Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-07

Office" Roosevelt said at the time he
accepted this appointment, was that
it was to be done in the hurry burly'
for / don't like cloister life" Homes
~ was the watchword Of this admin
| istration, and the two years of his oc-
cupancy became memorable through
the reforms he inaugu3rted. attract
ing the nations attention while hold =
ing a position which was obscure in
comparison with the events 10 corr
Illicit liquor traffic. gambling, wee
general-of these evils he purged the
city in the face Of corrupt political
.ablished as a reformer won him the
personal selection by President Nc
kinley as Assistant Secretary Of the
Navy, in 1897. A year later the Span
ish American War broke out.
The Roosevelt Rough Riders
The Roosevelt temperament did not
allow the man 10 retain deputy cab
met position with war Offering some
thing more exciting. Leonard Wood,
now ma jor general, was then Pres
Of KooseyeIt's staunchcst friends.
The famous Rough Riders were or
gained by Wood and Roosevelt-a
band Of fighting men the mention q
whose name today suggests immc-
diately the word Roosevelt They
came out of the West-plainsmen mi
ners, rough and ready fighters who
were natural marksmen, and Wood
became their Colonel and "TeddT.' as
he had become Familiarity called by
the pubic. their Lieutenant Colonel!
In company with the regulars of the
army they took transports to Cuba.
landed at Santiago and were soon en-
gagged in the thick of battle. Among
the promotions which this hardy reg
iments gallantry brought about were
those Of Wood to Brigadier- General
title Theodore Roosevelt cherished
until the end. Some of the Rough
Riders formed the military escort
when he was elected President few
years later.
When Cuba had been liberated,
Roosevelt returned to New York. A
gubernatoral campaign was in
swing. with the Republican Party in
need Of a capable candidate. Roose-
Welt was nominated. Van WyCL, his
Democratic opponent. was defeated.
The reforms Roosevelt had favored as
Assemblymen he now had the oppor-
tunity to consummate. together with
others of more Importance, and it was
during this administration that he is
said first have earned the hostility Of
corporations. When the Republican
national convention was held in Phil
adelphia in 1900 his party in New
York State demanded and attained
his nomination for Vice President on
the ticket with William Mckinley. In
November Of that year this ticket
was elected.
Followed Mckinley Policies.
The policies of Mckinley. Roosevelt
'ndcavored TO carry out after he sue
coded the former upon the Presi-
dents tragic death n, the hands Of an
:, ASSN. Roosevelt retained his PRED =
eccssors cabinet as his own and he
ministers whom Mckinley had APP
pointed. AS much as two years be-
fore the Presidential campaign of 1904
tepubljcan orga MIA tons N various
states began endorsing him as their
ICXt candidate.
1t was thus that the man Of des-
tiny" idea became associated with his
life. Ostensibiy. Roosevelt, leaving
the governorship 81 New } ork to be-
come Vice President. was moving for
ward from state politics into ma
tional politics, so his political oppo-
ncnts professed publicly to believe;
hut il was their secret desire to
"shelve" the man and eliminate him
from prominence in their own com
Ilunity. il was said. that prompted
these political foes to obtain for him
the Vice Presidential nomination,
which he personally did not desire.
At the height Of his public and
political career, during the four years
of the term for which he had been
elected. Roosevelt accomplished
achievements which historians vii!
rank high in the international and
industrial progress of the country
They included his influential negotia =
tions which, conducted at Ports
mouth. \. H.. effected peace between
Russia and Japan; maintenance OF
the Monroe Doctrine at period when
European Powers were Interested in
the affairs Of Venezuela: the rocog-
milton Of Panama as a Republic and
his treaty with Panama by which the
inter oceanic canal through that
country was put under way: and the
settlement. through his moral influ-
ence in the face of situation in
which there was no adequate Federal
legislation, of the Pennsylvania coal
mine strike. For his part IN termi
mating the Russo japanese conflict he
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1906. Four years later, once more
a private citizen. ne was special am
bassador from the United States at
the funeral Of King Edward VII OF
England.
Tho Break with Taft.
A rift in the friendship between
Roosevelt and his successor IS Presi-
dent, William Howard Taft, led to the
formers announcement of his opposi-
ton to Mr.. Taft's denomination. The
ex-President's influence had been
large in placing MIR. Taft in the White
House. Now his influence was equal
" strong in preventing MI. Taft
from remaining there. Men who had
rla G n ad with tho Taft nnlicieS Oilicklv