Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-11
rsy Charles WINS Thompson


Theodore Roosevelt was bitterly hated
but the people who hated him were
people who hadn't met him. He was
accused or lnsincerity, but never by
people who knew him. He was ac-
cused Of opportunism-by people who
didn't know him. There were many
who believed that his course was al
ways dictated by a desire to obtain
votes. but such people were not
acquainted with him.
He was called by some people q
poseur but he was a poseur in the
same sense that Tom Sawyer was.
That is, dramatic scenery was appealed
to what Mark Twain called "the circus
side OF my nature The people who
didn't know him and who hated him
were, when of the male sex, persons OF
a feminine cast, to whom the rip roar
ing masculinity of Roosevelt was q
continuing shock. Very few women
hated him. II that seems paradox 1t
isn't. Well, n personality that 10 so rip
roaringly masculine simply has to have
a circus side Of it.
Meeting the Rough Riders.
There Is a picture before my eyes OF
a scene out at lonely jerkwater sta
ton in Arizona. The Colonel's special
train had stopped there so that a few
Of the Rough Riders could come to 1t
from their ranches and shake hands
with their old commander. 1t was at
tho height of a great campaign, and
the itinerary was ordered from Wash
ington: but no matter the train had
to stop here. The Rough Riders
rode, some OF them forty miles, to
shake hands with him and they were
all waiting on the plank in front of the
hut that served as a station when the
special pulled itself to a stop. Aside
from the station agent and the Rough
Riders there was not another human
being in sight, nor the faintest hint Of
town or village in the clear sun
dried Arizona landscape.
The moving-pictture man-whom
the the colonel had christened Movie"
and also s"Dare Devil Dick his name
being Richard J. Cummins-saw great
opportunity and yelled to the colonel
The colonel promptly took off his
enormous black hat, arranged the
astonished Rough Riders in appropria e
attitudes, and then, with his arm
around an Arizona shoulder. began
talking. Throw a little ginger in. col
onel.' shouted Movie, and the colonel
began throwing in all his appropriate
gestures, while Movie stood there
grinding the crank. The picture must,
have indicated to those who saw it that
Of 'sS to his fellow veterans, but this is
what he was saying:
Barnes, Penrosc and Smoo: do you
remember that charge up San JUAN
an initiative and referendum-recall VI
judicial decisions--Jack Green way, ia
of the best IN the reginent-i'o, Evans
took Ihe feet into tie Pacific"
All this to the most furious gesticula
ton: any nonsense that came into his
head. talked at the rate OF sixty miles
a minute. The Rough Riders had moth
ing to do but pretend to look impressed
and did it badly. the more so as we re
porters were laughing ourselves sick
behind the camera.
"That1l be corker. Colonel" said
Movie, stopping the crank; and the
colonel released from duty. Joined the
rest Of us in roars OF laughter by
'CoISS. HS saiN IioppiiS MS ulo~.
haven't had SO much fun in week" II
that is posing, make the most d it.
Carried the Fight Hsme.
He was not a vote-hunter, except as
every man in politics must be. He
never compromised conviction for a
vote. He always made il point to de-
nounce to its face anything he did not
approve OF. II, Tor instance, he had
been a free trader he would not have
denounced protection until ne could de-
nounce it in Pittsburgh. In that sense
he was less of n demagogue than any
other man / ever met in politics.
On his swing around the country i'll
1912 he never said more than a per
functory word against the democratic
party until he got into the south. its
home, where it is not only wicked but
anti social to speak against the demo-
cratic party. His most blazing denur-
Citations of pactfism in his great tour in
1916 were reserved for Henry Ford's
home. Detroit where, whatever may be
the case in other parts of Michigan. the
population is excessively pro-Ford.
IT was the same on his trip abroad
not that that has anything to do with
vote getting; it was in France that he
denounced race suicide and in England
that ne assaifed England's Egyptian
policy. Always he picked out sins