | tremble TO think OF the va
t;ety and falseness IN the impressions
make-and II Is being borne IN on
me so that Il may change my very
disposition--that am cold and re-
moved person, who has n thinking
machine inside which he adjusts 10
the circumstances which he does not
allow 10 he moved By any winds OF
Election or emotion OF any Kind. but
turns like j cold searchlight on any
thins that is presented 70 his atten-
lion and makes IL work
The president OF the United States
is constantly being pictured for the
puolic by newspaper correspondents,
editors, magazine writer's. cartoouists
and others. II is quite true that no
man really knows himself. The princi-
pal task of II liberal education and of
man s battle with the world is to give
him a clear understanding Of himself
He does not see himself "a others see
him. Sometimes the man himself is
night and sometimes those who arc oh.
serving bim are right 4 remark of a
friend, or even Of an enemy. often re.
vcals a man 10 himself, but usually one
Is misunderstood by his opponents and
his enemies even when not willfullv
miSreprescnted. They are constantly rs.
cribing to him evil motives OF which
ne is not guilty. They feign to read his
mental processes and interpret them 10
the public, but their reading and their
Interpretation are colorcd by their own
mental processes and their proiudices.
Even when their charges are fairly nc
curate they generally give n distorted
view of the public man ; personality.
Take the case of Mr.. Roosevelt. for ex |
ample. No one has such contcmptuous
critics and such praisful admirers as the
former president. Obviously one fac
tion or the other has misunderstood Mr.. |
Roosevelt in great part, but probably
II Is also truo that neither side has |
been wholly mistaken.
IL is difficult for any of ms "a cast |
lust balance in our views of public |
man. especially where ne is com. |
pounded of striking virtues and
no less conspicuous faults Often the
perspective of history is required 10 /
show the public man in his proper men.
tsi aud spiritual proportions; vet even
history does not always allav the dis. /
rute about person 5 character. Mr. I
Roosevelt refers in one Of his works 10 |
Tom Paine rs ''that dirty little atb. |
lest and deuounces Thomas .Icffor-
sou. Iu neither view will the ma ioritv
of the students az history agree with
bin. While Aaron Burr is gepcraIv |
condemned As an unscrupulous self. |
seeker. he is rot infrequently repre-. 1
seuied by his defenders ms n great but
misunderstood statesman.
II is obvious that President Wilson |
is of the interpretive type and is there. |
tore a great student of himself. On
the other hand, Mr.. Roosevelt. being of |
sauguine temperament and head. !
long nature. probably does not under. 1
stand himself any better than be is uu.
derstood by some OF bis critics.
SnME ar~nT0Ny