Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-06
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
DIES SUDDENLY AT HIS
HOME IN OYSTER BAY
LHeQndCQreer
OfTWenty-six
Il. s. President

Claes MaartenZoon Won Roosevelt
settling in New York nearly 800 years
ago. From Claes Won Roosevelt the
clan grew and prospered. They were
farmers. shipbuilders and owners and
merchants of note.
Mr.. Roosevelts father. himself
another Theodore. was a retired mer-
chant. wealthy. and able to bring UP
his son in surroundings not often ac-
corded future great men. His mother
was Martha Hulloch. Georgian
The early years of Roosevelts LIE
were those of a weak, sickly child he
was undersized and white. and at one
time his family travelled with him as
far as Egypt in search of health.
Because of his physical condition
his parents sought to inculcate in him
love of outdoor life, and they sue
eeeded so well that young Theodore,
at the age of twelve. set his heart
upon being naturalist.
From Weakling to Athlete
This ambition led him to the fields
and woods and regenerated his physl-
cal being to such an extent that when
he entered Harvard, in 1876, he was
robust young man. lie boxed
rowed, ran and swan with an en-
thusiaSm that was the last word in
''strenuosity." When he graduated. in
1880, he stood twenty-second on the
commencement roster.
At about this time Mr.. Roosevelt
gave voice to a trenchant principle
that has guided his life in later days.
There is nowhere in the world a
more ignob1e character than the mere
money-getting American, insensible
to every duty, bent only on amassing
a fortuna and uniting his, fortune only
to the basest uses"
With this precept in mind. and his
graduation over, he set about filling
the place occupied by the elder Roose-
Welt. who died in 1873. He joined the
Prison Reform Association and be-
came a member of various philan
thropic movements with which Roose-
welt the elder had been associated.
In the fall of 1880 he married Miss
Alice Hathaway Lee, a Boston girl,
with whom he had become acquainted
during his student days. The couple
spent their honeymoon abroad and re-
turned to New York, where Mr.. Roose-
welt at once plunged into the arduous
campaign he had mapped out for
himself.
Began Study of Law.
Besides his social and philanthropy
ical studies he became interested in
the law, studying in the Office of his
uncle, Robert B. Roosevelt, and some
time later taking an active part in
ward politics, at the solicitation of
some of his friends.
A hot debate broke out in the Twenty
first Assembly District Republican Club.
the headquarters of which then were on
59th street, New York. Mr.. Roose-
Welt was one of the speakers and
was opposed by machine" man.
His speech received vociferous ap-
plause: ana the young man assumed
that victory awaited him on the vote.
At the ballot, however. a nod from
the party boss decided the matter. He
was beaten by ballot of 95-3. 1t
was Roosevelt's first taste of machine
power.
He decided that he would like to go
to the state legislature. and made his
desires known to the bosses. Both he
and his ambition were greeted with a
hearty laugh.
The laugh, however, appeared upon
the other side when the result of the
primary became known. Mr.. Roose-
welt had gone among his silk-stocking
friends. among the saloonkeepers,
among the voters and had won. This
was during the summer of 1882.
AS election day came around the
fight waxed hot. In the same district
was William Waldorf Astor, a candi-
date for Congress on the same ticket
that carried Mr.. Roosevelt. Both men
made strenuous campaigns. The
caught the infection. Millionaires
solicited the votes of their servants
There were fusions of all sorts and
kinds of people, but such was the
personal popularity of young Roose-
Welt that when the election counts
were taken it was found that he had
ridden to victory, while Mr.. Astor
fell far short of the goal.
Cold Shoulder to Bosses.
The election over and his coveted
seat in the assembly firmly in his
possession, the bosses sought him out
and sounded him as to his political
creed. Would he observe the rule OF
the machine? Would he be amenable
to orders? Mr.. Roosevelt would not
II do not number party loyalty
among the ten commandments" said
he, and his troubles with the bosses
began.
He was twenty-three when he took
his seat in the state legislature al
Albany. He was unknown and alone
very much alone. Yet within a
short time he was one of its mos,
notable members.
His first imbroglio of note arose
around the report of a railroad bill
by the railroad committee, of which
Mr.. Roosevelt was a member. The
orders from above were to Bottle
it up" The railroads did not like
the measure and the majority of the
machine men on the railroad commit
tee showed signs of favoring their in.
structions.
But Mr.. Roosevelt intervened. He
asked to see the bill and calmly
placed 1t in his pocket, declaring his
intention OF making minority repor,
on the measure to the assembly. His
action threatened personal encount.
er. but in the end the machine mer
agreed to make report. with tb,
result that the bill was bottled up ir
the assembly instead of in the com.
mittee.
The fame of the young LEGISLATORS
daring won him many friends. how.
ever. and though the measure wa.
as effectually killed in open session
the fight he made showed plainly his
caliber.
Became Leader at Albany.
Mr.. Roosevelt was two years in the
state legislature, becoming the leader
of his party and one of the most in.
fiuential men of the assembly. He hat
thoroughly organized his district ant
succeeded in electing his delegates te
the republican national convention OF
1884 He himself was elected a dele.
gate at large from the Empire state
and his fellows conferred upon hin
the Office of chairman.
At the convention Mr.. Roosevelt.
work. in view of his age, was phe.
nomenal. He was twenty-five year.
old and perhaps the youngest mem.
ber of the natiosal body. Despite
his youth, however. he entered the